Wind turbine service technicians
SOC Code: 49-9081
Wind turbine service technicians carries a 18% AI exposure score (Low automation risk), with a median annual wage of $62,580 and +49.9% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 13,600 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 18% AI exposure, Wind turbine service technicians sits 19 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 4% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
84/100
Wind turbine service technicians, 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 C $62,580
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +49.9%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 18% 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 Wind turbine service technicians in the Low band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Much faster (31/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Wind turbine service technicians sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Wind turbine service technicians sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
18% Among the lowest lower than 96% 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.
Wind turbine service technicians vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Wind turbine service technicians 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
Wind turbine service technicians's Low 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 below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
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 49-9081) 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 Wind turbine service technicians 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 Wind turbine service technicians. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Troubleshoot or repair mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical malfunctions related to variable pitch systems, variable speed control systems, converter systems, or related components.
- 2. Perform routine maintenance on wind turbine equipment, underground transmission systems, wind fields substations, or fiber optic sensing and control systems.
- 3. Diagnose problems involving wind turbine generators or control systems.
- 4. Test electrical components of wind systems with devices, such as voltage testers, multimeters, oscilloscopes, infrared testers, or fiber optic equipment.
- 5. Start or restart wind turbine generator systems to ensure proper operations.
- 6. Climb wind turbine towers to inspect, maintain, or repair equipment.
- 7. Maintain tool and spare parts inventories required for repair, installation, or replacement services.
- 8. Test structures, controls, or mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical systems, according to test plans or in coordination with engineers.
- 9. Train end-users, distributors, installers, or other technicians in wind commissioning, testing, or other technical procedures.
- 10. Collect turbine data for testing or research and analysis.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Equipment Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Quality Control Analysis
- Active Listening
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Physics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Wind turbine service technicians?
Wind turbine service technicians has an AI exposure score of 18%, indicating a low level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Wind turbine service technicians?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Wind turbine service technicians is projected to grow by 49.9% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 13,600 workers.
What skills are needed for Wind turbine service technicians?
Key skills for Wind turbine service technicians include Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and others. Typical entry-level education is Postsecondary nondegree award.
How much do Wind turbine service technicians earn?
The median annual wage for Wind turbine service technicians is $62,580, 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 Wind turbine service technicians?
The typical entry-level education for Wind turbine service technicians is Postsecondary nondegree award. 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 Wind turbine service technicians?
Wind turbine service technicians 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
Low automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Wind turbine service technicians: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (18% here).
- Electrical power-line installers and repairers · AI exposure 18%
- Engine and other machine assemblers · AI exposure 18%
- Glaziers · AI exposure 18%
- Healthcare social workers · AI exposure 18%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+49.9% here).
- Solar photovoltaic installers · growth +42.1%
- Nurse practitioners · growth +40.1%
- Data scientists · growth +33.5%
- Information security analysts · growth +28.5%
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 10 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Wind turbine service technicians' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Wind turbine service technicians 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).