How much do substation technicians make in 2026?
Substation technicians are counted in the BLS electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation and relay series: OEWS May 2025 puts SOC 49-2095 at a national median of $103,020 a year ($49.53 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $65,730 and the top 10% at $129,920. This is a small, well-paid craft of 20,720 workers, and it is worth distinguishing from linework: linemen are counted separately in the electrical power-line series at a higher median, reflecting the aerial and storm-restoration character of that trade, while substation technicians work inside the fenced yards where transmission voltage is transformed, switched and protected. The substation trade's own hierarchy is clear. Routine inspection, battery and equipment maintenance sits at the lower end. The middle is transformer, breaker and switchgear maintenance and testing, including oil sampling, timing and contact resistance testing. The upper end is commissioning — proving a new or rebuilt substation works before it is energised — and the testing and troubleshooting of protection and control equipment, which shades into the relay technician's domain. This is regulated-utility and specialist contractor employment with structured progression and substantial union representation. Employment is projected to grow 5.5% through 2034 with roughly 2,000 openings a year. → Full substation technician career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $103,020 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Substation Technicians earn a national median $103,020/yr ($49.53/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2095); the P10 to P90 range is $65,730 to $129,920.
- Substation technicians and linemen are separate BLS occupations — linework is counted in the electrical power-line series at a higher median, reflecting its aerial and storm-restoration character.
- The craft's own hierarchy runs from inspection and battery maintenance, through transformer, breaker and switchgear testing, to commissioning new substations before energisation.
- Employment is overwhelmingly with regulated utilities and specialist contractors, with structured progression and substantial union representation in much of the country.
US Substation Technician Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do substation technicians earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 49-2095; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2095, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a substation technician earn at each career stage?
Substation pay follows what you are qualified to test, switch and commission. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 49-2095.
By State
Which states pay substation technicians the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national powerhouse and substation repairer median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. In this craft the utility's classification structure and any collective agreement set the rate directly, and the amount of substation construction in the region determines how much premium work is available.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($118,470), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay substation technicians the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Regions building substations for new industrial or data-centre load carry the most overtime.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a substation technician’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does substation technician pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Substation Technicians sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify substation technician wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a substation technician actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Substation Technician Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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