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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

Also called: Control Area Operator, Control Operator, Dispatcher, Distribution System Dispatcher (DSD), DSO (Distribution System Operator), Electric System Operator

Median pay in Greater Boston
$110,970
$53.35/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
150
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.3%
40 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Long-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$85,680$105,550$110,970$134,980$141,820

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes.
  • Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas.
  • Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.
  • Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators.
  • Distribute or regulate the flow of power between entities, such as generating stations, substations, distribution lines, or users, keeping track of the status of circuits or connections.
  • Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure52 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 59
  • Language-model AIOE 53
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 43

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is moderate, though observed AI use is little or none so far. Software that reads instrument data and tracks circuit status could help with monitoring. Federal projections say better monitoring systems may reduce manual equipment checks. Responding to emergencies, directing crews, and coordinating with field staff still rely on people's judgment.

Likely to change

  • Monitoring equipment and system data
  • Tracking circuit and power flow status

Still relies on people

  • Responding to outages and emergencies
  • Directing crews and coordinating field staff

What federal projections say

“Productivity change - share decreases as improved equipment monitoring systems reduce the need to manually check equipment, flows, and systems.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

    Your knowledge of power systems and safety procedures carries over. This job has a median pay of $111,490 and projected growth of 13.3%.

    Pay difference
    +$520 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +13.3%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Structural Iron and Steel Workers

    Reading specifications and following precise safety steps carry over. This apprenticeship-based job has a median pay of $120,840.

    Pay difference
    +$9,870 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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