What is a Wind Energy Engineer?
Position Description Design underground or overhead wind farm collector systems and prepare and develop site specifications.
Wind Energy Engineer Responsibilities
- Direct balance of plant (BOP) construction, generator installation, testing, commissioning, or supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) to ensure compliance with specifications.
- Perform root cause analysis on wind turbine tower component failures.
- Create models to optimize the layout of wind farm access roads, crane pads, crane paths, collection systems, substations, switchyards, or transmission lines.
- Recommend process or infrastructure changes to improve wind turbine performance, reduce operational costs, or comply with regulations.
- Analyze operation of wind farms or wind farm components to determine reliability, performance, and compliance with specifications.
- Oversee the work activities of wind farm consultants or subcontractors.
Wind Energy Engineer Skills
Wind Energy Engineers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Other Wind Energy Engineer Job Titles
- Wind Turbine Electrical Engineer
- Wind Turbine Engineer
- Project Designer, Transmission and Distribution Engineering
- Wind Farm Electrical Systems Designer
- Principal Engineer
Job Demand for Wind Energy Engineers
There were about 132,500 jobs for Wind Energy Engineer in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 8,500 new jobs for Wind Energy Engineer by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 9,500 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Wind Energy Engineer are Nevada, Utah, and North Dakota. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Minnesota, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Wind Energy Engineer Average Salary
Wind Energy Engineers make between $50,750 and $155,650 a year.
Wind Energy Engineers who work in District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, make the highest salaries.
How much do Wind Energy Engineers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $115,710 |
Alaska | $114,040 |
Arizona | $94,450 |
Arkansas | $71,510 |
California | $107,700 |
Colorado | $111,610 |
Connecticut | $100,230 |
District of Columbia | $132,530 |
Florida | $82,970 |
Georgia | $93,580 |
Hawaii | $96,940 |
Idaho | $110,270 |
Illinois | $87,220 |
Indiana | $73,340 |
Iowa | $78,230 |
Kansas | $82,060 |
Kentucky | $79,690 |
Louisiana | $90,580 |
Maine | $85,800 |
Maryland | $118,420 |
Massachusetts | $109,220 |
Michigan | $90,420 |
Minnesota | $101,620 |
Mississippi | $79,630 |
Missouri | $86,850 |
Montana | $79,590 |
Nebraska | $82,760 |
Nevada | $94,950 |
New Hampshire | $99,070 |
New Jersey | $114,990 |
New Mexico | $114,790 |
New York | $95,270 |
North Carolina | $83,900 |
North Dakota | $83,270 |
Ohio | $93,370 |
Oklahoma | $83,080 |
Oregon | $90,720 |
Pennsylvania | $96,550 |
Rhode Island | $95,790 |
South Carolina | $100,750 |
South Dakota | $84,320 |
Tennessee | $82,030 |
Texas | $113,370 |
Utah | $89,810 |
Vermont | $81,960 |
Virginia | $118,390 |
Washington | $104,890 |
West Virginia | $91,420 |
Wisconsin | $86,600 |
Wyoming | $97,040 |
What Tools do Wind Energy Engineers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Wind Energy Engineers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Git
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Python
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Project
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft Visio
- Structured query language SQL
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Linux
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- Extensible markup language XML
- Microsoft SQL Server
- UNIX
How to Become a Wind Energy Engineer
What education is needed to be a Wind Energy Engineer?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where do Wind Energy Engineers Work?
Below are examples of industries where Wind Energy Engineers work:
References:
Image Credit: luis gomes via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.