Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Occupation · SOC 51-8012.00
Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.
Also called: Power System Dispatcher · Power System Operator · Systems Operator · Transmission System Operator (TSO) · Control Area Operator · Control Operator · DSO (Distribution System Operator) · Dispatcher · Distribution System Dispatcher (DSD) · Electric System Operator · Auxiliary Operator · Board Operator
Job family: Production Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-51-8012-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-3.2% by 2034)
- 800 openings/yr
- Moderate AI exposure
- Median pay $107,240/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- Both the 2013 computerization estimate and today's AI exposure rank this high
53rd-percentile task overlap — yet about 800 openings a year (-3.2% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 60th | 0.5 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 54th | 0.7 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Moderate | 49th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.4), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.7). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.6 · 54th percentile among occupations · Moderate
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes. | 0.7% | |
| Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers. | 0.4% | |
| Calculate load estimates or equipment requirements to determine required control settings. | 0.3% | |
| 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. | 0.2% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -3.2% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 800 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 9,300 → 9,000 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Power Distributors and Dispatchers sits at the 51st percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
28% mean task exposure (2025)
51st percentile of 427 placed occupations
−7 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Power Production Plant Operators · 3131 | 28% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 15 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes. Core · importance 4.8
- Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas. Core · importance 4.7
- Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers. Core · importance 4.7
- Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators. Supplemental · importance 4.7
- 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. Core · importance 4.7
- Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines. Core · importance 4.7
- Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems. Core · importance 4.7
- Monitor and record switchboard or control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- Implement energy schedules, including real-time transmission reservations or schedules. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Calculate load estimates or equipment requirements to determine required control settings. Core · importance 4.3
- Inspect equipment to ensure that specifications are met or to detect any defects. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Track conditions that could affect power needs, such as changes in the weather, and adjust equipment to meet any anticipated changes. Core · importance 4.1
- Tend auxiliary equipment used in the power distribution process. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Record and compile operational data, such as chart or meter readings, power demands, or usage and operating times, using transmission system maps. Core · importance 3.9
- Repair, maintain, or clean equipment or machinery, using hand tools. Supplemental
Work activities
- Operate energy distribution equipment.
- Plan production or operational procedures or sequences.
- Exchange information with colleagues.
- Direct operational or production activities.
- Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
- Record operational or production data.
- Monitor external factors impacting operations.
- Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
- Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
- Inspect production equipment.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Abilities
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.0 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.9 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.9 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.8 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.8 | |
| Written Expression | 3.6 | |
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.5 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.1 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.1 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.0 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.0 | |
| Visualization | 3.0 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.0 | |
| Far Vision | 3.0 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.0 |
Knowledge
| English Language | 3.9 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.7 | |
| Mathematics | 3.5 | |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.5 | |
| Telecommunications | 3.5 | |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.5 | |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.4 | |
| Mechanical | 3.3 | |
| Education and Training | 3.2 | |
| Physics | 3.1 |
Essential skills
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 | |
| Active Listening | 3.6 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 | |
| Monitoring | 3.6 | |
| Speaking | 3.5 | |
| Writing | 3.1 | |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
Transferable skills
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 | |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 | |
| Coordination | 3.0 | |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related 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.
- Preparation level
- SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 40.3% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 24.1% | |
| High School Diploma | 21.6% | |
| Some College Courses | 8.4% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 5.6% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Work styles
| Dependability | 7.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 6.0 | |
| Integrity | 5.0 | |
| Cautiousness | 4.0 | |
| Self-Control | 3.0 | |
| Stress Tolerance | 2.5 | |
| Adaptability | 2.1 |
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 5.2 | |
| Conventional | 5.1 | |
| Enterprising | 3.1 | |
| Investigative | 2.4 |
Interest areas
| Engineering | 4.8 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 4.1 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 2.8 | |
| Information Technology | 2.8 | |
| Management/Administration | 2.7 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $70,760 |
| 25th percentile | $91,670 |
| Median (50th) | $107,240 |
| 75th percentile | $128,690 |
| 90th percentile | $144,900 |
| People employed | 9,180 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities · Sector | 6,330 | $106,160 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 980 | $108,870 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation · National industry | 960 | $112,760 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 150 | $79,750 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 50 | $90,140 |
| Hydroelectric Power Generation · National industry | 40 | $110,330 |
| Nuclear Electric Power Generation · National industry | 40 | $107,020 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 30 | $75,360 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 30 | $166,840 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | — | $105,400 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation · National industry | 226.18× | 960 |
| Utilities · Sector | 183.48× | 6,330 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 5.86× | 980 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 0.18× | 150 |
Related occupations
Part of the Energy & Natural Resources career cluster.
- Power Plant Operators · 51-8013.00 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay · 49-2095.00 Compare →
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators · 51-8021.00 Compare →
- Hydroelectric Plant Technicians · 51-8013.04 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment · 49-2094.00 Compare →
- Gas Plant Operators · 51-8092.00 Compare →
- Geothermal Technicians · 49-9099.01 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians · 17-3023.00 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment · 49-2093.00 Compare →
- Biomass Plant Technicians · 51-8013.03 Compare →
- Electrical Engineers · 17-2071.00 Compare →
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers · 49-2022.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Power Distributors and Dispatchers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed · preparation tier
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 51st percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Power Distributors and Dispatchers show 53rd-percentile AI task overlap — and about 800 annual U.S. openings
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers rank in the 53rd percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 800 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-3.2%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $107,240, across about 9,180 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Power Distributors and Dispatchers show 53rd-percentile AI task overlap — and about 800 annual U.S. openings • Power Distributors and Dispatchers rank in the 53rd percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 800 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-3.2%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $107,240, across about 9,180 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Power Distributors and Dispatchers". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-8012-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Power Distributors and Dispatchers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-8012-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Power Distributors and Dispatchers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-8012-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-51-8012-00,
title = {Power Distributors and Dispatchers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-8012-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.