Power system dispatcher vs substation operator

The differences between power system dispatchers and substation operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a power system dispatcher and a substation operator. Additionally, a substation operator has an average salary of $47,649, which is higher than the $47,004 average annual salary of a power system dispatcher.

The top three skills for a power system dispatcher include SCADA, EMS and NERC. The most important skills for a substation operator are CDL, electrical equipment, and substation equipment.

Power system dispatcher vs substation operator overview

	Power System Dispatcher	Substation Operator
Yearly salary	$47,004	$47,649
Hourly rate	$22.60	$22.91
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	18,602	26,322
Job satisfaction	5	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Power system dispatcher vs substation operator salary

Power system dispatchers and substation operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Power System Dispatcher	Substation Operator
Average salary	$47,004	$47,649
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $79,000	Between $32,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between power system dispatcher and substation operator education

There are a few differences between a power system dispatcher and a substation operator in terms of educational background:

	Power System Dispatcher	Substation Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Power system dispatcher vs substation operator demographics

Here are the differences between power system dispatchers' and substation operators' demographics:

	Power System Dispatcher	Substation Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%	Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 1.5% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 1.5% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between power system dispatcher and substation operator duties and responsibilities

Power system dispatcher example responsibilities.

Achieve 2nd place in team competition for highest power seen by the battery at 20.6 Watts.
Manage inadvertent energy accounts to ensure they are keep in balance according to NERC reliability standards and WECC criteria.
Manage customer service satisfaction by providing update eta and location of drivers.
Maintain balanced load and generation in accordance with principles of economic dispatch, NERC and WECC reliability standards.
Qualify power system operator with centralize SCADA/EMS (Harris) control of 34.5 kV to 500-kV transmission lines and substations.
Monitor SCADA system for issues and power outages.

Substation operator example responsibilities.

Perform maintenance on substation power transformers, regulators, circuit switches, capacitor banks and relay enclosures.
Dutiesinclude starting and stopping pumping and generating units using manualcontrol boards or SCADA control system.
Charge with the inspection and maintenance of substation circuit breakers, transformers and all associate sub-station equipment.
Implement tool control and OSHA safety regulations while working independently on various machinery.
Speed test breakers and analyze Doble data.

Power system dispatcher vs substation operator skills

Common power system dispatcher skills

SCADA, 24%
EMS, 22%
NERC, 19%
KV, 15%
Electric Systems, 4%
System Integrity, 3%

Common substation operator skills

CDL, 59%
Electrical Equipment, 16%
Substation Equipment, 7%
Station Equipment, 6%
Safety Procedures, 4%
SCADA, 3%

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Power System Dispatcher vs Substation Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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