Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Career Overview

Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

Also Known As

• Power System Dispatcher
• Power System Operator
• Systems Operator
• Transmission System Operator (TSO)

Alternate Job Titles

• Auxiliary Operator
• Board Operator
• Control Area Operator
• Control Board Operator
• Control Operator
• Control Room Operator
• Dispatcher
• Distribution A Class Lineman
• Distribution Lineman
• Distribution Operator
• Distribution System Dispatcher (DSD)
• Distribution Systems Serviceperson
• DSO (Distribution System Operator)
• Electric System Operator
• Electrical Energy Distribution Technician (Electrical Energy Distribution Tech)

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes.
• Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas.
• Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.
• Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators.
• Distribute or regulate the flow of power between entities, such as generating stations, substations, distribution lines, or users, keeping track of the status of circuits or connections.
• Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines.
• Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• English Language
• Public Safety and Security
• Mathematics

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Reading Comprehension
2. Active Listening
3. Critical Thinking
4. Monitoring

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Problem Sensitivity
• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Inductive Reasoning
• Written Comprehension
• Deductive Reasoning
• Written Expression
• Near Vision
• Information Ordering
• Perceptual Speed

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Cautiousness
• Dependability
• Stress Tolerance
• Attention to Detail
• Integrity

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Support
• Independence
• Working Conditions
• Relationships
• Achievement

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• SAP software

Tools & Equipment

• Integrated power system switchboards
• Mainframe computers
• Multi-metering switchboards
• Panelboard switches
• Panelboards

Work Environment

• Telephone Conversations
• Consequence of Error
• Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
• Contact With Others
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$70,760
Median	$107,240
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$144,900

Workers Employed Nationally: 9,180

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

---

---

Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.