Wind Energy Operations Managers: Career Profile
Manage wind field operations, including personnel, maintenance activities, financial activities, and planning.
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What Tasks Do Wind Energy Operations Managers Perform?
The core tasks performed by wind energy operations managers include:
- Supervise employees or subcontractors to ensure quality of work or adherence to safety regulations or policies.
- Train or coordinate the training of employees in operations, safety, environmental issues, or technical issues.
- Track and maintain records for wind operations, such as site performance, downtime events, parts usage, or substation events.
- Oversee the maintenance of wind field equipment or structures, such as towers, transformers, electrical collector systems, roadways, or other site assets.
- Prepare wind field operational budgets.
- Develop relationships and communicate with customers, site managers, developers, land owners, authorities, utility representatives, or residents.
- Maintain operations records, such as work orders, site inspection forms, or other documentation.
- Recruit or select wind operations employees, contractors, or subcontractors.
What Wind Energy Operations Managers Need to Know
Successful wind energy operations managers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Clean Energy Site Manager
- Energy Environmental Manager
- Energy Operations Manager
- Energy Quality Control Manager (Energy QC Manager)
- Energy Services Manager
- Offshore Energy Environmental Manager
- Offshore Wind Operations Manager
- Renewable Energy Development Manager
How Many Wind Energy Operations Managers Are There?
There are about 122,525 wind energy operations managers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +5.2% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Wind Energy Operations Managers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $122,567 |
| Hourly median | $58.93 |
| 10th percentile | $85,532 |
| 25th percentile | $104,050 |
| 75th percentile | $141,084 |
| 90th percentile | $159,602 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Wind Energy Operations Managers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $172,380 |
| District of Columbia | $171,910 |
| California | $170,740 |
| Delaware | $170,310 |
| Washington | $165,080 |
| Colorado | $164,010 |
| New Jersey | $163,630 |
| Virginia | $162,610 |
| New York | $161,360 |
| Minnesota | $158,680 |
| Connecticut | $149,690 |
| Maryland | $148,680 |
| Rhode Island | $147,240 |
| New Hampshire | $142,650 |
| Illinois | $134,810 |
| Texas | $133,070 |
| Michigan | $133,040 |
| Arizona | $132,040 |
| North Carolina | $131,990 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,170 |
| Iowa | $127,680 |
| New Mexico | $127,060 |
| Ohio | $126,600 |
| West Virginia | $126,250 |
| Oklahoma | $124,800 |
| Oregon | $124,190 |
| Maine | $123,950 |
| Vermont | $123,930 |
| Alaska | $123,160 |
| Kentucky | $123,010 |
| Hawaii | $122,520 |
| Georgia | $120,810 |
| South Carolina | $120,640 |
| Kansas | $118,310 |
| North Dakota | $118,010 |
| Wyoming | $117,060 |
| Missouri | $117,050 |
| Alabama | $116,830 |
| Nebraska | $114,050 |
| South Dakota | $111,630 |
| Idaho | $107,800 |
| Montana | $105,840 |
| Wisconsin | $105,690 |
| Florida | $102,670 |
| Louisiana | $100,890 |
| Nevada | $99,590 |
| Mississippi | $97,780 |
| Guam | $97,210 |
| Virgin Islands | $92,270 |
| Tennessee | $88,110 |
| Arkansas | $84,610 |
| Indiana | $79,080 |
| Puerto Rico | $78,740 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for wind energy operations managers shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $160,982 | 22.6% | 1.34 |
| New England | $156,233 | 3.9% | 0.83 |
| Middle Atlantic | $153,807 | 17.6% | 2.07 |
| Southwest | $132,453 | 11.2% | 0.90 |
| Plains States | $126,095 | 4.1% | 0.64 |
| Southeast | $116,490 | 29.4% | 1.35 |
| Rocky Mountains | $112,945 | 3.8% | 1.01 |
| Great Lakes | $112,898 | 6.4% | 0.72 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $215,120 | 13,530 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $203,030 | 22,980 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | ME | $190,070 | 100 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $175,070 | 400 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $174,840 | 9,240 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $173,490 | 1,080 |
| Binghamton, NY | NY | $171,190 | 190 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $168,750 | 7,580 |
Top Industries Employing Wind Energy Operations Managers
Most wind energy operations managers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 94,490 | $164,060 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 50,980 | $163,830 |
| Manufacturing | 46,390 | $160,640 |
| Finance and Insurance | 44,890 | $162,780 |
| Information | 38,680 | $167,740 |
| Educational Services | 32,840 | $102,450 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 32,500 | $109,990 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 31,360 | $108,810 |
Wind Energy Operations Managers work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for wind energy operations managers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Health and Safety of Other Workers
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Getting Started in This Career
Most wind energy operations managers positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
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- Biofuels Production Managers (Primary-Long)
- Biomass Power Plant Managers (Primary-Long)
- Hydroelectric Production Managers (Primary-Short)
- Construction Managers (Supplemental)
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Wind Energy Development Managers (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Aspiring wind energy operations managers often complete programs in:
Social Sciences
40 programs across 14 majors
- Economics
- Political Science & Government
- Sociology
- General Social Sciences
- International Relations & Security
- Anthropology
- Criminology
- Geography & Cartography
- Other Social Sciences
- Urban Studies
- Sociology & Anthropology
- Archeology
- Demography & Population Studies
- Geography and Anthropology
Psychology
28 programs across 4 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
15 programs across 5 majors
- Business Administration & Management
- Business & Commerce
- Entrepreneurial Studies
- Hospitality Management
- Telecommunications Management
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
12 programs across 10 majors
- Systems Theory
- History and Language/Literature
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies
- Economics and Computer Science
- History and Political Science
- Historic Preservation
- Geoarcheaology
- Linguistics and Anthropology
- Economics and Foreign Language/Literature
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
9 programs across 4 majors
History
9 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-9199.09 (Managers, All Other).
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