Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-8012.00
Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.28
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 13 hidden tasks15 rated tasks · 9 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (60.0%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 1 rated task is not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; its score is kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.51-8012.00 | 0.002562.5 | —0 |
Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes.51-8012.00 | 0.001537.5 | 0.0015100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Calculate load estimates or equipment requirements to determine required control settings.O*NET Task ID 12308 | 1.0 |
Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems.O*NET Task ID 12300 | 0.5 |
Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.O*NET Task ID 12301 | 0.5 |
Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes.O*NET Task ID 12302 | 0.5 |
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.O*NET Task ID 12304 | 0.5 |
Monitor and record switchboard or control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly.O*NET Task ID 12305 | 0.5 |
Track conditions that could affect power needs, such as changes in the weather, and adjust equipment to meet any anticipated changes.O*NET Task ID 12306 | 0.5 |
Record and compile operational data, such as chart or meter readings, power demands, or usage and operating times, using transmission system maps.O*NET Task ID 12309 | 0.5 |
Implement energy schedules, including real-time transmission reservations or schedules.O*NET Task ID 12312 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (14)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas. | Core |
| Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems. | Core |
| Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers. | Core |
| Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes. | Core |
| Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators. | Core |
| 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. | Core |
| Monitor and record switchboard or control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly. | Core |
| Track conditions that could affect power needs, such as changes in the weather, and adjust equipment to meet any anticipated changes. | Core |
| Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines. | Core |
| Calculate load estimates or equipment requirements to determine required control settings. | Core |
| Record and compile operational data, such as chart or meter readings, power demands, or usage and operating times, using transmission system maps. | Core |
| Implement energy schedules, including real-time transmission reservations or schedules. | Core |
| Inspect equipment to ensure that specifications are met or to detect any defects. | Supplemental |
| Tend auxiliary equipment used in the power distribution process. | Supplemental |
0.05/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Inspect equipment to ensure that specifications are met or to detect any defects. | E2 structured facilities |
| Tend auxiliary equipment used in the power distribution process. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 9K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 9K
- Change (2025–35)
- +1.2%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $106,730
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86105 | 배전반 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 86109 | 그 외 발전 및 배전 장치 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3131Power Production Plant Operators
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Power production plant operators operate, monitor and maintain switchboards and related equipment in electrical control centres which control the production and distribution of electrical or other power in transmission networks. The equipment operated includes reactors, turbines, generators and other auxiliary equipment in electrical power generating stations.
Tasks
- (a) operating, monitoring and inspecting various types of energy generating power plants;
- (b) operating and controlling power generating systems and equipment including boilers, turbines, generators, condensers, and reactors in hydro, thermal, coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power plants to generate and distribute electrical power;
- (c) controlling start-up and shut-down of power plant equipment, controlling switching operations, regulating water levels and communicating with systems operators to regulate and coordinate transmission loads, frequency and line voltages;
- (d) taking readings from charts, meters and gauges at established intervals, troubleshooting and performing corrective action as necessary;
- (e) completing and maintaining station records, logs and reports, and communicating with other plant personnel to assess equipment operating status;
- (f) cleaning and maintaining equipment such as generators, boilers, turbines, pumps, and compressors in order to prevent equipment failure or deterioration.
Example occupations
Distribution control operator · Electric power plant operator · Generating station operator · Hydroelectric power plant operator · Nuclear power plant operator · Solar power plant operator
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- electrical power distributorESCO 3131.1.1This occupation is broader
Electrical power distributors operate and maintain equipment which deliver the energy from the transmission system to the consumer. They supervise power line maintenance and repairs, and ensure the distribution needs are met. They also react to faults in the distribution system which cause problems such as outages.
- electrical transmission system operatorESCO 3131.1.2This occupation is broader
Electrical transmission system operators transport energy in the form of electrical power. They transmit electrical power from generation plants over an interconnected network, an electrical grid, to electricity distribution stations.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| F1605 | Monteur / Monteuse de réseaux électriques | Related, not a match |
| H2715 | Chef / Cheffe d'exploitation en production distribution d'énergie | Related, not a match |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3131 | Técnicos en instalaciones de producción de energía | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 26233 | Berufe in der Energie- und Kraftwerkstechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 26293 | Aufsichtskräfte - Energietechnik | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 641 | 発電員，変電員 | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources