How To Become A Relay Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a relay technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

People who study electrical systems and want to work in a profession that requires repairing and maintaining them can end up working as relay technicians. Normally, relay technicians repair and maintain relays in electrical power stations. Other duties of these technicians might be to calibrate generators, test various components, replace wires, and repair circuit breakers. They are also responsible for maintaining records of charges, labor time, and components that are used in repairing and reassembling equipment.

Many relay technicians have an associate's degree, but there is almost an equal balance of bachelor's and associate's degrees in this profession. Most commonly, these technicians study electromechanical instrumentation and maintenance technologies, electrical engineering technology, or electrical engineering.

Knowledge of transformers, SCADA, test equipment, substation equipment, or electrical systems is often required for this position. Relay technicians earn about $29 in an hour and make somewhere around $60,000 per annum. The jobs for this position are slowly declining in the US.

ScoreRelay TechnicianUS Average

Salary

5.4

Avg. Salary $68,823

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate -1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.55%

Asian 3.88%

Black or African American 5.54%

Hispanic or Latino 13.85%

Unknown 7.20%

White 68.98%

Gender

female 7.52%

male 92.48%

Age - 37

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a relay technician

Explore relay technician education requirements

Most common relay technician degrees

Associate

43.1 %

Bachelor's

37.5 %

High School Diploma

11.1 %

Start to develop specific relay technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Transformers	17.07%
SCADA	13.10%
Test Equipment	10.46%
Substation Equipment	9.90%
Protective Relays	6.80%

Complete relevant relay technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New relay technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a relay technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real relay technician resumes.

Research relay technician duties and responsibilities

Lead technicians and engineers to accomplish a cross-functional CNC fixture design to improve production capabilities.
Test and troubleshoot protective relay scheme for the commissioning of switch yard apparatus and line protection.
Assist with SCADA point verification.
Work with Nortel and Alcatel switches.

Apply for relay technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a relay technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

What is a relay technician and how to become one

Relay technician career paths