Wind Energy Engineers in California
Want to work as a Wind Energy Engineers in California? Below are the key facts. All engineers not listed separately. Excludes “Sales Engineers” (41-9031), “Locomotive Engineers” (53-4011), and “Ship Engineers” (53-5031).
What do Wind Energy Engineers Make in California?
The wind energy engineers working in California, the typical annual salary is $128,830 per year (or roughly $61.94/hour).Annual wages span from $72,840 at the 10th percentile to $212,930 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $72,840 | $35.02 |
| 25th percentile | $99,730 | $47.95 |
| Median (50th) | $128,830 | $61.94 |
| 75th percentile | $167,940 | $80.74 |
| 90th percentile | $212,930 | $102.37 |
The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in California compared to the national average — is 1.50, suggesting that wind energy engineers are more concentrated here than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, wind energy engineers earn a median of $98,460 per year ($47.34/hour), above the California median.
Employment Outlook
Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 313,540 wind energy engineers across the United States. In California alone, about 26,500 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 1,430 wind energy engineers.
Top California Metros for Wind Energy Engineers
The largest metro-area employers of wind energy engineers in California.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,910 | $122,000 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 5,060 | $156,140 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 3,490 | $157,770 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 3,240 | $130,550 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,420 | $99,860 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,150 | $106,220 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 620 | $142,400 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 600 | $123,730 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 390 | $127,770 |
| Fresno, CA | 250 | $114,260 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 170 | $116,260 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 160 | $129,480 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 150 | $114,170 |
| Vallejo, CA | 150 | $122,780 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 130 | $119,810 |
| Salinas, CA | 90 | $122,540 |
| Modesto, CA | 70 | $108,230 |
| Chico, CA | 60 | $113,550 |
| Redding, CA | 50 | $104,190 |
| Visalia, CA | 50 | $100,940 |
| Merced, CA | 40 | $88,020 |
| Napa, CA | 30 | $94,750 |
| Yuba City, CA | 30 | $115,690 |
Top States for Wind Energy Engineers Employment
These states have the highest employment of wind energy engineers work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| California | 26,500 |
| Texas | 9,900 |
| Florida | 9,120 |
| Louisiana | 7,630 |
| Maryland | 6,670 |
| Michigan | 6,630 |
| Virginia | 5,980 |
| Ohio | 5,970 |
| New York | 5,020 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,710 |
| Tennessee | 4,610 |
| North Carolina | 4,230 |
| Georgia | 3,970 |
| New Jersey | 3,910 |
| Alabama | 3,370 |
| Washington | 3,150 |
| Illinois | 3,010 |
| Massachusetts | 2,930 |
| Arizona | 2,660 |
| District of Columbia | 2,640 |
Highest-Paying States for Wind Energy Engineers
These states pay the most for wind energy engineers.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $167,270 |
| Alabama | $146,480 |
| New Mexico | $142,520 |
| Virginia | $142,110 |
| Wyoming | $139,010 |
| Maryland | $135,990 |
| Alaska | $132,410 |
| Massachusetts | $132,020 |
| New Jersey | $131,960 |
| Rhode Island | $131,830 |
Skills
Key wind energy engineers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Key abilities for wind energy engineers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Day-to-day, wind energy engineers typically:
- Create or maintain wind farm layouts, schematics, or other visual documentation for wind farms.
- Recommend process or infrastructure changes to improve wind turbine performance, reduce operational costs, or comply with regulations.
- Create models to optimize the layout of wind farm access roads, crane pads, crane paths, collection systems, substations, switchyards, or transmission lines.
- Provide engineering technical support to designers of prototype wind turbines.
- Investigate experimental wind turbines or wind turbine technologies for properties such as aerodynamics, production, noise, and load.
- Develop active control algorithms, electronics, software, electromechanical, or electrohydraulic systems for wind turbines.
- Develop specifications for wind technology components, such as gearboxes, blades, generators, frequency converters, or pad transformers.
- Test wind turbine components, using mechanical or electronic testing equipment.
- Oversee the work activities of wind farm consultants or subcontractors.
- Test wind turbine equipment to determine effects of stress or fatigue.
- Monitor wind farm construction to ensure compliance with regulatory standards or environmental requirements.
- Direct balance of plant (BOP) construction, generator installation, testing, commissioning, or supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) to ensure compliance with specifications.
Work Activities
- Working with Computers
- Getting Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Processing Information
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Tools & Technology
Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Amazon Web Services AWS software, Apache Subversion SVN, Autodesk AutoCAD, Bentley MicroStation In-demand technologies: ANSYS simulation software, C++
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Related college programs include:
- Rehabilitation Professions
Featured schools near , edit
Related Careers
Other careers like wind energy engineers include:
- Geothermal Production Managers
- Biomass Power Plant Managers
- Hydroelectric Production Managers
- Wind Energy Operations Managers
- Wind Energy Development Managers
- Aerospace Engineers
Also Known As
Engineer, Project Engineer, SCADA Engineer (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), Turbine Engineer, Turbine Measurements Engineer, Utility Engineer, Wind Energy Consultant, Wind Energy Engineer, Wind Farm Designer, Wind Farm Electrical Systems Designer, Wind Farm Engineer, Wind Farm Siting and Development Consultant, Wind Power Specialist, Wind Turbine Controls Engineer, Wind Turbine Design Engineer.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 17-2199.10