Career Explorer Installation and repair
Human edge, growing
Wind turbine service technicians
Inspect, diagnose, adjust, or repair wind turbines. Perform maintenance on wind turbine equipment including resolving electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic malfunctions.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 99% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +29.5% by 2035, much faster than average. The work leans on physical dexterity and ethical judgement.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $64,120
- Job growth to 2035
- +29.5%
- Openings a year
- 1,500
- People doing it (2025)
- 11,800
- Usual route in
- College certificate, then long on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Test performance of equipment or systems
- Diagnose system or equipment problems
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Repair tools or equipment
- Maintain tools or equipment
- Climb equipment or structures
What the work looks like
- Troubleshoot or repair mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical malfunctions related to variable pitch systems, variable speed control systems, converter systems, or related components.
- Perform routine maintenance on wind turbine equipment, underground transmission systems, wind fields substations, or fiber optic sensing and control systems.
- Diagnose problems involving wind turbine generators or control systems.
- Test electrical components of wind systems with devices, such as voltage testers, multimeters, oscilloscopes, infrared testers, or fiber optic equipment.
- Start or restart wind turbine generator systems to ensure proper operations.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Also known as: Field Service Technician, Wind Farm Support Specialist, Wind Technician, Wind Turbine Technician, Renewable Energy Technician, Service Technician, Troubleshooting Technician, Wind Turbine Operator.
Is this career on your child's list?
Build a free Career Playbook matched to your child, or get a 90-day Action Plan with dated next steps, written for your child by name.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.