Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary: $133,592 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 9,180 power distributors and dispatchers nationally earn a mean of $133,592. Employment in the series shown fell about 21% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.3% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Power Distributors and Dispatchers: what the data shows
Common questions about power distributors and dispatchers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a power distributors and dispatchers?
Power Distributors and Dispatchers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-8012.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 9,180 workers.
What does a power distributors and dispatchers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Working with Computers, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a power distributors and dispatchers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $107,240 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $133,592 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $91,127 |
| 25th percentile | $106,055 |
| Median (50th) | $119,382 |
| 75th percentile | $160,134 |
| 90th percentile | $175,955 |
What education do you need?
For Power Distributors and Dispatchers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, English Language, Engineering and Technology, Computers and Electronics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is power distributors and dispatchers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 6.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 14.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 9,180.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do power distributors and dispatcherss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 9,180 | 19.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 7,540 | 15.6% |
| Utilities | 6,330 | 13.1% |
| Utilities | 6,330 | 13.1% |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 5,780 | 11.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 1,640 | 3.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Power Distributors and Dispatchers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Power Distributors and Dispatchers workforce.
Employment Over Time
9,180 Workforce in 2023
The Power Distributors and Dispatchers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$133,592 Average Wage
In 2023, Power Distributors and Dispatchers earned an average of $133,592.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Salary distribution for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Employment Growth Projections
1.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,330 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 6.9%
2,491 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 14.3%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Power Distributors and Dispatchers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Power Distributors and Dispatchers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-8.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 11.9% growth (Current: $174,364)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 1,000 employees, $110,120 avg wage
- CA: 770 employees, $130,210 avg wage
- PA: 690 employees, $95,300 avg wage
- MI: 560 employees, $105,180 avg wage
- IL: 550 employees, $89,910 avg wage
- OH: 400 employees, $89,960 avg wage
- WA: 390 employees, $139,290 avg wage
- MA: 360 employees, $110,410 avg wage
- NJ: 320 employees, $119,010 avg wage
- FL: 250 employees, $95,560 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 330 employees, $90,220 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 330 employees, $121,430 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 330 employees, $116,490 avg wage
- Pittsburgh, PA: 280 employees, $92,610 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 270 employees, $106,070 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 210 employees, $111,160 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 210 employees, $118,080 avg wage
- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR: 170 employees, $119,850 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 150 employees, $107,990 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 130 employees, $123,850 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Power Distributors and Dispatchers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Power Distributors and Dispatchers in 2023 was 9,180 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Power Distributors and Dispatchers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Power Distributors and Dispatchers workers.
Education level distribution for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Skills
Power Distributors and Dispatchers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Power Distributors and Dispatchers include Public Safety and Security, English Language, Engineering and Technology, Computers and Electronics, Mechanical.
Knowledge areas required for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Power Distributors and Dispatchers include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Near Vision, Inductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
Daily Activities
Power Distributors and Dispatchers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Power Distributors and Dispatchers.
About
Power Distributors and Dispatchers
The average yearly wage for Power Distributors and Dispatchers was $133,592 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-8012 - Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Power Distributors and Dispatchers reports an average salary of $133,592, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 9,180 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.