The public utility industries provide services to the public, such as electric power, natural gas, water, cable television and telecommunications. Public utilities regulates in each country. These services are government and private enterprises. This article will help you to understand about how many jobs are available in public utilities.
Every day, we rely on public utilities services, like electricity and water. Large number of jobs require to ensure the smooth functioning these services. This includes everything from construction engineering and management to marketing and sales.
The field of public utilities is growing rapidly in United States. There are many job opportunities for fresh and experienced candidates in this field. For example, water resources engineers work on water distribution systems, wastewater systems, and storm water drainage projects. They design and supervise the construction of these types of systems.
What are Public Utilities Services?
Public utilities services are major public infrastructure projects. They provide the necessary structures such as water, sewage, electricity and gas services. Let’s discuss about public sector services than will understand how many jobs are available in public utilities.
a) Water Supply Services
Water supply services are the systems that provide water treatment, distribution and purification. The United States has a great infrastructure when it comes to providing high-quality water supply services. This is because of the country’s long history with developing quality public water treatment facilities.
It includes monitoring the quality of municipal water supplies, maintaining sewage disposal systems, regulating and enforcing regulations on private wells and septic tanks. Furthermore, it comprises of managing ground water resources, and controlling the quality of trade effluent discharges into surface waters.
b) Electricity Services
The United States has a system for providing electricity to consumers in all states. This system consists of three parts: generation, transmission, and distribution.
Generation involves the production of electric power, which is the process by which electric power generated. There are two main sources of electricity: coal and natural gas.
Transmission involves sending electricity through high-voltage lines from the generation site to its final destination.
Distribution involves delivering electric power to customers at their places via low-voltage lines.
c) Sewage Maintenance Services
In the US,municipalities and private entities handles sewage maintenance management. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the safe discharge of sewage into public waterways and the handling of sewage. Sewage management is the process of controlling and managing sewage. A sewage system includes a water treatment plant and a network of pipes to carry sewage from homes, businesses, industries and institutions to the plant.
Sewage needs to fixe and maintain on a regular basis if they are not, they can become clogged or break causing sewage to leak into surrounding areas. Sewer problems have an effect on both home values as well as local public health in United States.
d) Gas Supply Services
In the US, different civil authorities regulate the mechanism of supply of gas. The regulatory body in charge of interstate gas supply is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) while state oil and gas agencies regulate intrastate gas supply.
The gas supply is the process of determining how gas supply system work to deliver gas to a facility and station. This process composed of various factors such as the cost of supply, distance from source and expected demand. Gas supply management determines the volume and the price of gas. There are many factors that influence this decision, including distance from source and cost at different periods.
d) Telephone and Communication Services.
Telephone and communication services (T&CS) are an integral part of the US economy. This industry has economic and social impacts for millions of Americans. Social and technical changes in T&CS have been transforming fundamental aspects of American life, work, and society. In the United States, half of all households rely on mobile phones to make and receive voice calls, with 88 percent of mobile phone users stating that they use the device to make and receive voice calls.
One way that T&CS are quickly changing is with VoIP technology. This technology is rapidly replacing traditional telephone service providers by offering cheaper rates for companies and consumers. The VoIP services are more interconnected than traditional telephone services. The VoIP services allow to make free calls from computer or mobile device from any location.
Public Utilities Jobs in United States
Jobs in public utilities are not one-dimensional. There is a wide range of careers within public utilities. Organizations like National Association of Water Companies, National Association of Public Service Commissioners and North America Water Environment Association provide information on jobs in the public utility sector.
There are many opportunities for people to work in the public utilities sector depending on their skillsets and qualifications. The job market is attractive for people with a degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and civil engineering.
The US Department of Labour projects that employment in this sector will grow 12% from 2016 to 2026. An aging workforce, increased demand for renewable power sources, increased investments in infrastructure and new technologies fuels this growth.
However, the number of jobs in the public utility industry has been steadily declining over the past few years which is largely due to automation. At this rate, it predicts that by 2030 most people working in this field will be automation specialists rather than traditional line workers like linemen or meter readers.
How Many Jobs are Available in Public Utilities
The public utilities sector has experienced rapid growth in recent years. The sector includes gas, electric, and water providers as well as other companies that provide natural gas, electric power, water and wastewater services. The number of public utilities jobs is growing rapidly because of the aging US infrastructure combined with the need to improve reliability and sustainability.
Let’s discuss how many jobs are available in Public utilities:
1. Power Plant Technicians
Power plant technicians are responsible for the operation and maintenance of power plants. The role of a Power Plant Technician is to keep the power plant running smoothly. Technicians need to possess a high level of mechanical skills as well as an understanding of various aspects in operation, administration, and management.
Power plant technicians requires to be knowledgeable about electronics, mechanics, and computer hardware and software. They need to have an understanding of basic physics such as electricity, magnetism, mechanics and thermodynamics in order to understand how these things affect all aspects of their work.
They need to have knowledge about electrical work so they can troubleshoot equipment malfunctions following an outage or failure. Power Plant Technicians compensates well with salaries ranging from $80,000-$120,000 annually plus benefits in the United States.
2. Plant Manager
A plant manager responsible for the entire operation involved in running a plant. The main job of a plant manager is to make sure that the various parts of their plants are operating at maximum efficiency and productivity. A plant manager needs to have excellent leadership skills and be able to inspire people who work for them by managing all aspects of their job.
Some common duties of a plant manager include hiring new employees, purchasing new equipment, maintaining relationships with vendors, and monitoring gas levels. They usually have an engineering background and will normally serve as the liaison between the engineers and the executives of their company. Plant managers have median salaries from $80,000-$90,000 USD in United States.
3. Welders
A welder is a person who joins two pieces of metal together by heating them to a white-hot state and then using a torch to pound thin metal rods between the edges. They use all sorts of technologies to do a variety of jobs including: cutting metal with water-cooled saws, heating metals by cutting torches, and finishing welds with grinding machines.
Welders are such important members in their workplace that they even have their own professional association – The International Association of Welding Engineers (IAWE).
Welders work closely with other tradespeople like pipefitters, electricians, and HVAC technicians. These are specialized in the welding process and using different types of welding tools. Welding plays a pivotal role in keeping many of public utilities operational. Professional welders have the important job of creating, repairing and maintaining the structures that keep our world running.
They design, develop, and build anything from footbridges and skyscrapers to oil rigs and pipelines. The average annual salary for welders in the United States is approximately $40,000 per year in United States.
4. Pipefitters
Pipefitters are specially trained and certified tradespeople who install, maintain, and repair pipelines or pipe systems. The professionals work on a variety of projects, including natural gas pipelines, water lines, sewage pipes, heating pipes, steam lines or other metal piping systems. They have to be skilled in soldering copper pipes and metal connectors to the joints of a pipeline.
They need to use hand tools such as wrenches and pliers; power tools such as grinders; gauges to measure pressure or force; valves for controlling fluid flow through the system; and hand-held cameras for inspecting pipelines for leaks.
Pipefitters are in demand because many public utilities employ them for repairs and construction projects across the United States. Pipefitters need to have certain skills to be successful in this occupation. Some require a higher education while others may only need a high school degree or GED equivalent.
However, all pipefitters must have strong math skills because they use formulas and calculations to determine load bearing capacity of pipeline systems and pressure loss during installation of pipelines.
The job requires to work with different types of pipes as well as with other materials like steel, aluminium, copper or polyethylene. Sometimes the job includes welders or in construction, plumbers may be involved. They have a median hourly wage of $30.35 with an average work week of 41 hours for a total yearly income of approximately $62,000.
5. Electric & Solar Energy Installers
The job of an electric and solar energy installer is to install, maintain, and repair power lines, switches, transformers, and other equipment used in the generation of electricity. Electric and solar energy installers deploy renewable technologies for public utilities, mainly for residential and commercial purposes. Electric and solar energy installer jobs require physical labour to manage the installation of large pieces of equipment that are heavy and cumbersome.
These professionals should be able to know how to read blueprints, design drawings, plats or sketches. They should be able to calculate the roof structure load capacities for support posts of light-frame construction. The career is steadily growing with an expected growth rate of 8 percent by 2024. These professionals earn an average of $40,000 annually or $19.87 per hour.
6. Plant Operator
Plant operators are an integral part of the public utilities sector. These workers are in charge of controlling the processes that generate energy and electricity for homes, businesses, and factories. Plant operators operate equipment and monitor a plant’s environmental conditions, such as pressure, temperature, humidity and flow rates.
A Plant operator must have a good understanding of how the plant operates. Plant operators are required to have a high school degree, but it is not mandatory that they have a college degree. More than half of the Plant operators work on rotating shifts while some work extended hours. The average salary of Plant operators is $55,000 per year in the US.
7. Repairmen
We all know that water, electricity, and gas are basic necessities of life. While we cannot live without them, we can survive without them for a short time if need be. It is important to have someone who keeps these basic necessities running. Without these people, it would be very difficult to keep an organization up and running efficiently. That is where the repairmen come in the field.
The repairmen have many jobs and duties but the most important one is the repairing of public utilities. There are different types of repairman which can fix different components, for example: electricians, plumbers, etc.
The salary of a repairmen is significantly high because it requires a lot of skills and experience. However, they need to be on call 24/7 to be ready to go in case there is an emergency situation. These people are usually employed by public utilities companies or municipalities.
8. Steamfitters
Steamfitters are skilled workers who install and repair various types of pipes in the utilities industry. They are known as “pipefitters”. Their job duties involve working with boilers and piping systems that produce steam and transfer water.
A Steamfitter is a person who installs, maintains, and repairs pipes that carry steam or heat services. They are responsible for installing or repairing valves, piping for heating and hot water supply systems, as well as insulation of hot water and pipe systems.
They will typically work in the following capacity:
1) Piping Installer: These are pipefitters who install pipes to supply heating and other fluids to buildings, ships, and other structures.
2) Pipe Relining Installer: These individuals install a liner inside an existing pipe without removing the outer surface of the pipe.
3) Heating System Installer: This installer installs heat-producing equipment to produce heat for buildings, ships, or other structures.
The salary of a steamfitter is dependent on the person’s level of education. Educated steamfitters earn an average annual salary that ranges between $40,000 to $70,000.
9. Pipeline Inspectors
Pipeline inspectors are responsible for inspecting pipelines underground infrastructure to ensure safe passage of gas, water, waste, and other substances. Inspectors of pipe lines are needed to ensure that pipe lines are not damaged or leaking any water or gas inside them. They pipers visually with their own eyes or with the help of high-tech equipment such as ground penetrating radar.
The salary for pipeline inspectors varies from place to place. In Canada, pipeline inspectors earn around $50,000 CAD per year. On average, they make around $58,000 USD in the United States.
10. Water Treatment Operators
Water treatment operators are one of the most fundamental professions in the water utility field. They operate and maintain machinery that treats and supplies clean drinking water to the public. Water treatment operators monitor water quality, treat water with various chemicals, educate people on how to handle pollutants in their homes, and oversee operations at a wastewater treatment plant.
Water treatment operators are responsible for the operations of a public water supply system. They are in charge of operating and managing the tanks, pumps, filters and other components in order to provide clean drinking water to the community.
They usually work for government agencies and municipal public utilities. The salary of a water treatment operator is between $30,000 to $50,000 annually.
11. Meter Readers
Meter readers are the people who check meters and read electric, water and gas levels. They are responsible for operating equipment that collect data on energy usage, provide service to customers by reading their electric, gas and water meters and make sure the energy use is accurate.
The job duties of Meter readers include:
- Checking meters for accuracy
- Reading electric, gas or water meters
- Collecting data about energy usage
- Providing service to customers by reading their electric or water meter
- Making sure that the customer’s bills from utility company can be calculated accurately
They are employees of private companies that work closely with public utilities and governments. Meter readers typically start out as meter clerks who work at the utility offices and then promote meter readers.
Meter reader jobs are located throughout the United States with most being found in metropolitan areas. The salary of Meter readers is usually around $3,000 per month but can go up if they become supervisors.
12. Water Engineers
Water engineers professionals who are responsible for the safe and efficient management of water resources. They make sure that public utilities are run efficiently and safely, as well as promote resource conservation and sustainability. Professionals engage in a wide range of activities including, but not limited to, operations, maintenance, design, construction management, research and development.
They recommend ways to increase efficiency or decrease production costs at supply plants that use a certain source of water such as surface or ground waters. The salaries of the Water engineers ranges from $80k to $200k.
13. Gas Plant Manager
Gas plant managers are responsible for many different aspects of the natural gas production process. Managers oversee pipeline operations to maintain constant supply with minimal interruptions. They ensure that the company is in compliance with rules and regulations to prevent disaster. They supervise personnel who carry out day-to-day activities at the facility such as maintenance, performance testing, refuelling, and quality assurance checks.
Gas plant managers may work in a variety of industries such as public utilities, power companies, oil refineries or gas processing facilities and their salaries depend on the job duties and location. The average salary for Gas plant managers is about $70,000 per year in the United States.
14. Power Distribution and Dispatch Personnel
Power distribution and dispatch personnel work distribution and transmission utility companies. Job duties involve monitoring systems that provide power to the area, dispatching crews to repair broken equipment, and planning for outages due to extreme weather.
They make sure that power is delivered smoothly and in a way that is safe and secure. Power distribution and dispatch personnel work for public utilities, where they are usually called upon to do an assortment of tasks, including:
- Install, operate, maintain, test and repair electric lines.
- Monitor power flow on high voltage lines.
- Maintain data records of power consumption by customers.
- Check database information to determine appropriate operational levels.
The average salary of Power Distribution and Dispatch Personnel vary between $57000-$75000+ per annum depending on the experience level and location.
15. Power Plant Managers
Power plant managers are responsible for the upkeep of a power plant and its personnel. They oversee daily operations, as well as coordinate with government agencies like the EPA and OSHA to ensure that safety guidelines are followed properly. They head up public utilities in all aspects – from construction to maintenance – and manage budgets for utility companies.
To qualify for this position, a candidate must have a technical degree in engineering, operate large heavy machinery vehicles, possess leadership qualities and basic knowledge in math. Power plant managers in the United States earn an annual salary of up to $120,000 as of 2021. They work on one shift with rotating twelve-hour shifts.
16. Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical engineers are professionals work to design and development of power-driven machinery. The job is divided into two categories: design and development, and production. Design engineers develop plans for new machinery, take care of specifications, approve construction blueprints, and ensure quality.
A typical day for a designer can include management of project budgets, work estimates, schedules, equipment selection or procurement. In contrast to designers are production engineers who focus on the coordination of workers who assemble machinery. Production engineers oversee production lines to ensure there is adequate inventory and expedited supply chain as needed. The salary for mechanical engineers varies based on their specialization and location but is typically above $80K.
17. Electrical Engineers
Electrical engineers are specialists that work with electrically powered systems and equipment. They design, develop, test, construct and supervise the installation of electrical power distribution and control equipment. Electrical engineers work in both private and public electric utilities where they design the electrical systems that provide energy to customers. They are employed in various fields such as manufacturing, telecommunications and computers.
There are many jobs that an electrical engineer can do from designing power distribution systems to designing new medical devices. The salary for an electrical engineer ranges from $68k-$124k per year depending on experience level.
How to Get Jobs in Public Utilities?
After you have found about how many jobs are available in public utilities than you will interested in seeking for how to get job in public utilities. Employers in the public utilities sector (e.g. water, power, gas) look for graduates with engineering degrees. They require knowledge of working with and maintaining complex machinery. Engineers are needed to create new infrastructure and technical innovations to meet the changing needs of customers.
Public utility jobs cover a wide range of industries and sectors. These jobs are often stable, so they make excellent career choices for those who enjoy stability and predictability. The salary may not be high, but the benefits are great in public utilities sector.
Advantages of Working in Public Utilities Sector
Employees in public utilities are often paid well. They enjoy security and benefits that other sectors may not offer to job oriented persons. The field is diverse and there is great room for growth. The pay for public utility employees is fair and has room for growth or a promotion as the employee moves up the ladder. The job security is a major benefit because it offers employees stability to ensure that they can provide for their families without the fear of losing their jobs at any time.
There are extra benefits such as health insurance, retirement contributions, overtime pay, bonuses and stock shares available to employees with positive performance reviews in public utilities jobs. Public utilities wages have nice incentives such as generous sick time policies, retirement contributions, overtime pay, bonuses and stock shares available to employees with positive performance reviews.
Disadvantages of Working in Public Utilities Sector
The public utilities sector is one of the most difficult sectors to work in because of the risk factor. The risk factor is higher than other sectors because the infrastructure and equipment used in such organizations are very expensive. There is always a chance that they may be damaged or destroyed by natural disasters or human interference.
The first disadvantage is that it can be very repetitive. A lot of the work involves doing the same thing over and over again for long periods of time. This can lead to boredom and frustration, which will eventually lead to a decrease in performance and productivity. The second disadvantage is that technological progress could make this job obsolete in the future as robots could take over these roles in the future.
Conclusion
Public Utilities make up an essential part of the functioning of a country. It is responsible for providing services such as electricity and natural gas to its citizens. Public utilities are the backbone of modern society and they play a critical role in the operation of daily life. The sector is expected to grow to $8 trillion by 2020 and $14 trillion by 2030. This is being driven by an increasing population, greater demand for electricity, and significant investments in infrastructure and technology.
Powerful industries such as this are always in need of employees and are often willing to offer higher salaries than most other industries. They look for employees that can put knowledge and skillsets to use at the company and help amplify their growth potential. There are many careers available in this industry including engineering, construction and procurement.
We hope that you have leaned a lots of information about how many jobs are available in public utilities. Tribunefox always brings informative and compressive information for its readers. Keep in touch with us.
Public utilities services are major public infrastructure projects. They provide the necessary structures such as water, sewage, electricity and gas services.
. Employers in the public utilities sector (e.g. water, power, gas) look for graduates with engineering degrees. They require knowledge of working with and maintaining complex machinery.
There are large number of job in public utilities sector. These jobs require technical skills and qualification.
You can find jobs on indeed, LinkedIn, and other job hunting websites.
