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Geothermal Technicians

$44.5K Median Salary 19.2K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 5.9% Job Growth

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About This Career

Perform technical activities at power plants or individual installations necessary for the generation of power from geothermal energy sources. Monitor and control operating activities at geothermal power generation facilities and perform maintenance and repairs as necessary. Install, test, and maintain residential and commercial geothermal heat pumps.

Reported Job Titles

Geothermal Service Technician, I and C Technician (Instrument and Controls Technician), I and E Technician (Instrumentation and Electrical Technician), I C and E Technician (Instrumentation, Control, and Electrical Technician), Operations and Maintenance Technician (O and M Technician), Operations Technician, Operator Technician, Plant Electrical Technician, Plant Mechanic, Plant Technician

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Near Vision

Deductive Reasoning

Problem Sensitivity

Perceptual Speed

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Control Precision

Flexibility of Closure

Information Ordering

Selective Attention

Visualization

Extent Flexibility

Inductive Reasoning

Multilimb Coordination

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Speech Recognition

Visual Color Discrimination

Written Expression

Category Flexibility

Far Vision

Finger Dexterity

Manual Dexterity

Reaction Time

Speech Clarity

Time Sharing

Trunk Strength

Written Comprehension

Knowledge

Mechanical

English Language

Physics

Education and Training

Public Safety and Security

Chemistry

Design

Mathematics

Telecommunications

Administration and Management

Production and Processing

Computers and Electronics

Administrative

Engineering and Technology

Skills

Operations Monitoring

Monitoring

Troubleshooting

Operation and Control

Critical Thinking

Quality Control Analysis

Reading Comprehension

Active Learning

Complex Problem Solving

Equipment Maintenance

Judgment and Decision Making

Repairing

Active Listening

Coordination

Installation

Speaking

Systems Analysis

Writing

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Analytical or scientific software

Geographic information system

Electronic mail software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Computer aided design CAD software

Industrial control software

Tools

Screwdrivers

Stripping tools

Pipe or tube cutter

Land drilling rigs

Pipe vises

Pneumatic impact wrenches

Pipe bending tools

Compactors

Ratchets

Respirators

Logging instruments for water wells

Plaster or mortar mixers

Notebook computers

Coiled tubing units

Socket sets

Protective gloves

Specialty wrenches

Locking pliers

Spot welding machine

Track excavators

Deburring tool

Adjustable wrenches

Grouting pump

Air samplers or collectors

Pipe wrenches

Flash butt welding machine

Claw hammer

Microcontrollers

Power saws

Wire cutters

Safety glasses

Pyrometers

Desktop computers

Personal computers

Abilities

Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Knowledge

Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Telecommunications: Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Skills

Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Installation: Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Geographic information system: ESRI ArcView; Geographic information system GIS systems
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET; QuestSuite Professional

Tools

Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Stripping tools: Wire strippers
Pipe or tube cutter: Flange facing machines
Land drilling rigs: Small-gauge surface drilling rigs
Pipe vises: Aligning clamps; Welding clamps
Pneumatic impact wrenches: Impact air wrenches; Pneumatic ratchets; Pneumatic wrenches
Pipe bending tools: Downspout crimpers
Compactors:
Ratchets: Ratchet sets
Respirators: Half-face respirators; Respirator hose masks
Logging instruments for water wells: Water logging tools
Plaster or mortar mixers: Mud mixers
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Coiled tubing units: Coil tubing units
Socket sets: Socket wrench sets
Protective gloves: Safety gloves
Specialty wrenches: Oil filter wrenches
Locking pliers: Channel lock pliers; Vise grip pliers
Spot welding machine: Portable welding equipment
Track excavators: Compact excavators; Hydraulic excavators; Tracked excavators
Deburring tool: Deburring tools
Adjustable wrenches: Adjustable hand wrenches
Grouting pump: Grout pumps
Air samplers or collectors: Aerosol meters; Air quality dataloggers; Microbial samplers; Thermal desorption tubes
Pipe wrenches:
Flash butt welding machine: Butt fusion machines
Claw hammer: Claw hammers
Microcontrollers: Programmable logic controllers PLC
Power saws: Chain saws
Wire cutters:
Safety glasses: Protective safety glasses
Pyrometers: Digital pyrometers
Desktop computers:
Personal computers: