Is Public Utilities a Good Career Path in 2024

Last updated on August 11th, 2024 at 08:01 pm

Is public utilities a good career path? If you are looking for a productive career to pursue with a high job satisfaction rate and job security guaranteed, look no further!

The Public Utilities sector has all the things you are looking for to advance and be happy with what you do.

So, in this article, you will get answers to questions such as “is public utility a good career path?”. You will learn about various job opportunities available along with the average salaries of each job.

Let’s begin by defining what a public utility is…

What Are Public Utilities?

Public utilities are one sector that deals with things related to our daily lives and it requires the service of competent hands to ensure smooth operations. Examples of public utilities are gas, water, telephone, electricity, etc.

Is Public Utilities A Good Career Path?

The answer is yes; working in public utilities can be a lucrative career option that provides employment security, higher than average salaries, benefits, and opportunities for advancement.

Public utilities are a good career path option for any young and aspiring person looking for a job opportunity that comes with a higher than median average salary while still enjoying other benefits such as health insurance among other perks.

As long as you know what you are doing, the public utility sector is where you can get that job satisfaction and security that you want.

Nobody wants to get employed today and get kicked out of office after 3 months.

In terms of job positions and departments, the public utility sector has numerous job opportunities ranging from engineering, administrative, marketing, and technicians to customer service representatives. So, there are endless possibilities within the public utility sector.

Before we take a look at these various types of jobs, let’s quickly look at the areas or categories available within the sector where you can fit in.

Areas or Categories Available Within the Public Utilities Sector

1. Natural Gas

Natural gas is a source of energy for powering homes and businesses. The process of getting natural gas from the ground and to the consumers is a long one. However, as a public utility worker, you are more concerned about the distribution of the commodity to consumers through networks of pipelines.

2. Electric Power

Whether it is generating electricity from water resources or natural gas, the transmission and distribution of electricity to power homes is your responsibility. Lots of opportunities exist within this industry; you could work as an electrical installation engineer, administrative personnel or customer service representative agent.

As you already know that electricity is very important in our daily lives. We use electricity to power our homes and access the internet and as such, it’s a career path you should consider.

3. Water Supply

The supply of homes with potable water is another public utility area to consider. Working in the water supply unit means ensuring that water is treated, and tested safe for drinking and ensure that there’s no obstruction in the flow of water to various homes or the localised points.

4. Sewage Removal

Sewage treatment and removal are also part of the areas within the public utility sector. This is about sanitation, hygiene and safety in the environment. Not everyone participates in the removal but some professionals work in planning and organising health, safety and sanitation programs to educate people about the need to maintain cleanliness at all times.

High-Paying Jobs In the Public Utilities Sector

Below are job opportunities in the public utility sector that you can consider for career advancement:

Professional and related occupations

Computer specialists
Electrical engineers
Nuclear engineers
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians

Office and administrative support occupations

First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
Customer service representatives
Meter readers, utilities
Secretaries and administrative assistants
Office clerks, general

Construction and extraction occupations

Electricians
Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers
Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Production occupations

First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers
Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers
Gas plant operators

Let’s discuss some of these jobs in detail…

1. Meter Readers or Utility Markers

Meter readers, also known as utility markers play a vital role in the public utilities sector by visiting commercial and residential properties to read the meters and monitoring meter readings at stations for proper auditing of power usage or consumption.

2. Water Treatment Plant Operator

A water treatment plant operator is responsible for administering and ensuring due processes are followed in the treatment of water for safe drinking.

3. Computer and Information Systems Managers

Computer and information systems or information technology (IT) managers or IT project managers are responsible for the planning and coordinating computer-related activities in the public utilities industry.

4. Construction Laborers

Construction labourers do various physical tasks that are related to construction sites such as laying pipes.

5. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers

The main responsibility of an electrical and electronics installer and repairer is to install or repair a variety of electrical equipment in the public utilities industry.

The median annual wage for electrical and electronics installers and repairers is $61,760 per year.

6. Engineers and Engineering technicians

These are professionals working in the public utility sector to ensure that Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery work perfectly. They install, maintain and repair factory equipment and other industrial machineries, such as conveying systems, production machinery, and packaging equipment. dismantle, repair, reassemble, and move machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.

7. Line installers technicians

Line installation technicians otherwise known as line workers install and repair electrical power systems and telecommunications cables, including fibre optics.

8. Network and Computer Systems Administrators

Stations are equipped with networks of computers at power stations and it is the responsibility of a systems administrator to run and maintain the day-to-day operation of the computers.

9. Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control the systems that generate and distribute electric power. They are responsible for running the equipment needed to generate electricity, including boilers, turbines, gauges and controls, pumps, and fans, including cleaning, lubricating and maintaining equipment from excessive wear and tear.

10. Water and liquid waste treatment plant operators

Water and wastewater treatment plant operators manage a system of machines – run the equipment, control the processes, and monitor the plants that treat water to make it safe to drink. People working in the wastewater treatment plant and system are responsible for removing pollutants from domestic and industrial waste sites.

11. Office and Administrative Support

The duties of an office and administrative support bookkeeping, scheduling, filing paperwork, maintaining the smooth operation of your office, and assisting upper management.

12. Auditing/Accounting

As an Audit or Accountant, you will handle more complex financial tasks beyond bookkeepers. So, therefore, your role will be more of analyzing numbers to see if the numbers are tallying up and the profits are being generated.