WIND TURBINE TECHNICIAN CAREER OUTLOOK

Ever wondered about joining the young, vibrant industry that is wind power? If you like a thrill, are seeking hands-on training, aren’t afraid of heights and enjoy traveling, this could be a great career path for you.¹

The demand for wind technicians is growing — employment is projected to grow 45% from 2022 to 2032 according to a report from the Bureau Labor of Statistics, meaning the demand for wind turbine technicians is real.⁶³

Wind Turbine Industry Overview

Wind technicians install, maintain and repair the three major components of the turbine — the generator, the driveline components and blades — on a regular basis. This is done by entering the turbine through the base of the tower and climbing a ladder or riding an elevator up through the tower shaft. Depending on the task at hand, wind turbine technicians may be suspended hundreds of feet in the air!

Wind Turbine Careers

Most graduates of our Wind Technician training start out working as entry-level technicians or in other entry-level roles. As with any industry, over time, you may be able to advance in your career with hard work. Some entry-level and advanced roles could include:⁷⁷

Entry-Level

Wind turbine technician: The most common entry-level role to pursue in the field, wind turbine technicians maintain and diagnose wind turbines by cleaning, lubricating and testing major components of the turbine (generator, driveline components and blades) to determine parts that need replacement. This is often done several hundreds of feet in the air while wearing a safety harness.

Installation technician: As you might have noticed, wind turbines are large machines that require several factors for installation, including heavy machinery, excavation, planning and more. An installation technician manages the process and workflow. They also assist with the actual installation of wind turbines.

Field service technician: Wind field service technicians can be found where giant wind turbines operate. Responsibilities of wind field service technicians include installation, maintenance and repair, inspection, testing, troubleshooting, and gathering data. Field service technicians may need to travel extensively on installation projects. This exciting field can literally take you to new heights when you climb hundreds of feet in the air to work on wind turbine technology!

Advanced

Troubleshooting technician: Troubleshooting technicians often perform many of the same tasks as wind turbine technicians. But they may focus on investigating why a wind turbine isn’t functioning properly, fixing the problem or recommending a solution. Troubleshooting involves looking at electrical, hydraulic and mechanical components of wind turbines from hundreds of feet in the air.

LOTO I & II specialist: LOTO is short for “lockout/tagout,” which are specific practices and procedures used to safeguard employees in the wind energy industry from experiencing injuries due to unexpected energization or startup of machinery.

Wind farm support specialist (quality control): Wind farm support specialists, or quality control specialists, guarantee that all repairs and component swaps on wind turbines are being completed according to the standard of the customer. They climb wind turbine towers during or near the end of repairs to ensure that the fix meets standards set by the customer and service team. They inspect parts, keep a clean and organized workspace, document safety hazards, technician procedures, and work completion.

Research and development: It’s crucial for wind energy manufacturers to invest in new technologies and processes to make turbines more powerful, efficient and reliable. Those in research and development roles focus on the design and development of wind turbines. They also work in testing, production, and maintenance and have the potential to supervise production in factories. While troubleshooting design and component issues, they also estimate cost and time and analyze how to make production more efficient.

Electrical engineer: Electrical engineers in the wind industry are responsible for the design, development, testing and supervision of the manufacturing of turbines’ electrical components. These components include electric motors, machinery controls, lighting and wiring, generators, communications systems and electricity transmission systems.

Environmental engineer: Environmental engineers contribute to the wind energy industry by assessing and minimizing the potential environmental impacts of wind farms. While wind power is an environmentally friendly source of power, there are still concerns to consider, such as noise, visual impact, impact on local species, and interference with radar and telecommunications.

Materials engineer: People in this role help develop, process and test materials used to construct wind turbines. Wind turbines are complex pieces of machinery that consist of thousands of parts, and each must be designed to exact specifications to withstand varying levels of stress. Material engineers most commonly work with metals, ceramics, plastics, semiconductors, and composites that meet mechanical and electrical requirements.