Wind Turbine Service Technicians
SOC: 49-9081.00

Description:

Inspect, diagnose, adjust, or repair wind turbines. Perform maintenance on wind turbine equipment including resolving electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic malfunctions.

National Salary Information:

Hourly Statistics:

Annual Statistics:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 wage data.

Employment Projections:

Employment (2014):
4,400 employed

Projected (2024):
9,200 employed

Projected growth (2014-2024)


Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 2014-2024 employment projections external site. "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2014-2024). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Alternate Titles:

  • Energy Technician
  • Field Service Technician
  • Lead Technician
  • Maintenance Technician
  • Offshore Wind Turbine Technician
  • Operations, Maintenance and Service Wind Turbine Technician (OMS Wind Turbine Technician)
  • Senior Wind Turbine Technician
  • Service Technician
  • Small Wind Energy Installer
  • Technician
  • Turbine Technician
  • Wind Commissioning Technician
  • Wind Energy Mechanic
  • Wind Energy Systems Installer
  • Wind Energy Technician
  • Wind Farm Support Specialist
  • Wind Generating Electric Power Installer
  • Wind Technician
  • Wind Turbine Blade Repair Technician
  • Wind Turbine Installer
  • Wind Turbine Mechanic
  • Wind Turbine Service Technician
  • Wind Turbine Technician
  • Windmill Technician
  • Windsmith

    • Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

    Experience:

    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.

    Education:

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

    Job Training:

    Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

    Required Skills:

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Monitoring
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Persuasion
  • Negotiation
  • Instructing
  • Service Orientation
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Operations Analysis
  • Technology Design
  • Equipment Selection
  • Installation
  • Programming
  • Operation Monitoring
  • Operation and Control
  • Equipment Maintenance
  • Troubleshooting
  • Repairing
  • Quality Control Analysis
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Systems Analysis
  • Systems Evaluation
  • Time Management
  • Management of Financial Resources
  • Management of Material Resources
  • Management of Personnel Resources

    • Knowledge Used:

  • Administration and Management
  • Clerical
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Production and Processing
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Design
  • Building and Construction
  • Mechanical
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Biology
  • Psychology
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Geography
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Foreign Language
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Law and Government
  • Telecommunications
  • Communications and Media
  • Transportation

    • Tasks:

  • Inspect or repair fiberglass turbine blades.
  • Troubleshoot or repair mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical malfunctions related to variable pitch systems, variable speed control systems, converter systems, or related components.
  • Climb wind turbine towers to inspect, maintain, or repair equipment.
  • Diagnose problems involving wind turbine generators or control systems.
  • Perform routine maintenance on wind turbine equipment, underground transmission systems, wind fields substations, or fiber optic sensing and control systems.
  • Start or restart wind turbine generator systems to ensure proper operations.
  • Test electrical components of wind systems with devices such as voltage testers, multimeters, oscilloscopes, infrared testers, or fiber optic equipment.
  • Test structures, controls, or mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical systems, according to test plans or in coordination with engineers.
  • Assist in assembly of individual wind generators or construction of wind farms.
  • Collect turbine data for testing or research and analysis.
  • Maintain tool and spare parts inventories required for repair, installation, or replacement services.
  • Operate manufacturing equipment to fabricate wind turbines.
  • Train end-users, distributors, installers, or other technicians in wind commissioning, testing, or other technical procedures.

    • Tools & Technology:

  • Acid brushes
  • Adjustable widemouth pliers
  • Adjustable wrenches
  • Alternating current AC power analyzers
  • Amp clamp meters
  • Breaker bars
  • Claw hammers
  • Conventional watt meters
  • Cordless drills
  • Crane attachments
  • Crescent wrenches
  • Digital calipers
  • Digital dynamometers
  • Digital hydrometers
  • Digital micrometers
  • Digital multimeters
  • Digital oscilloscopes
  • Digital still cameras
  • Distance measuring wheels
  • Electric winches
  • Electronic watt meters
  • Fall arrest systems
  • Fiber optic visual fault locators
  • Field forklifts
  • Flame retardant coveralls
  • Function generators
  • Ground resistance testers
  • Hacksaws
  • Hand punches
  • Handheld calculators
  • Handheld global positioning system GPS units
  • Hard hats
  • High-rate load testers
  • Hotsticks
  • Hydraulic torque machines
  • Inductive probes
  • Infrared thermography cameras
  • Insulated gloves
  • Insulated wire cutters
  • Laptop computers
  • Long nose pliers
  • Lubricant oil sampling kits
  • Manual torque wrenches
  • Measuring tapes
  • Megohmmeters
  • Mobile radios
  • Oil brushes
  • Optical levels
  • Personal computers
  • Phase rotation meters
  • Phillips head screwdrivers
  • Portable gas-powered generators
  • Precision files
  • Programmable logic controllers PLC
  • Protective ear muffs
  • Protective face shields
  • Ratchet sets
  • Recording anemometers
  • Rigging equipment
  • Safety glasses
  • Safety lanyards
  • Safety line evacuation kits
  • Shackles
  • Sledgehammers
  • Soldering tools
  • Straight screwdrivers
  • Survey transits
  • Tap sets
  • Torque multipliers
  • Tower cranes
  • Utility trailers
  • Utility trucks
  • Vibration analysis equipment
  • Volt meters
  • Volt-ohm meters VOM
  • Voltage testers
  • Wire strippers
  • Workshop bench vises
  • Computerized diagnostic software
  • Computerized maintenance management system CMMS software
  • Industrial control systems software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Word
  • Programmable logic controller PLC software
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Vestas Wind Systems A/S Vestas Remote Panel
  • Web browser software

    • installation maintenance and repair

    industry stats

    SOC: 49-0000

    Total Employed: 5,374,150

    Average Annual Salary: $45,990