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Skilled Trades

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

Median salary (BLS)

$106,730

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$72k – $154k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $70,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree (trade/license)

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Power Distributors and Dispatchers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Power Distributors and Dispatchers

    Entry / Junior

    $72,440

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Power Distributors and Dispatchers

    Established

    $106,730

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Power Distributors and Dispatchers

    Senior

    $130,500

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.