December 3, 2008 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Working in the electric power industry

The electric power industry is constantly changing to meet the demands of the 21st-century lifestyle. Electricity use continues to rise each year, and new jobs are being created by a push for renewable energy.

[Chart data—TXT]

BLS projects an overall decline in electric power industry employment between 2006 and 2016. Like many industries, however, this one is going through a transition as older workers leave and create openings for workers who will replace them.

Good news for career-minded jobseekers: Electric energy occupations, such as those shown in the chart, pay well above the national median for all occupations (which was $31,410 in 2007), and most offer formal training on the job to workers with a high school diploma. For most of the occupations shown in the chart, the usual training is long-term on-the-job training.

These data are from the Occupational Employment Statistics program. For more information, see "On the grid: Careers in energy," by Phillip Bastian, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Fall 2008.