Utilities keep the basics running: electricity, gas, water and wastewater. Some workers respond to outages; others maintain equipment, process bills or schedule service. “Utility job” can mean a city water operator or a private electric-company technician, so do not assume every opening has the same pay or government benefits.
Public utilities salary examples
| Occupation | 2025 U.S. median annual pay | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical power-line installer / repairer | $95,320 | Hazardous work, heights, emergency call-outs and substantial training |
| Electrical/electronics installer / repairer | $74,490 | May maintain industrial power equipment; training varies |
| Water/wastewater treatment operator | $60,020 | Shift work; state license often needed during career progression |
| Electrician | $63,190 | Apprenticeships and licensing are common |
BLS sources: lineworkers, electronics repairers, water/wastewater operators, and electricians. Figures are national occupational medians, not a utility’s posted starting wages.
What if you do not want field work?
Search utility billing specialist, meter services coordinator, customer account representative, dispatch assistant, permit coordinator and work order clerk. These jobs may be at city departments, utility cooperatives or contractors. They often favor customer records, accuracy, scheduling and the ability to handle upset customers without making promises you cannot keep.
The hidden trade-off: schedule
Electric and water service cannot stop at 5 p.m. Some roles rotate nights or weekends; storm restoration can mean unscheduled travel and overtime. A municipal job may have a lower starting hourly rate but stronger retirement benefits, while a contractor role may pay more for travel and field work. Compare the total offer.
How to search the right employers
- Search “[your city] water department careers” and “[your region] electric cooperative jobs.”
- Look at both the utility’s own career page and its contractor hiring pages.
- For water roles, check your state’s operator licensing requirements before paying for a course.
- For lineworker roles, ask about apprenticeship, training length, gear, travel and physical requirements.
For related jobs, visit energy job pay comparisons or the jobs hub. If the employer advertises “guaranteed utility job” in exchange for an upfront fee, verify independently; the FTC explains common job scams.