Power distributors and dispatchers
SOC Code: 51-8012
Power distributors and dispatchers carries a 56% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $107,240 and -3.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 9,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 56% AI exposure, Power distributors and dispatchers sits 19 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 92% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
41/100
Power distributors and dispatchers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A+ $107,240
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -3.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 56% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Power distributors and dispatchers in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Power distributors and dispatchers keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Power distributors and dispatchers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Power distributors and dispatchers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
56% Higher than most higher than 92% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Power distributors and dispatchers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Power distributors and dispatchers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Power distributors and dispatchers's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 51-8012) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Power distributors and dispatchers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Power distributors and dispatchers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes.
- 2. Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas.
- 3. Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.
- 4. Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators.
- 5. 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.
- 6. Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines.
- 7. Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems.
- 8. Monitor and record switchboard or control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly.
- 9. Implement energy schedules, including real-time transmission reservations or schedules.
- 10. Calculate load estimates or equipment requirements to determine required control settings.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Operations Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Writing
- Operation and Control
Knowledge Areas
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Engineering and Technology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Education and Training
- Physics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Power distributors and dispatchers?
Power distributors and dispatchers has an AI exposure score of 56%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Power distributors and dispatchers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Power distributors and dispatchers is projected to decline by 3.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 9,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Power distributors and dispatchers?
Key skills for Power distributors and dispatchers include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Power distributors and dispatchers earn?
The median annual wage for Power distributors and dispatchers is $107,240, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Power distributors and dispatchers?
The typical entry-level education for Power distributors and dispatchers is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Power distributors and dispatchers?
Power distributors and dispatchers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Power distributors and dispatchers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (56% here).
- Air traffic controllers · AI exposure 56%
- Credit analysts · AI exposure 56%
- Customer service representatives · AI exposure 56%
- Legal secretaries and administrative assistants · AI exposure 56%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-3.2% here).
- Forest and conservation technicians · growth -3.2%
- Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse · growth -3.3%
- Furniture finishers · growth -3.3%
- Telecommunications line installers and repairers · growth -3.1%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 19 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Power distributors and dispatchers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Power distributors and dispatchers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).