Careers in wind energy
Winter 2010–11 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 13

Drew Liming

and James 

Hamilton

Drew Liming and 

James Hamilton 

are economists 

in the Office of 

Occupational 

Statistics and 

Employment 

Projections, BLS. 

Drew is available 

at (202) 691-5262 

or at liming.

drew@bls.gov. 

James is available at (202) 

691-7877 or at 

hamilton.james@

bls.gov.

You see them with growing frequency 

in some parts of the country: wind 

turbines, their large blades rotating 

through the air, far overhead. As a common 

form of renewable energy, wind power is generating more than just electricity. It is increasingly generating jobs for workers in many 

different occupations.

The wind energy industry has experienced 

rapid growth in the past decade. According to 

the American Wind Energy Association, in 

2000, installed wind energy capacity in the 

United States was less than 3,000 megawatts. 

It is now more than 35,000 megawatts, enough 

electricity to power almost 10 million homes.

According to the association, about 

85,000 Americans currently work in the wind 

power industry and related fields. Many workers are employed on wind farms: areas where 

groups of wind turbines produce electricity 

from wind power. Wind farms are frequently 

located in the midwestern, western, and northeastern regions of the United States. Texas, 

Iowa, and California are the leading States in 

wind generating capacity.

But many other States are in the process 

of substantially increasing their windgenerating capacity, and there are wind energy 

jobs nationwide. Much wind turbine manufacturing is located in traditional manufacturing 

areas in the Great Lakes and Midwest. Even 

the Southeast—an area that does not have sufficient wind for generating power—has plants 

that manufacture wind turbines and components.

This article provides information on some of the career 

opportunities in wind power. 

The first section provides an 

overview of the wind energy 

industry and the work that goes 

into building a wind farm. The 

second section describes selected 

professional, construction, 

production, and transportation 

occupations in the wind energy 

industry. The third section gives 

information on typical education 

and training backgrounds for 

workers in these occupations. A final section 

contains sources for additional research.

Building a wind farm

Developing a wind farm is a challenging process and usually takes several years 

from inception to construction. This section 

describes that process, from site selection to 

operation, and the equipment used in building 

wind farms.

Site selection and preparation

The wind farm development process begins 

with the selection of an appropriate site. 

Engineers and scientists evaluate sites based 

on several factors, including wind speed and 

variability, availability of land, the ability of 

the ground to support the weight of turbines, 

and environmental concerns.

Project development also has many legal 

and financial components, such as contract 

development and financing. Lawyers and permitting specialists are necessary to deal with 

local, State, and Federal regulations. Land 

purchasing agents are required to purchase or 

lease the land.

Because of the size, cost, and complexity 

of turbines and the difficulty in selecting a 

site, turbine manufacturing usually runs concurrently with site development. So, developers order turbines during the project development phase. 
14 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Winter 2010–11

Turbines

Wind turbines consist of three major components—the blades, tower, and nacelle—each 

of which must be designed and produced 

separately. Modern turbine blades are made of 

fiberglass and, in onshore models, are frequently more than 100 feet long. Towers are 

made of several steel segments placed atop 

one another and can be up to 300 feet tall. The 

nacelle is the brain of the wind turbine. It is 

a box resting atop the tower and contains the 

turbine’s controls, gears, generator, and other 

mechanical components.

The nacelle also contains many highly 

sophisticated electronic components that allow 

the turbine to monitor changes in wind speed 

and direction. To safely and efficiently harness 

power from the wind, these components direct 

the wind turbine to turn on and off or change 

direction automatically.

The blades, tower, and nacelle may be 

manufactured by a single company or by 

several working together. But even companies 

that assemble all their own turbine pieces 

buy components from third-party suppliers. 

Smaller companies that make specialized 

parts, such as blade epoxies and gears, are an 

important part of the wind industry.

After turbine parts have been manufactured, they need to be delivered to the worksite. Many wind farms are located in remote 

locations far from turbine manufacturers. 

Because of the extremely large size of these 

components, specially designed trucks and 

railcars are necessary to transport them to 

worksites. Construction crews build access 

roads to accommodate these unwieldy vehicles and the valuable components they carry.

When turbine parts are onsite, erection 

can begin. Under the supervision of more 

experienced wind-industry workers, local 

construction firms help build the foundations, 

made of reinforced concrete, that support the 

turbines. Skilled crane operators stack the 

tower segments atop one another before adding the nacelle and blades to the top of the turbine. Electricians build the plant’s electricity 

distribution system and connect the turbines 

to the power grid.

Wind farm operation

Once operational, wind turbines can run with 

little need for human oversight. Energy companies do, however, employ workers to monitor, either locally or remotely, the energy flows 

and to inform technicians of any problems. 

All wind farms employ local workers, but 

remote monitoring of wind turbines allows for 

a cost-effective way to ensure that the turbine 

is generating power most efficiently and can 

alert technicians to any potential problems.

Wind turbine service technicians, also 

known as “wind techs,” are responsible for 

keeping turbines running efficiently. When 

a problem arises, wind techs must be able to 

diagnose and fix it quickly, as any time that a 

turbine spends shut off represents lost revenue 

for the energy company.

It takes a large number of people to build 

and maintain a turbine, from machinists in 

factories to technicians working on wind 

farms every day. Each of these workers along 

the wind energy supply chain contributes to 

making wind a viable source of energy in the 

United States.

Wind techs diagnose and solve turbine problems.
Winter 2010–11 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 15

Working with wind

This section contains brief descriptions of 

some selected occupations in the wind energy 

industry. The occupations are grouped into 

four different categories—professional, 

construction, production, and transportation—

according to the tasks that workers in each 

perform.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

(BLS) does not currently publish employment or wage data specific to the wind energy 

industry. However, the table below shows the 

median annual wage (across all industries) of 

the occupations described in this section.

Professional occupations

Workers in these occupations perform a variety of skilled functions, such as computing, 

teaching, and designing. Professional occupations in the wind energy industry include 

engineers, scientists, and logisticians.

Aerospace engineers. These workers 

design, test, and supervise the manufacture of 

turbine blades and rotors, and conduct aerodynamics assessments. They are frequently 

involved in site selection and work closely 

with meteorologists to determine the optimal 

configuration of turbines at a wind farm site.

Electrical engineers. Electrical engineers 

design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of turbines’ electrical components. 

The components include electric motors, 

machinery controls, lighting and wiring, generators, communications systems, and electricity transmission systems.

Civil engineers. These engineers design 

and supervise the construction of many parts 

of wind farms, including roads, support 

buildings, and other structures such as the 

tower and foundation portions of the wind 

turbine. Because of the scale of wind turbines, 

these engineers must deal with some unique 

problems, such as designing roads that can 

withstand very heavy loads and accommodate 

trailers that are up to 100 feet long.

With many wind farms located in the 

Midwest and western States, civil engineers 

must consider potential hazards, ranging from 

extreme winds and cold temperatures to earthquakes. Civil engineers in wind power typically specialize in structural, transportation, 

construction, or geotechnical engineering.

Atmospheric scientists. Often referred to 

as meteorologists, atmospheric scientists monitor the atmosphere around a potential project 

to ensure that there is adequate wind to produce electricity. They also assess whether the 

wind or other weather conditions may be too 

extreme for viable wind development.

Atmospheric scientists take wind measurements over a period of months or years 

and use computer models to judge whether 

the wind is adequate for turbine operation. 

In addition, these scientists help decide the 

Occupation

Median 

annual 

wage, 

May 2009

Professional occupations

Aerospace engineer $94,780

Electrical engineer 83,110

Civil engineer 76,590

Atmospheric scientist 84,710

Wildlife biologist 56,500

Logistician 67,960

Construction occupations

Construction laborer 29,150

Electrician 47,180

Construction equipment operator 39,770

Production occupations

Machinist 37,650

Computer-controlled machine 

tool operator 34,460

Assembler 26,820

Quality control inspector 32,330

Transportation occupations

Truck driver, heavy and

tractor-trailer 37,730

Crane and tower operator 44,140

Wages for selected wind-related 

occupations, May 2009
16 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Winter 2010–11

placement of turbines at the site to ensure 

that the greatest possible amount of energy is 

obtained from the wind.

Wildlife biologists. These workers evaluate the wind farm’s effect on local animal life. 

Although wind turbines do not take up a lot 

of space, construction can be disruptive to the 

natural environment. Operational turbines 

also pose a serious threat to local and migrating bird and bat populations. Biologists must 

make sure that the impact on these populations is minimal.

Wildlife biologists spend a great deal of 

their time outdoors at a site, cataloging the 

surrounding wildlife and making recommendations on how to avoid interfering with 

local ecosystems. They also write reports on 

environmental impact.

Logisticians. Logisticians are responsible 

for keeping transportation as efficient as possible. Because wind farm projects are expensive and run on tight schedules, time spent 

waiting for delayed turbine components costs 

money. Logisticians work extensively with 

both manufacturers and construction teams 

to develop a schedule for timely delivery of 

turbine components.

State-to-State differences in heavy trucking regulations present unique challenges 

to logisticians. Some States require police 

escorts within their borders, and others do not 

even allow trucks over a certain tonnage to 

travel on their roads. Logisticians must consider these varied regulations when planning 

routes. They must also take mechanical considerations, such as a truck’s turning radius, 

into account when mapping routes.

Construction occupations

Workers in these occupations build and 

repair roads, buildings, and other structures. 

Construction occupations in the wind energy 

industry include laborers, electricians, and 

equipment operators.

Construction laborers. Construction 

laborers often work on wind farms as contractors and are responsible for preparing the site 

and building the surrounding infrastructure. 

Their work includes clearing trees and debris 

from the wind farm, cleaning machines, and 

Atmospheric scientists 

use charts and weather 

models to detmine the 

best sites for wind farms.
Winter 2010–11 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 17

helping prepare the ground that will support 

the turbines.

Construction workers employed by 

companies that specialize in developing wind 

farms sometimes have supervisory roles. 

They might work under the project manager 

to direct local contractors and confirm that all 

onsite work is performed safely and correctly. 

Construction workers might also be trained as 

wind turbine service technicians.

Electricians. These workers help get 

the energy from the turbine’s generator to 

the power grid on the ground. They wire the 

turbine to connect its electrical system to the 

power grid. When installing wiring, electricians use hand tools such as conduit benders, 

screwdrivers, pliers, knives, hacksaws, and 

wire strippers, as well as power tools such as 

drills and saws.

Construction equipment operators. With 

the help of construction laborers, construction 

equipment operators build accessible roads to 

the construction site. Their efforts ensure that 

the wind turbine components arrive without 

damage or delay. They use bulldozers, road 

graders, and other equipment to set up the 

construction site.

Production occupations

By operating machines and 

other equipment, workers in this group assemble 

goods and distribute energy. 

Production occupations in 

the wind energy industry 

include machinists, machine 

tool operators, assemblers, 

and inspectors.

Machinists. Machinists use many different 

tools to produce precision 

metal and plastic pieces in 

numbers too small to be 

manufactured with automated machinery. They use 

their technical knowledge to 

review blueprints and ensure 

that pieces are machined 

to precise specifications. 

Machinists may also finish parts that were 

made by automated machinery.

Before beginning to cut, machinists must 

plan how to position and feed the materials 

into the machine. And during the machining 

process, machinists must constantly monitor 

the feed rate and speed of the machine while 

staying alert for any potential problems.

Computer-controlled machine tool 

operators. These workers run computercontrolled machines, which use the machine 

tool to form and shape turbine components. 

The machines use the same techniques 

as many other mechanical manufacturing 

machines but are controlled by a central computer, instead of a human operator or electric 

switchboard. Some highly trained workers 

also program the machines to cut new pieces 

according to designers’ schematics.

These operators usually use machines to 

mass-produce components that require cutting 

with a high level of precision. In the windturbine supply chain, they manufacture many 

of the finely cut pieces, including those which 

are part of the generator or drive train.

Assemblers. Assemblers put the turbine 

components together. Despite increased 

Wind turbine 

components are 

manufactured to 

design specifications 

by machinists, 

machine tool operators, 

and assemblers.
18 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Winter 2010–11

automation, many parts still have to be put 

together and fastened by hand. After determining how parts should connect, assemblers 

use hand or power tools to trim, cut, align, 

and make other adjustments. When the parts 

are properly aligned, assemblers connect them 

with bolts and screws or by welding or soldering pieces together.

Assemblers work extensively in the production of all turbine components. Manufacturing blades, for example, is labor intensive. 

Making the casings requires assemblers to 

interlace layers of fabrics and resins. Blades 

are usually made in two separate halves, 

which assemblers join together with an adhesive. After forming the blade, assemblers sand 

and cover it with a protective coating.

Quality-control inspectors. These workers verify that turbine parts fit together, move 

correctly, and are properly lubricated. Some 

jobs involve only a quick visual inspection; 

others require a longer, detailed one. Inspectors also record the results of their examinations and must regularly submit qualitycontrol reports.

Because wind turbine components are so 

large and expensive, it is important to minimize mistakes by following design specifications as closely as possible. Inspectors are 

integral to maintaining the quality of the 

manufacturing process.

Transportation occupations

Workers in these occupations move people 

and materials. Transportation occupations in 

the wind energy industry include truck drivers 

and crane operators.

Truck drivers. Wind turbine components 

move from factories to worksites primarily 

by truck. Depending on the location of the 

manufacturer and the worksite, rail and water 

transportation are also sometimes used. But 

because wind farms are frequently built on 

remote inland sites, truck drivers are usually 

hired to transport components.

Each blade, tower segment, and nacelle is 

hauled individually in specially fitted vehicles. 

Highly trained drivers are responsible for handling their large vehicles expertly, regardless 

of road conditions, to deliver turbine components safely and on time. Truck drivers 

are expected to regularly update managers, 

informing them of any schedule changes or 

delays.

Crane operators. Because wind turbine 

components are so large, building them on a 

wind farm requires the use of heavy equipment. As a result, crane operators are integral 

to the construction job, too. For example, 

these workers operate cranes to lift the pieces 

of the turbine off the trucks, stack the tower 

segments, and lift the blades to the hub.

Education and training

for wind workers

Because workers from so many occupations 

are employed in the wind energy industry, 

they have diverse education and training backgrounds. Careers in wind energy are available 

for people at many different education, training, and skill levels.

Workers in professional occupations, such 

as engineers, scientists, and logisticians, usually have at least a bachelor’s degree. Some 

jobs, however, require additional education, 

such as a master’s or doctoral degree. Postgraduate education in wind-specific issues 

is also usually necessary for professional 

workers who want to enter the wind energy 

industry.

Many construction and production jobs 

have no specific education or training requirements, although some workers receive more 

formal training through apprenticeships. 

Many workers learn skills on the job and by 

assisting more experienced workers. Some 

construction workers, including construction 

equipment operators and electricians, require 

more training and might need certification.

Truck drivers transporting turbine components need a commercial driver’s license. 

Training for this license is offered by many 

private and public vocational-technical 

schools. Employers also have training programs for new drivers who have earned their 

commercial driver’s license. Because of the 
Winter 2010–11 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 19

difficulty in driving the specialized vehicles 

that transport turbine components, drivers 

must be highly skilled. Drivers may operate 

larger vehicles as they gain experience.

For more information

For information about careers in wind energy, 

visit your local library or One-Stop Career 

Center. You can locate a nearby career center 

online at www.servicelocator.org.

In addition to workers in the occupations 

discussed in this article, many others are 

involved in the wind energy industry.

Like most businesses, companies in wind 

energy employ workers in administrative 

positions, including secretaries and receptionists, human resources specialists, accountants 

and auditors, lawyers, and managers. People 

in these jobs ensure that companies involved 

in the wind energy industry run smoothly by 

taking care of personnel, budget, and legal 

issues.

For facilities to be properly maintained 

and secured, wind energy firms rely on 

janitors, maintenance workers, and security 

guards. Janitors and custodians are responsible for the cleaning and upkeep of facilities, 

and maintenance workers make sure that 

machinery are kept in safe operating condition 

and repair broken equipment. Security guards 

ensure that the facilities are free of unauthorized people and that problems are reported as 

soon as they occur.

Information about these and hundreds 

of other occupations can be found in the 

Occupational Outlook Handbook. It is available in print at many public libraries and 

career centers. The Handbook is also online at 

www.bls.gov/ooh.

Excluded from the occupations discussed 

in detail in this article is wind turbine service 

technician. This occupation, which is critical 

to the wind energy industry, is described in 

the fall 2010 Occupational Outlook Quarterly

article “You’re a what? Wind turbine service 

technician.” This article is available online at 

www.bls.gov/ooq/2010/fall/yawhat.htm.

Additionally, more detailed information 

on the wind energy industry is available in a 

recent BLS report, which can be read online 

at www.bls.gov/green/wind_energy.

For more information about the wind 

energy industry, contact:

American Wind Energy Association

1501 M Street NW.

Suite 1000

Washington, DC 20005

(202) 383-2500

windmail@awea.org 

www.awea.org