Is Power Generation a Good Career Path? Choosing power generation as a career path comes with a lot of benefits; so yes, it’s a good career path. You are assured of a stable job and the satisfaction that comes with doing a highly-paid and sought-after job.
With power and energy, we can achieve basically almost anything these days. Power energy helps us generate electricity and with electricity, we can run anything we need in the world of today. This goes a long way to show how important power energy as a career path is.
If you want to know about the benefits of power generation as a career path and what it entails, then you are at the right place. In this article, I would go into detail on everything you need to know about power generation and why it stands out as a good career path that you should try out.
Some Entry Level Jobs in Power Generation
In most cases, power generation as a profession has a higher demand for experienced personnel, than those with little or no experience. And this, in various situations, affects the hiring process. But you don’t have to beat yourself over it if you have little or no experience, there are some entry-level jobs made available in power generation, for those with little experience in the field. Here are some of the entry-level jobs available in power generation:
Entry Level Controls Engineer
This entry-level job is primarily for engineers who have a degree in construction management, geology, civil engineering, environmental science, and other relevant courses. The good thing is, the job doesn’t require you to have an experience in the field before you can be hired to function in full capacity.
Their main line of job is to construct and test various control theories. They improve control parameters, with the aim of improving the whole operation of the machine when functioning. Also, they troubleshoot control performance that may damage the machine.
The average salary of an entry-level controls engineer can differ, depending on one’s location, place of work, and other rising factors.
Maintenance Technician
To function in full capacity as a maintenance technician, you must have a high school diploma or a certificate of the same equivalency. You may also be subjected to some training which would help you get special training certificates or an associate degree. You must have problem-solving skills if you want to work as a maintenance technician; this is because the job requires you to take on jobs during emergencies. The good thing is, most of these requirements can be gotten while working with the firm; they offer on-the-job training and apprenticeship in most cases.
The key functions of maintenance technicians are to service, troubleshoot, and monitor various problematic combustion systems. The average salary of a maintenance technician is $43,000 every year.
Entry Level Mechanical Engineer
To work as an entry-level mechanical engineer, you must have obtained a degree in mechanical engineering. There are various opportunities available to people in this line of the job as the field is quite broad and there is a high demand for people within this line of job, so their job prospects aren’t limited and power generation is just one of the main career paths available to them.
The primary role of entry-level mechanical engineers is to design, develop, research, and examine thermal and mechanical devices. They are equally charged with the responsibility of building machinery and ensuring they function at full capacity without hitches. The average salary of an entry-level mechanical engineer differs as it can be based on location, place of work, and other factors.
Power Plant Operator
One can get hired with little or no experience in this line of job. However, for you to work here, you would have to present a high school diploma or a certificate that is also relevant to the field. You would also have to go through strict on-the-job training, which in most cases is long-term. You would also go through professional directives over the years as an employee.
The primary work of a power plant operator in a firm is to read charts, gauges, and meters so it can be easy to monitor voltage and electricity flows. They examine equipment to ensure there is no existing problem and also, and they control power generation equipment. The average salary of a power plant generator is $47,000 every year.
Field Service Technician
Working as a field service technician involves one not working from an office. It’s your everyday field work which implies constant traveling and mingling with other professionals. So, to work in this capacity, naturally, you must have a flair for traveling and a team spirit. You would also have to be one who pays attention to even the tiniest of details as you would have to document your experiences and view on the field.
Their main line of work mostly is to visit residents who have power issues. Hence, they troubleshoot, analyze, and give technical support. The average salary of a field service technician is $54,000 every year.
Great and High-Paying Jobs in Power Generation
Power generation as a career profession is generally lucrative and well sought-after. There are tons of engineers, developers, and scientists under the power generation career path, who have undergone rigorous training processes and so by right, are easily on the top radar of the highest paid. Here are some of the high-paying jobs in power generation:
Solar Project Developer
The primary function of a solar project developer is to source for lands that would be adequate for solar farming and also, and interact with clients. They equally examine the land to know how energy generation can connect to the electrical grid. Then, they get the required funds, permits, labor, and equipment needed to carry out the project. Solar project developers’ salary tends to vary depending on the geographical location, place of work, level of education, and experience.
Geoscientist
The average salary of a geoscientist is $92,000 every year. Their primary role is to examine the physical aspect of the earth; this includes its composition, process, and structure. This would help keep track of the past, present, and future prospects of the earth. Geoscientists are field workers, so they work under different weather conditions.
To work in this capacity, you must love deep research and would work under any condition. You would also be one who cherishes the idea of traveling. You only require a bachelor’s degree to work as a geoscientist and in some cases, you might require a master’s degree.
Civil Engineer
The main role of a civil engineer is to design, plan, maintain, construct, and control infrastructures, while making conscious efforts to ensure public and environmental health are protected. They also take on projects that are old and probably abandoned and would make efforts into putting them back into working condition.
Civil engineering is a broad field that cuts across the construction and maintenance of roads, airports, railways, bridges, dams, harbors, power plants, irrigations, pipelines, and other important projects. The average salary of a civil engineer is $76,000 every year.
Petroleum Engineer
To work as a petroleum engineer, you would need a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering or a very relevant course like civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or chemical engineering.
Petroleum engineers are professionals who have adequate knowledge of how to construct or develop means of extracting oil and gas from deposits that are under the surface of the earth. This job is one of the most highly-paid jobs in the world. Petroleum engineers earn an average of $92,000 every year.
Solar Sales Representatives
This line of work requires you to have good marketing and communication skills. This is because it’s a sales position and you require marketing skills more than energy skills to make your way up the radar in this profession. They contact customers to ascertain their solar power equipment desires.
This profession requires you to be a good sales person; hence, this requires you to have good customer care service, and also, you would have to be well-versed in the solar equipment you sell. This would help you put the customers through skillfully and gracefully without mixing things up. The average salary of a solar sales representative is $80,000 every year.
Environmental Scientist
Environmental scientists are primarily interested in the environment around us. This includes closely examining the water, air, and land, and they put in efforts to ensure the environment is healthy. They also make sure that the transportation and disposal of waste goods in no way affect the immediate environment negatively. They help maintain polluted areas, give professional advice to policymakers, and ensure the disposal and removal of waste products don’t affect the immediate environment. The average salary of an environmental scientist is $55,000, every year.
Electrical Power Line Instructor
This is highly-paid work because of its hazardous nature. Most of these professionals work with high-voltage electricity which is very dangerous and the work is also physically demanding. They protect the web of power lines that moves electricity from generating plants to their customers.
Final Thoughts
The power generation career path is a lucrative and highly sought-after job; this is because it’s a stable line of jobs and is also one of the highest-paid career paths in the world. The professions available are for everyone whether experienced or inexperienced, as I made sure to list and explain above. Though this career path can be quite demanding and a bit hazardous. In this article, I gave a well-detailed and comprehensive explanation of how power generation is a good career path.
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