Wind Energy Operations Managers: Career Profile
Manage wind field operations, including personnel, maintenance activities, financial activities, and planning.
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What Tasks Do Wind Energy Operations Managers Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of wind energy operations managers include:
- Supervise employees or subcontractors to ensure quality of work or adherence to safety regulations or policies.
- Train or coordinate the training of employees in operations, safety, environmental issues, or technical issues.
- Track and maintain records for wind operations, such as site performance, downtime events, parts usage, or substation events.
- Oversee the maintenance of wind field equipment or structures, such as towers, transformers, electrical collector systems, roadways, or other site assets.
- Prepare wind field operational budgets.
- Develop relationships and communicate with customers, site managers, developers, land owners, authorities, utility representatives, or residents.
- Maintain operations records, such as work orders, site inspection forms, or other documentation.
- Recruit or select wind operations employees, contractors, or subcontractors.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective wind energy operations managers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Wind Energy Operations Managers Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Clean Energy Site Manager
- Energy Environmental Manager
- Energy Operations Manager
- Energy Quality Control Manager (Energy QC Manager)
- Energy Services Manager
- Offshore Energy Environmental Manager
- Offshore Wind Operations Manager
- Renewable Energy Development Manager
Job Outlook
There are roughly 122,525 wind energy operations managers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +5.2% over the projection horizon.
Wind Energy Operations Managers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $122,567 |
| Hourly median | $58.93 |
| 10th percentile | $85,532 |
| 25th percentile | $104,050 |
| 75th percentile | $141,084 |
| 90th percentile | $159,602 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $172,380 |
| District of Columbia | $171,910 |
| California | $170,740 |
| Delaware | $170,310 |
| Washington | $165,080 |
| Colorado | $164,010 |
| New Jersey | $163,630 |
| Virginia | $162,610 |
| New York | $161,360 |
| Minnesota | $158,680 |
| Connecticut | $149,690 |
| Maryland | $148,680 |
| Rhode Island | $147,240 |
| New Hampshire | $142,650 |
| Illinois | $134,810 |
| Texas | $133,070 |
| Michigan | $133,040 |
| Arizona | $132,040 |
| North Carolina | $131,990 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,170 |
| Iowa | $127,680 |
| New Mexico | $127,060 |
| Ohio | $126,600 |
| West Virginia | $126,250 |
| Oklahoma | $124,800 |
| Oregon | $124,190 |
| Maine | $123,950 |
| Vermont | $123,930 |
| Alaska | $123,160 |
| Kentucky | $123,010 |
| Hawaii | $122,520 |
| Georgia | $120,810 |
| South Carolina | $120,640 |
| Kansas | $118,310 |
| North Dakota | $118,010 |
| Wyoming | $117,060 |
| Missouri | $117,050 |
| Alabama | $116,830 |
| Nebraska | $114,050 |
| South Dakota | $111,630 |
| Idaho | $107,800 |
| Montana | $105,840 |
| Wisconsin | $105,690 |
| Florida | $102,670 |
| Louisiana | $100,890 |
| Nevada | $99,590 |
| Mississippi | $97,780 |
| Guam | $97,210 |
| Virgin Islands | $92,270 |
| Tennessee | $88,110 |
| Arkansas | $84,610 |
| Indiana | $79,080 |
| Puerto Rico | $78,740 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for wind energy operations managers differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $160,982 | 22.6% | 1.34 |
| New England | $156,233 | 3.9% | 0.83 |
| Middle Atlantic | $153,807 | 17.6% | 2.07 |
| Southwest | $132,453 | 11.2% | 0.90 |
| Plains States | $126,095 | 4.1% | 0.64 |
| Southeast | $116,490 | 29.4% | 1.35 |
| Rocky Mountains | $112,945 | 3.8% | 1.01 |
| Great Lakes | $112,898 | 6.4% | 0.72 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $215,120 | 13,530 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $203,030 | 22,980 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | ME | $190,070 | 100 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $175,070 | 400 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $174,840 | 9,240 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $173,490 | 1,080 |
| Binghamton, NY | NY | $171,190 | 190 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $168,750 | 7,580 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of wind energy operations managers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 94,490 | $164,060 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 50,980 | $163,830 |
| Manufacturing | 46,390 | $160,640 |
| Finance and Insurance | 44,890 | $162,780 |
| Information | 38,680 | $167,740 |
| Educational Services | 32,840 | $102,450 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 32,500 | $109,990 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 31,360 | $108,810 |
Below are examples of industries where wind energy operations managers work:
Software Wind Energy Operations Managers Use
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for wind energy operations managers reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Health and Safety of Other Workers
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How to Become Wind Energy Operations Managers
Entry-level wind energy operations managers positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Geothermal Production Managers (Primary-Short)
- Biofuels Production Managers (Primary-Long)
- Biomass Power Plant Managers (Primary-Long)
- Hydroelectric Production Managers (Primary-Short)
- Construction Managers (Supplemental)
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Wind Energy Development Managers (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for wind energy operations managers typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
2 programs across 2 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-9199.09 (Managers, All Other).