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Wind turbine engineer vs wind turbine technician

The differences between wind turbine engineers and wind turbine technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a wind turbine engineer, becoming a wind turbine technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a wind turbine engineer has an average salary of $83,765, which is higher than the $42,387 average annual salary of a wind turbine technician.

The top three skills for a wind turbine engineer include SCADA, gearboxes and technical issues. The most important skills for a wind turbine technician are LOTO, CPR, and perform routine maintenance.

Wind turbine engineer vs wind turbine technician overview

Wind Turbine EngineerWind Turbine Technician
Yearly salary$83,765$42,387
Hourly rate$40.27$20.38
Growth rate2%44%
Number of jobs56,32024,677
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Associate Degree, 39%
Average age4143
Years of experience62

Wind turbine engineer vs wind turbine technician salary

Wind turbine engineers and wind turbine technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Wind Turbine EngineerWind Turbine Technician
Average salary$83,765$42,387
Salary rangeBetween $69,000 And $101,000Between $27,000 And $64,000
Highest paying CityStamford, CT-
Highest paying stateConnecticut-
Best paying companyEnbridge-
Best paying industry--

Differences between wind turbine engineer and wind turbine technician education

There are a few differences between a wind turbine engineer and a wind turbine technician in terms of educational background:

Wind Turbine EngineerWind Turbine Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Associate Degree, 39%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringEnvironmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversitySUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Wind turbine engineer vs wind turbine technician demographics

Here are the differences between wind turbine engineers' and wind turbine technicians' demographics:

Wind Turbine EngineerWind Turbine Technician
Average age4143
Gender ratioMale, 94.0% Female, 6.0%Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 11.1% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 3.0% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage5%4%

Differences between wind turbine engineer and wind turbine technician duties and responsibilities

Wind turbine engineer example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage technical procedures for quality control to comply with ISO laboratory accreditation.
  • Programme wind tunnel control software using LABVIEW
  • Experience with ISO documentation, aviation standards, and FAA procedures.
  • Utilize Solidworks to create finite element meshing of the wind tunnel, and conduct 3-D CFD simulations of the aeromechanics.
  • Utilize proactive and reactive troubleshooting methodologies to support all IP backbone infrastructures.
  • Conduct geotechnical and environmental subsurface investigations.
  • Show more

Wind turbine technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage all update safety documents per OSHA requirements.
  • Up to date with certifications that meet industry safety and OSHA requirements.
  • Write on log sheets and check status of turbines on SCADA program.
  • Provide PPE to crew and prepare accident and near miss investigation reports.
  • Climb wind towers to replace gearboxes, main bearings, maintain, and trouble shoot wind towers.
  • Perform switching and LOTO on varying electrical systems ranging from 120VAC - 34.5kV as needed for creating safe work boundaries.
  • Show more

Wind turbine engineer vs wind turbine technician skills

Common wind turbine engineer skills
  • SCADA, 38%
  • Gearboxes, 25%
  • Technical Issues, 17%
  • Electrical Equipment, 6%
  • MW, 5%
  • Plant Safety, 5%
Common wind turbine technician skills
  • LOTO, 14%
  • CPR, 9%
  • Perform Routine Maintenance, 8%
  • OSHA, 6%
  • Wind Turbines, 5%
  • Ladders, 5%

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