Hydroelectric Plant Technicians
Monitor and control activities associated with hydropower generation. Operate plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, and battery banks. Monitor equipment operation and performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure optimal performance. Perform equipment maintenance and repair as necessary.
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Equipment Maintenance
- Operation and Control
- Monitoring
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Reading Comprehension
Key knowledge
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
What the work involves
- Identify or address malfunctions of hydroelectric plant operational equipment, such as generators, transformers, or turbines.
- Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as necessary.
- Start, adjust, or stop generating units, operating valves, gates, or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric power generating plants.
- Communicate status of hydroelectric operating equipment to dispatchers or supervisors.
- Implement load or switching orders in hydroelectric plants, in accordance with specifications or instructions.
- Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs.
- Install or calibrate electrical or mechanical equipment, such as motors, engines, switchboards, relays, switch gears, meters, pumps, hydraulics, or flood channels.
- Maintain logs, reports, work requests, or other records of work performed in hydroelectric plants.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Post-Secondary Certificate (34% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (55.8%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (42.4%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Hydroelectric Plant Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
- Projection education uses SOC 51-8013 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Moderate | Higher on contact with others than 53% of occupations compared | 54% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 73% of occupations compared | 34% of surveyed respondents chose “Important” |
| Teamwork | Very high | Higher on teamwork than 82% of occupations compared | 69% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 74% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 89% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | High | Higher on conflict situations than 61% of occupations compared | 34% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | High | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 67% of occupations compared | 35% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 66% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very low
- Conflict situations: high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: high
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 6.16%
- Contact with others about half the time: 0.14%
- Contact with others most of the time: 39.29%
- Constant contact with others: 54.42%
n = 32, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 22.21%
- Fairly important: 11.23%
- Important: 33.99%
- Very important: 28.71%
- Extremely important: 3.87%
n = 31, Incumbent 08/2024
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 8.19%
- Very important: 22.46%
- Extremely important: 69.35%
n = 32, Incumbent 08/2024
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 3.04%
- Limited freedom: 25.38%
- Some freedom: 57.56%
- A lot of freedom: 14.02%
n = 32, Incumbent 08/2024
Time pressure
- Never: 1.87%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 22.37%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 32.38%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 37.15%
- Every day: 6.22%
n = 32, Incumbent 08/2024
Conflict situations
- Never: 11.19%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 22.11%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 34.07%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 20.19%
- Every day: 12.45%
n = 31, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 11.12%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 32.56%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 5.99%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 35.16%
- Every day: 15.18%
n = 31, Incumbent 08/2024
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 15.11%
- Fairly serious: 23.58%
- Serious: 8.03%
- Very serious: 17.23%
- Extremely serious: 36.04%
n = 32, Incumbent 08/2024
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O*NET-SOC 51-8013.04 · SOC 51-8013 (detailed_parent, medium confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8