Need Help Hiring Now?
Solar and wind power jobs are green energy careers that have grown by leaps and bounds in recent years.
Solar and wind power jobs are green energy careers that have grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. These renewable sources of power are the future, and it's important to be aware of their benefits as we invest in new technologies for the coming decades. The good news is, jobs in solar and wind power are growing rapidly, which means hiring numbers will continue to rise. No matter how much experience you have, it may be worth taking a look at these fields and seeing if they're a good fit for your job search. Additionally, many solar and wind power jobs are unionized positions with great benefits packages—so if you want to work hard while having peace of mind about your health insurance plan or retirement savings account, these could be fantastic options. Lastly, let's not forget that as more people enter these fields, we will also all benefit from living on an earth with cleaner air!
Careers in the electric grid industry are less flashy but more essential to the US economy than solar and wind power jobs.
Electricity generated by the electric grid is more important to our economy than electricity derived from alternative energy sources like solar or wind. Where alternative energy sources are known for generating inconsistent levels of electricity and relying on government subsidies to stay afloat, the distribution of electricity by the electric grid is consistent and reliable. The instability of these industries creates risky career paths as well. In contrast, careers in the electric grid industry provide a stable employment opportunity with a clear path forward for people interested in advancing their careers through education and training.
Oil and gas jobs tend to pay higher than green energy careers, but the risk factor is much higher.
The oil and gas industry is notorious for dangerous working conditions. In the United States, workers in the oil and gas industry are 7 times more likely to be killed on the job than other workers. Additionally, some of the biggest energy companies pay lower wages than their competitors.
While you can make a lot of money with an energy career in the oil and gas industry, it’s not for everyone. If you want to enter a safer field that helps fight climate change another option could be renewable energy.
If you work in oil, or want to work in oil, be prepared for a seasonal cycle of slowdowns and spikes.
If you work in oil, or want to work in oil, be prepared for a seasonal cycle of slowdowns and spikes.
Oil and gas jobs are cyclical because production is based on commodity prices and customer supply/demand. When oil goes up in price, companies have more money to spend on labor—and they can get away with paying higher wages because the market calls for it. The same works in reverse; when prices drop low enough, employers will trim costs by laying off workers or delaying projects.
It's also important to keep in mind that different sectors within the industry are affected differently by these cycles. For instance, upstream (exploration) jobs tend to be more cyclical than downstream (refining) opportunities because it's generally easier to automate the latter."
Conventional energy jobs can help create a unionized job site with good benefits.
We’ve mentioned a number of times that the renewable energy field is largely unionized. This is true, but the vast majority of workers in traditional industries are still unionized. In fact, nearly 80% of all fossil fuel workers are union members.
So why does this matter to you? Well, there are plenty of benefits to working at a job site that has union representation. For instance:
- Unionized job sites are more likely to have better benefits like health insurance, paid time off and retirement plans than non-unionized jobs
- Union jobs tend to be safer because with unions on-site there is someone who can help enforce proper procedures as well as investigate accidents
- Union positions tend to have higher pay than non-union positions
- Unions have bargaining power and can negotiate things like training opportunities for workers (which many fossil fuel companies do)
- Unions can also help ensure good work life balance
Electric grid workers need extensive training and education before they can even enter a job site.
This training is extensive and can take anywhere from two to four months. That's followed by a few years of on-the-job training before you're allowed to work on your own.
The jobs are also very physically demanding and require a great deal of travel, so they might not be the best fit for everyone.
We can see how people working in different areas of the energy sector might make their decisions about where to find a career opportunity.
We can see how people working in different areas of the energy sector might make their decisions about where to find a career opportunity.
Working in the oil, solar or wind sector, you'll likely love the work you do because it's an exciting area of innovation and new technology. The electric grid is not as dynamic as oil, solar or wind, so you'll have to look for opportunities that create interest and excitement for you.
The oil, solar and wind sectors are growing quickly. They are adding more jobs every day as they expand their operations and build new facilities. If you're looking for a stable career with an established company that will ensure your job security for years to come, these are good places to look.
The electric grid sector is much more mature than oil, solar and wind. Many utilities have been around for over 100 years and employ thousands of people in their workforce. It can be difficult to break into these companies because they usually promote from within and like candidates with experience specific to utilities. If you're just starting out your career or want something more dynamic than what's available at traditional utilities, consider working in one of the newer sectors instead!
