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CAREERS IN ENERGY

Begin a fulfilling journey in a field that literally energises the planet – featuring great pay, job security, and a role in creating a future that’s sustainable. Build Your Career in a Growing Field That Is Always In Demand.

With more than 65 million jobs in the energy industry globally, it offers some of today’s most secure, well-paying, and highly skilled positions in a stable industry. Whether you are focused on technical, engineering, or business-type energy career opportunities, energy careers offer the trifecta of job security, median compensation, and a positive impact on communities all over the world.

Why should you consider a Career In The Energy Sector?

There are several aspects of this industry that make it one of the most competitive career fields for applicants in all phases of a career path:

Incredible Job Security

Because energy is a major infrastructure service powering businesses, communities, and homes around the country, consumers needing these services will consistently drive demand for a workforce.

High Revenue Compensation

Because energy is a major infrastructure service powering businesses, communities, and homes around the country, consumers needing these services will consistently drive demand for a workforce.

Endless Career Paths

From installing solar panels to engineering for a nuclear power plant. Position offerings are available for HS diploma-level jobs to advanced professional degree-level jobs.

Higher Future Employment Industry

Employment is growing every day in renewable energy, tech jobs in solar and wind industry are estimated to double within the next 10 years.

Environmental Impact

Adding to bio-sustainability and environmental conservation as you provide an essential service to an infrastructure that modern life is dependent on.

Building a brighter future: technicians secure rooftop solar panels on a sunny day.

Top Energy Job Categories

ENGINEERING

Find jobs in the Engineering sector that design, develop, and optimize systems driving innovation and efficiency in energy production.

PRODUCTION

Find jobs in the Production sector that manage and operate energy facilities to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient output worldwide.

TECHNICIANS SERVICE

Find jobs in the Technicians & Service sector that maintain, repair, and support essential energy systems and equipment worldwide.

OILFIELD

Find jobs in the Oilfield sector that power global energy through exploration, drilling, and field operations onshore and offshore.

Facts About the Energy Industry

The energy sector is one of the healthiest job sectors in the global economy:

  • Over 1.1 million people currently work in the U.S. energy sector
  • 600,000+ jobs in mining, quarrying, or oil/gas extraction
  • 500,000+ jobs in the utility sector that generate and distribute electricity
  • Solar photovoltaic (PV) installers and wind turbine technicians are considered the two fastest-growing occupations
  • Energy jobs are found in cities, places away from cities and even offshore
  • There are equal opportunity jobs which demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workforce.
  • Training is cost-effective and provided through apprenticeship programs, technical programs, and on-the-job training.
  • There are numerous opportunities for career development, ranging from entry-level to executive leadership positions.

Recent surveys indicate that 70% of energy professionals expect to receive pay raises in 2025.
Additionally, over 60% of hiring managers report that they have increased salaries for new hires since 2023, indicating the continued growth of the energy industry and its investment in human capital.

Empowering clean energy: a skilled team collaborates to maintain wind turbines in a semi-arid landscape

How To Start Your Career in Energy

There is a clear path to build a successful career in energy that aligns with your interests, skills and educational experience:

Step 1:
Assess Your Core Skills and Interests 

Are you mechanically inclined? Good at solving problems? Good at math? Have an interest in technology? Energy careers have everything from hands-on technical work to basic research and development, so you can align your skills and interests with many components of the market.

Step 2:
Identify Your Educational Path 

Identify education based on your career goals – whether through a high school diploma program for a technician role or a bachelor’s or master’s degree more aligned to engineering roles and engineer roles. Many employers will support tuition and almost all offer some level of continuing education.

Step 3:
Obtain Real World Experience

Look for internships, apprenticeships, or entry-level positions to gain hands-on experience and industry knowledge. Many companies have extensive on-the-job training for new employees.

Step 4:
Develop Your Professional Network

Connect with people who work in the industry, get involved in relevant organizations, and research your regional energy companies, utilities, and clean energy businesses for employment opportunities.

How are energy careers different

Careers in the energy industry offer distinct and immediate advantages that separate this career field from other industries, including:

  • Importance of Infrastructure – You will be working on systems that communities and businesses depend on for their daily operations. Do your work, and it speaks for itself; the communities and businesses see the results.
  • Technology – your experience in engineering will be coupled with advanced clean energy technological applications, information technologies, and smart grid technologies
  • Environmental finish – you will know that you are contributing directly to sustainability and the development of clean energy and sustaining an essential service for the communities and the fundamental needs of energy.
  • Economic security – many careers in energy provide economic security even during periods of economic uncertainty; industries need energy regardless of other economic components.
  • Safety – safety culture is among the best in any industry, with industry-known safety policies, safety training requirements, safety equipment availability, and workers compensation policies that favour the worker.
  • Connection to your community – work for an energy provider with a connection to their communities through safe and reliable energy, while also creating jobs and economic development across multiple geographic areas.
Portrait of engineer at the job site during work hours

Career Opportunities by Qualification Level

The energy sector has career and job opportunities for different education levels with defined pathways for advancement:

High School Diploma or Certificate Programs

Solar Panel Installer, average mean wage $62,622, solar installer, will install and/or maintain photovoltaic systems on residential and commercial properties. Most develop the skills necessary to become solar installers by completing training programs for short career certifications and safety certifications such as OSHA.

Many jobs are or will be immediately available because this job title has a high demand function in one of the fastest growing energy resources.

Wind Turbine Technician, average mean wage of $68,523, will maintain and repair maintenance on wind turbine systems to assist in performance. If you are physically capable of working at heights as required, this is an excellent career advancement in renewable energy because it provides a career ladder in operations and maintenance that most other energy careers do not. Welder, $38,877 average annual salary - Participating in the important manufacturing and maintenance work in all energy sectors, from pipeline construction to power plants.

Transmission System Operator, $45,213 average salary: Monitoring and controlling electrical grid systems, which provides electricity to customers and other communities.

Power Plant Operator, $54,342 average salary: Operate facilities that perform the function of generating nuclear, coal, natural gas, and renewable energy, as well as any hands-on training in the field.

Associate Degree /Technical training

Electrician, $53,980 average salary: Install and assist in the maintenance of electrical systems throughout all energy assets, including special industry and utility sector opportunities. Surveying Technician, $55,584 average salary: Assist energy projects by assessing sites for renewable energy development or transmission projects and surveying maps for energy projects.

Water Treatment Specialist, $64,727 average salary: Manage water systems that support power generation and work on environmental eligibility for energy sectors.

Nuclear Power Reactor Operator, $74,584 average salary: A highly specialised occupation, requiring extensive training and offering a vast amount of job security working in nuclear energy.

Bachelor’s degree and above

Geologist, $66,796 average salary: Analyse the earth's formations as they relate to the development of energy resources and/or the development of renewable energy sites.
Chemist, $71,290 average salary: Perform research and development in energy production, environmental solutions, and the development of emerging technologies as they relate to the energy sector.

Industrial Engineer, $80,816 average salary: Support efficiency with energy production, manufacturing and operational processes as it relates to energy production.

Environmental Engineer, $87,611 average salary: Design solutions in support of environmental compliance, sustainability initiatives and clean energy projects.

Mechanical Engineer, $89,424 average salary: Develop and maintain mechanical systems for energy generation, transmission and distribution across all energy sectors.

Nuclear Engineer, $93,838 average salary: Design, operate and maintain nuclear power systems, including advanced technical training, and energy responsibility and safety.

Energy Sources and Infrastructure

The energy sector utilises both old and new technologies to generate, deliver and manage energy for consumers and businesses:

Non-Renewable Energy Sources:

  • Oil and Natural Gas – exploration and extraction of oil and gas, followed by refining and the distribution of the processed petroleum products.
  • Coal – Extraction and coal-based power generation plants.
  • Nuclear Energy – Nuclear generation plants that operate using specially trained engineers, technicians and a safety workforce.

Non-Renewable Energy Sources:

  • Solar – Growth in manufacturing, installation and delivery of photovoltaic systems, along with maintenance reflective of a rapidly expanding workforce.
  • Wind – The manufacturing, installation and operation of turbines, both onshore and offshore.
  • Hydroelectric – Management of dams, turbined water, and connection to the grid.
  • Biomass and Geothermal – Alternative, clean energy, and the workforce to develop them both!

Energy Infrastructure:

  • Grid Management – The smart grid technology, transmission and distribution of electrical energy.
  • Energy Storage – Battery technology, pumped hydro and the developing technology solutions for storage.
  • Information technology – Digital platforms to make the effective and efficient operations of energy.

Industry projections indicate that renewables will generate eighty per cent of the world’s energy by 2050, resulting in the addition of millions of careers to the energy workforce, while also accommodating the traditional energy workforce. 

Launch Your Energy Career Today

There isn’t another industry with the same opportunities for careers as the energy sector, including jobs that offer job security, competitive pay, and merit-based opportunities to support the communities around us.

Look for Energy Job Opportunities in Your region/city 

Participate in our Global Energy Workforce Training Survey.

Regardless of your interest in hands-on technical work, engineering, or business operations, energy careers offer a great foundation for building a career and professional life you can feel proud of. 

The energy industry is an industry of opportunity with careers ranging from solar installation, nuclear operations, wind turbine, and petroleum engineering, and more. Explore the many energy jobs in our Job board today. 

FAQs

Do I require advanced technical knowledge to enter the energy industry?

Not necessarily. There are positions that require some technical knowledge, but most entry-level positions provide thorough training. There are positions in the field available for workers with a variety of education levels from high school diplomas to higher degrees.

The energy workforce is evolving. Renewable energy creates new job opportunities, but traditional energy continues to be produced while clean energy is developed. Workers can pivot from one to another as the industry innovates and develops more emerging technologies and solutions.

Energy careers can be very diverse, from working on an engineering desk or in business, to work that requires physical exertion in the field. This will significantly vary between positions. Most positions require both indoor and outdoor work, and all operational positions include comprehensive training in safety, as well as the use of personal protective equipment.

Energy careers offer tremendous job security because, regardless of the economy, electricity, heating, and fuel are critical. There are also emerging growth opportunities because the industry is evolving toward clean energy, while traditional energy knowledge continues to need to be in demand.

Yes! Many energy jobs allow transferable skills from outside the sector. Experience in operations, mechanical skills, IT, or business can all be applicable to energy jobs. Many companies still provide job-specific training to employees who come from other careers.

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