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Occupation AtlasPower Distributors and Dispatchers

O*NET · 51-8012.00

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

Also called Auxiliary Operator · Board Operator · Control Area Operator · Control Board Operator · Control Operator · Control Room Operator · Dispatcher · Distribution A Class Lineman
39 more

Distribution Lineman · Distribution Operator · Distribution System Dispatcher (DSD) · Distribution Systems Serviceperson · DSD · DSO · DSO (Distribution System Operator) · Electric System Operator · Electrical Energy Distribution Tech · Electrical Energy Distribution Technician (Electrical Energy Distribution Tech) · Electrical Energy Storage Tech · Electrical Energy Storage Technician (Electrical Energy Storage Tech) · Feeder SWB Operator · Feeder Switchboard Operator (Feeder SWB Operator) · Load Dispatcher · Motor Room Controller · Power and Recovery Shift Engineer · Power System Dispatcher · Power System Operator · Real Time Operator · Station Operator · Steam and Power Panel Operator · Steam Plant Control Room Operator · Substation Operator · SWB and Control Room Operator · SWB Operator · Switchboard and Control Room Operator (SWB and Control Room Operator) · Switchboard Operator (SWB Operator) · Systems Operator · Transmission Operator · Transmission System Operator (TSO) · TSO · Utilities Operator · Utility Distribution Inspector · Utility Inspector · Utility SWB Operator · Utility Switchboard Operator (Utility SWB Operator) · Voltage Inspector · Water Distribution Operator

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code RCE35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Fish and Game Wardens

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RCERealistic · Conventional · Enterprising — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic5.20
  • C Conventional5.11
  • E Enterprising3.09
  • I Investigative2.43
  • S Social1.98
  • A Artistic1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent22%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate40%
  • Some College Courses8%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree24%
  • Bachelor's Degree6%
Related work experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (28%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (35%)
On-the-job training
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (32%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Active Listeningbasic3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Monitoringbasic3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Speakingbasic3.53.4Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Operations Monitoring3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Monitor machine functions on an automated production line
  • Complex Problem Solving3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Operation and Control3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Adjust the speed of assembly line equipment based on the product being assembled
  • Writingbasic3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Coordination3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Active Learningbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
Show the other 23
  • Time Management3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Systems Analysis2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.83.0Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Instructing2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Mathematicsbasic2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Quality Control Analysis2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Systems Evaluation2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Social Perceptiveness2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Service Orientation2.62.9Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Negotiation2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Persuasion2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Troubleshooting2.32.3Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Operations Analysis2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Sciencebasic1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Conduct standard tests to determine soil quality
  • Equipment Maintenance1.81.5Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Repairing1.81.5Level 2 looks like: Tighten a screw to get a door to close properly
  • Management of Material Resources1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Management of Financial Resources1.60.6
  • Technology Design1.60.6
  • Equipment Selection1.40.8
  • Programming1.40.4
  • Installation1.1—

Tasks

12 core · 2 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes.4.8
  2. Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas.4.7
  3. Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems.4.7
  4. Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.4.7
  5. Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators.4.7
  6. Distribute or regulate the flow of power between entities, such as generating stations, substations, distribution lines, or users, keeping track of the status of circuits or connections.4.7
  7. Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines.4.7
  8. Monitor and record switchboard or control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly.4.5
  9. Calculate load estimates or equipment requirements to determine required control settings.4.3
  10. Implement energy schedules, including real-time transmission reservations or schedules.4.3
  11. Track conditions that could affect power needs, such as changes in the weather, and adjust equipment to meet any anticipated changes.4.1
  12. Record and compile operational data, such as chart or meter readings, power demands, or usage and operating times, using transmission system maps.3.9
Show the other 2
  1. Inspect equipment to ensure that specifications are met or to detect any defects.4.2
  2. Tend auxiliary equipment used in the power distribution process.4.1

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • English Language3.93.5Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Public Safety and Security3.73.6Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
  • Computers and Electronics3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Engineering and Technology3.53.2Level 4 looks like: Design a custom office chair
  • Mathematics3.54.2Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • Telecommunications3.53.0Level 4 looks like: Install a wireless internet router
  • Customer and Personal Service3.44.8Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Mechanical3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Replace a valve on a steam pipe
Show all 33
  • Education and Training3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Physics3.13.8Level 4 looks like: Calculate the speed of a falling object
  • Administrative3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Administration and Management2.82.5Level 1 looks like: Approve a reimbursement request
  • Law and Government2.62.6
  • Geography2.52.7
  • Communications and Media2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Psychology2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Building and Construction2.32.2Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Production and Processing2.32.6
  • Chemistry2.12.0Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Design2.12.0Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Economics and Accounting2.01.5Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.91.5Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Sales and Marketing1.71.3Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Transportation1.71.6Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.5—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.30.8Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • History and Archeology1.2—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.2—
  • Food Production1.1—
  • Philosophy and Theology1.1—
  • Biology1.0—
  • Fine Arts1.0—
  • Foreign Language1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Problem Sensitivity4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Inductive Reasoning3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Oral Comprehension3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Deductive Reasoning3.83.9
  • Written Comprehension3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Near Vision3.63.6
  • Written Expression3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
Show all 52
  • Information Ordering3.53.5Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Perceptual Speed3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Read five pressure indicators in 10 seconds to make sure each is within safe limits
  • Speech Clarity3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Category Flexibility3.03.0Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Far Vision3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Flexibility of Closure3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Selective Attention3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Speech Recognition3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Recognize the voice of a coworker
  • Visualization3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Fluency of Ideas2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.82.9
  • Number Facility2.82.9Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Speed of Closure2.82.8Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Originality2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Time Sharing2.62.6Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.62.8
  • Auditory Attention2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Control Precision2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Depth Perception2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Finger Dexterity2.02.1Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Manual Dexterity2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Memorization2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Reaction Time2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Response Orientation1.91.3Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Trunk Strength1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Multilimb Coordination1.61.0Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Rate Control1.60.8Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Spatial Orientation1.60.8
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.60.8
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.50.6
  • Dynamic Strength1.40.4
  • Extent Flexibility1.40.4
  • Glare Sensitivity1.40.4
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.40.4
  • Stamina1.40.4Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Static Strength1.3—
  • Night Vision1.1—
  • Peripheral Vision1.1—
  • Sound Localization1.1—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Explosive Strength1.0—
  • Gross Body Coordination1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Getting Information4.75.1Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.75.5Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.65.0Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.55.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.55.2Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Working with Computers4.54.3Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Analyzing Data or Information4.34.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.35.6
Show all 41
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.34.8Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Processing Information4.35.1Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.14.7Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.95.2Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.74.6Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.54.2Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.53.6Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.43.7Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Training and Teaching Others3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.25.0Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.13.2Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.13.7Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Thinking Creatively2.93.9Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.83.5Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.73.1Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.63.0Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.62.6
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.52.9
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.43.2Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.32.0Level 1 looks like: Check tickets at a concert
  • Developing and Building Teams2.21.8Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.12.1Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.91.8Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Performing General Physical Activities1.50.9Level 1 looks like: Walk between workstations in a small office
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.5—
  • Handling and Moving Objects1.40.8Level 1 looks like: Change settings on copy machines
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.41.0Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.4—
  • Selling or Influencing Others1.4—

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Telephone Conversations5.0
  • Consequence of Error4.7
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.7
  • Contact With Others4.6
  • E-Mail4.6
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.6
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers4.5
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.4
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.4
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks4.4

Technology

29 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (7)

  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAP software
Other tools (22)
  • ABB MicroSCADA Pro DMS
  • ABB MicroSCADA Pro SYS
  • ABB PSGuard
  • Catapult Software iPower SCADA
  • Distribution automation system software
  • Distribution management system DMS
  • Energy management system EMS
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Milsoft DisSPatch
  • OSI monarch/SGP
  • Outage management system OMS
  • Radius NetMan
  • Radius Uni-View
  • Siemens Energy and Automation
  • Siemens Spectrum Power TG
  • Siemens Spectrum PowerCC Distribution Management
  • Substation automation system software
  • Substation monitoring system software
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Telvent Responder Outage Management System OMS
  • Wide area monitoring system WAMS software
  • Wide area remote control system software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Power Plant Operators
  2. Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
  3. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
  4. Hydroelectric Plant Technicians
  5. Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
  6. Gas Plant Operators
  7. Geothermal Technicians
  8. Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
  9. Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment
  10. Biomass Plant Technicians

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.