How to hire a relay technician

How to hire a relay technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step relay technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a relay technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new relay technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your relay technician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a relay technician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A relay technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, relay technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of relay technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Relay Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Relay Technician	Electrical and electronics installers and repairers install or repair a variety of electrical equipment in telecommunications, transportation, utilities, and other industries.	$18-57
   Power Generation Equipment Repairer	Power generation equipment repairers must have a high school diploma or GED as well as mechanical aptitude, job shop experience, and experience with handheld power tools. Those who choose this career path will conduct maintenance on tactical utilities, power generation sets, internal combustion engines and equipment associated with these.	$16-30
   Instrument And Electrical Technician	An Instrument and Electrical Technician is responsible for inspecting all production and manufacturing equipment's performance and stability to ensure efficiency during operations. Instrument and Electrical Technicians run quality control procedures for the processes to produce high-quality deliverables for customer satisfaction... Show more	$25-41

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Transformers
   • SCADA
   • Test Equipment
   • Substation Equipment
   • Protective Relays
   • Control Circuits
   • Capacitors
   • Maintenance Procedures
   • Doble
   • Control Systems
   • Transducers
   • Switches
   • NERC
   • Scheme

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Travele with company and put substations into service by wiring cabinets, transformers, and breakers.
   • Involve the wiring and testing of control relays, transformers, and breakers and switching gear.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your relay technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A relay technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, relay technicians' average salary in north dakota is 59% less than in nevada.
   • Seniority. Entry-level relay technicians 68% less than senior-level relay technicians.
   • Certifications. A relay technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a relay technician's salary.

   Average relay technician salary

   $68,823yearly

   $33.09 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level relay technician salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a relay technician job description

   A relay technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a relay technician job description:

   Relay technician job description example

   Looking to POWER UP your career? Then come join a company that is helping usher in the next generation of Energy for our planet!
   
   As a NETA certified Independent Electrical Testing & Engineering Organization, we set the standard for technical expertise and uncompromising safety within the Renewable Energy, Data Centers, and Industrial industries.
   
   We're looking for a Relay Technician to performs electrical testing on relays in electrical power stations. As a relay technician, your duties involve using equipment such as a Doble 6150 to test different types of microprocessor relays inside the electrical substation.
   Salary Range: $30 -$50 per hour
   
   Office Location: Centennial, CO
   
   Travel: 50% or higher
   
   + Perform installation, commissioning, testing and maintenance of protective relaying equipment.
   
   + Perform function testing of substation control circuits on relay panel, transformers & circuit breakers.
   
   + Develop relay macros and testing routines with confirmation of proper protection and control design.
   
   + Perform end-to-end relay testing using relay test software, and analyze the operation of the relay based on the fault type run.
   
   + Develop written standard commissioning, testing and maintenance procedures for protective relaying.
   
   + Examine relay settings and logic equations for confirmation of system operation in accordance with design.
   
   + Develop isolation restoration procedures for a construction outage.
   
   + Lead safety briefings on job site.
   
   + 3+ years of hands on experience installing, maintaining, testing & repairing protective relays in transmission, generation or distribution level substations.
   
   + Ability to develop written test procedures for transmission, generation and distribution substation protection.
   
   + Ability to develop relay test plans necessary to test the relays per EPS and customer specifications.
   
   + Lead investigations of electrical related issues, including root cause analysis as needed.
   
   + Ability to calibrate & perform functional tests on both electromechanical and micro-processor based protective relays for substations.
   
   + Capable of trouble shooting distribution and transmission controls circuits
   
   + Knowledge of relay test software is required. Doble ProTest or Protection Suite preferred.
   
   + Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
   
   + Experience installing, maintaining, testing, or repairing circuit breakers, transformers, switchgear, or similar equipment is desired.
   
   + Ability to operate test equipment needed for the project.
   
   + Ability to function as an on-site lead for the project, assign tasks, prioritize activities and interface with customers.
   
   + Ability to read and fully understand protection and control schematic diagrams and wiring diagrams, and catch mistakes and problems with the drawings and design when comparing with accepted engineering and customer standards.
   
   + Ability to determine and interpret customer's requirements and provide final deliverables including as built prints and all test results meeting specified requirements
   
   + Ability to understand manufactures' literature to facilitate testing.
   
   + Ability to review relay settings and determine the relay logic matches the design on the schematics as well as customer standards. This would include that the CT Ratios are correct as well as the trip outputs.
   
   Additional Requirements:
   
   + Able to pass a pre-employment drug screen.
   
   + Complete a satisfactory criminal background check.
   
   + Able to work overtime and travel out of town for periods of time.
   
   + Able to climb ladders, stand for extended periods, able to lift 70 lbs.
   
   + Must have a valid driver's license and currently have and be able to maintain a good driving record.
   
   + Experience installing, maintaining, testing, or repairing circuit breakers, transformers, switchgear, or similar equipment is desired.
   
   EPS in an equal opportunity employer. Our organization does not discriminate based on race, creed, color, veteran status, sex, religion, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law. We are an E-Verify, Drug and Tobacco-Free Workplace.
   
   ID: 2022-3469
   
   Metro Area: Denver
   
   External Company Name: Voltyx
   
   External Company URL: eps-international.com
   
   Street: 11211 E Arapahoe Rd

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5. Post your job

   To find relay technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any relay technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level relay technicians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your relay technician job on Zippia to find and recruit relay technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting relay technicians requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new relay technician

   Once you've found the relay technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new relay technician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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