Since continuing to see a huge need for highly skilled employees, the number of jobs in Public Utilities is currently increasing quickly. A job in a public utility is one of the jobs providing vital services to the public. Well, the vital services here include electricians, plumbers, sewer and water workers.
Depending on the size and requirements of the company, there are numerous kinds of jobs available in the Public Utilities and the quantity of positions. If you are wondering how many jobs are available in Public Utilities, you can dive into our post to find out the information about it. Here you go!
How Many Jobs Are Available in Public Utilities?
Before entering the job in the public sector, you need to understand that public utility services are focused on the basic requirements of human society. We think that the public sector is more like a regular meal, not the vitamins once. Well, the job opportunity in public utilities is pretty high.
Since the public sector is in high demand, of course, there are many jobs available in public utilities. For some people, public utilities are a perfect place to start your career and offer a variety of benefits such as sick days and paid vacation.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the data from 2004 – 2013 that there were around 218 thousand jobs available in Public Utilities. Of these, 7,1% work for Public Service. The BLS also estimates that the Public Service jobs market will expand by 14% between now and 2026. Of course, this is higher than average in all related fields including construction (+9% until 2026) and higher than the average employment growth for all other sectors.
Here are some jobs available in Public Utilities:
- Operators of petroleum pump systems
- Operators of power plants
- Pipeline Inspectors
- Power distributors and dispatchers
- Electric Power Plant manager
- Natural Gas Distribution Manager
- Power Plant Maintenance Supervisor
- Renewable energy manager
- Nuclear Power reactor operator
- Wind Turbine Service technician
- Solar photovoltaic Installer
- Operator of a geothermal power plant
- Hydroelectric power plant Operator
- Electrical Manager
- Energy Auditor
- Manager of the Wind farm
- Hydroelectric Plant technician
- Water engineer
- Gas Plant Manager
- Electrical Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Architectural Designer
- Surveyor
- Environmental Scientist
- Utility Forester
- Communications Engineer
- Meter Reader
- Water Treatment Operator
- Etc.
What Are the Major Departments in Public Utilities?
According to some sources, there are three main departments in Public Utilities, including:
1. Electric Power Utilities Sector
We totally know that services for electricity are a key element of electrical services that sell energy to the customers that they serve. Electricity works to power our homes, industries and business. The United States has a public utility system to make sure that everyone has access to electricity.
In the United States, electric power includes three main sectors including generation, transmission and distribution. In fact, the electric power transmission industry is one of the most essential in the United States that is responsible for transmitting electricity from generating plants to consumers.
Furthermore, the transmission and distribution of electricity are an important part of the production process. The systems of transmission include lines which carry power from the generator to the ultimate consumer.
There are some large public utility companies in this industry and of course, they are all competing for market share. The biggest companies in the electric power transmission industry in the United States include Exelon Corporation, Florida Power and Light Company and Southern California Edison Company.
2. Water and Sewage Utilities Sector
Another important industry in Public Utilities in the United States is the sewage removal sector. Reportedly, a lot of companies work in this sector and they all have different roles. The job description of this sector is to remove wastewater from homes and businesses and then treating it before releasing it back into the environment.
It is known that the wastewater provides all sorts of clean water and ensures the appropriate utilization of the clean water. This sector mainly works to keep the water purer and spotless that employs thousands of people across the country.
The sewage removal sector is constantly evolving, thanks to new technology and stricter regulations. Well, the companies are looking for ways to improve their operations and reduce their environmental impact.
The biggest companies in the water and waste management public utility industry in the United States are Danaher Corporation, Kemira and Ecolab.
3. Natural Gas Utilities Sector
Natural gas in the United States is the main power and thermal output source. The biggest companies in the natural gas utilities sector are ExxonMobil and Chevron where both produce more than 33% of the oil and gaseous petrol in the country.
Reportedly, the single industry supports over 9.8 million jobs, meaning around 5.6% of the US employment population is covered up. Furthermore, an unconventional oil and natural gas value chain is also supported by over 2.1 million jobs.
Based on the data of the PWC, natural gas will go to reserve over 1 million just for manufacturing jobs by the end of 2025. The biggest companies in the natural gas sector include Energy Transfer, Duke Energy Corporation and Exelon Corporation.
5 High-Paying Jobs in Public Utilities
Even though there are numerous jobs available in Public Utilities, there are some jobs that are among the high-paying jobs in Public Utilities. If you have a plan to apply for a job in Public Utilities, make sure to enter the job in public utilities with high-paying.
There are 5 jobs included as the high-paying jobs in Public Utilities. However, it also depends on the region or the companies. Here are they:
- Power Plant Engineer ($96,500-$136,000.500 per year)
- Substation Engineer ($91,000-$118,000 Per year)
- Power Systems Engineer ($81,500-$115,000.50 per year)
- Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer ($73,500-$172,000 per year)
- Radiation Engineer ($73,000-$123,000 per year)
Okay, those are 5 high-paying jobs in Public Utilities. Of course, there may be the higher-paying jobs included in Public Utilities that are not shown here, but we only show them, according to some internet sources.