Production · Holland code RCI
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.
Also called: Hydro Technician (Hydro Tech), Hydroelectric Mechanic, Operations and Maintenance Technician (O and M Technician), Power Plant Mechanic, Hydro Plant Technician (Hydro Plant Tech), Hydroelectric Operations and Maintenance Technician (Hydro O and M Technician), Hydroelectric Operator, Hydroelectric Plant Mechanic.
O*NET 51-8013.04
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $102,040
- Middle half earn $79,690 to $119,080. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
- 34% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as necessary.
- Identify or address malfunctions of hydroelectric plant operational equipment, such as generators, transformers, or turbines.
- Start, adjust, or stop generating units, operating valves, gates, or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric power generating plants.
- Perform preventive or corrective containment or cleanup measures in hydroelectric plants to prevent environmental contamination.
- Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs.
- Communicate status of hydroelectric operating equipment to dispatchers or supervisors.
- Operate high voltage switches or related devices in hydropower stations.
- Operate hydroelectric plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, or battery banks.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
- Monitoring3.6 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.3 / 5
- Active Listening3.1 / 5
- Speaking3.1 / 5
- Writing3.0 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical4.9 / 5
- Public Safety and Security4.3 / 5
- Mathematics4.3 / 5
- Engineering and Technology4.1 / 5
- Education and Training4.0 / 5
- Design3.9 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative38
- Artistic0
- Social3
- Enterprising13
- Conventional61
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- hydropower technician · DE Wasserkraftwerkstechniker/Wasserkraftwerkstechnikerin · FR technicien en hydroélectricité/technicienne en hydroélectricité
- hydroelectric plant operator · DE Steuerer von Wasserkraftwerken/Steuerin von Wasserkraftwerken · FR conducteur/conductrice d’installations de production d’hydroélectricité
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Energy plant operatives (8133)5,600 employed
- Electrical and electronics technicians (3112)20,300 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €50,992 |
| Austria | €46,986 |
| Germany | €44,473 |
| Netherlands | €42,448 |
| Ireland | €41,613 |
| Sweden | €41,155 |
| Italy | €34,882 |
| France | €34,816 |
| Spain | €29,757 |
| Portugal | €18,080 |
| Poland | €12,108 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.35. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-8013).
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