Hydroelectric Plant Technicians
Monitor and control activities associated with hydropower generation. Operate plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, and battery banks. Monitor equipment operation and performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure optimal performance. Perform equipment maintenance and repair as necessary.
$102,040 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 11%
- 0%
- 89%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 1%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 10%. Today's estimate: 10%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 21 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identify or address malfunctions of hydroelectric plant operational equipment, such as generators, transformers, or turbines.Done daily by most who do it. | 12% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Maintain or repair hydroelectric plant electrical, mechanical, or electronic equipment, such as motors, transformers, voltage regulators, generators, relays, battery systems, air compressors, sump pumps, gates, or valves.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 12% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Perform tunnel or field inspections of hydroelectric plant facilities or resources.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 8% | 2.1 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Install or calibrate electrical or mechanical equipment, such as motors, engines, switchboards, relays, switch gears, meters, pumps, hydraulics, or flood channels.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 8% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as necessary.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 95%Half by now | |
| Test and repair or replace electrical equipment, such as circuit breakers, station batteries, cable trays, conduits, or control devices.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 2.5 h38 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate hydroelectric plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, or battery banks.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Connect metal parts or components in hydroelectric plants by welding, soldering, riveting, tapping, bolting, bonding, or screwing.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Take readings and record data, such as water levels, temperatures, or flow rates.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Start, adjust, or stop generating units, operating valves, gates, or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric power generating plants.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min13 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Perform preventive or corrective containment or cleanup measures in hydroelectric plants to prevent environmental contamination.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 1.3 h25 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.