Skilled Wages

Wind turbine technician salary: what wind turbine technicians actually make

Wind turbine technicians earned a median $30.83 an hour ($64,120 a year) in May 2025, across 9,980 jobs in the BLS employer survey. Pay by state and metro, the 20-year trend, and the union scale contractors must pay on federal work.

$30.83/hrMedian hourly wageUnited States, May data
$64,120/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.67 – $44.4510th to 90th percentilehourly range
9,980Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-06

How much do wind turbine technicians make?

The median wind turbine technician earned $30.83 an hour, or $64,120 a year, in May 2025 according to the BLS employer survey of 9,980 jobs. Half earn more and half earn less; the middle 50% earn between $28.29 and $37.51 an hour.

Wage percentiles, United States$20$30$40$50/hrUnited States: 10th $23.67 · 25th $28.29 · median $30.83 · 75th $37.51 · 90th $44.45United States$30.83$23.67$44.45
Hourly wage percentiles for wind turbine technicians, May 2025. The bar spans the 25th–75th percentile; the line spans the 10th–90th.

The middle half of wind turbine technicians earn between $28.29 and $37.51 an hour. The top 10% earn more than $44.45 ($92,460 a year); the bottom 10% earn less than $23.67. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.

Apprentice, journeyman and master wind turbine technician pay

Pay tracks licence and experience: an apprentice or entry-level wind turbine technician earns near the bottom of the range, a journeyman around the median, and a master wind turbine technician, foreman or specialist in the top quarter.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$23.67 – $28.29$49,230 – $58,840roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$28.29 – $37.51$58,840 – $78,010the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$37.51 – $44.45$78,010 – $92,460the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Career-stage bands are an approximate reading of the wage distribution, not a BLS classification or licence requirement.

Wind turbine technician pay by state

Median hourly wage, wind turbine techniciansAK: n/aAKAL: n/aALAR: n/aARAZ: $31.89AZCA: $37.46CACO: $35.94COCT: n/aDC: n/aDE: n/aFL: n/aFLGA: n/aGAHI: n/aHIIA: $36.00IAID: $29.24IDIL: n/aILIN: $36.87INKS: $37.62KSKY: n/aKYLA: n/aLAMA: n/aMD: n/aME: $28.47MEMI: $30.19MIMN: $31.25MNMO: $31.36MOMS: $24.06MSMT: $29.98MTNC: $31.91NCND: $32.07NDNE: n/aNENH: n/aNJ: n/aNM: $27.51NMNV: n/aNVNY: $39.10NYOH: $35.52OHOK: $28.51OKOR: $29.72ORPA: $29.25PARI: n/aSC: n/aSCSD: $35.49SDTN: n/aTNTX: $29.79TXUT: n/aUTVA: n/aVAVT: n/aWA: $36.48WAWI: n/aWIWV: n/aWVWY: $30.21WYSmall statesCT —DC —DE —MA —MD —NH —NJ —RI —VT —Median hourly wage, wind turbine technicians$29.25$30.20$31.97$36.10n/a
Median hourly wage for wind turbine technicians by state, May 2025. Click a state for its page.
Table
StateMedian $/hrvs US
New York$39.1027% above
Kansas$37.6222% above
California$37.4622% above
Indiana$36.8720% above
Washington$36.4818% above
Iowa$36.0017% above
Colorado$35.9417% above
Ohio$35.5215% above
South Dakota$35.4915% above
North Dakota$32.074% above
North Carolina$31.914% above
Arizona$31.893% above
Missouri$31.362% above
Minnesota$31.251% above
Wyoming$30.212% below
Michigan$30.192% below
Montana$29.983% below
Texas$29.793% below
Oregon$29.724% below
Pennsylvania$29.255% below
Idaho$29.245% below
Oklahoma$28.518% below
Maine$28.478% below
New Mexico$27.5111% below
Mississippi$24.0622% below
StateMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjustedAdjusted rankJobs
New York$39.10$36.24#6390
Kansas$37.62$41.75#1330
California$37.46$33.84#11400
Indiana$36.87$39.52#4140
Washington$36.48$34.09#10210
Iowa$36.00$41.00#2900
Colorado$35.94$34.86#8410
Ohio$35.52$38.28#5120
South Dakota$35.49$40.06#3180
North Dakota$32.07$36.03#7310
North Carolina$31.91$33.84#12120
Arizona$31.89$31.67#1780

Wind turbine technician wages over time

Median, nominal, 2012-2025Median, nominalMedian in 2025 dollarsSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$20$25$30$35$40201520202025$30.83Median, nominal$30.83Median in 2025 dollars
Median hourly wage for wind turbine technicians, 2012–2025, nominal and adjusted to 2025 dollars with CPI-U. BLS cautions against strict time-series use of OEWS: methods changed in 2021 and wage recording in 2022.
Table
YearNominal $/hrIn 2025 $Jobs
2012$22.10$30.993,200
2013$23.79$32.883,290
2014$23.46$31.903,710
2015$24.55$33.353,950
2016$25.13$33.714,580
2017$25.91$34.034,390
2018$26.14$33.515,580
2019$25.44$32.045,960
2020$27.03$33.625,860
2021$27.05$32.1410,100
2022$27.56$30.329,830
2023$29.70$31.389,800
2024$30.09$30.8811,220
2025$30.83$30.839,980

Adjusted for inflation, the median wind turbine technician wage changed by -7.5% over the last ten years and by -3.8% since 2019.

Are there more wind turbine technician jobs than there used to be?

+67.4%Jobs since 20195,960 then, 9,980 in 2025
+152.7%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
14.7%Self-employednot in the survey count, BLS projections

The BLS employer survey counted 9,980 wind turbine technicians in May 2025, +152.7% compared with 3,950 ten years earlier and +67.4% since 2019.

Wind turbine service technicians counted by the BLS employer surveySOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages02.5k5k7.5k10k12.5k2015202020259,980Jobs counted
Wind turbine service technicians counted by the BLS employer survey, 2012–2025. Shaded bands mark survey method changes; BLS cautions against reading OEWS strictly as a time series.
Table
YearJobs
20123,200
20133,290
20143,710
20153,950
20164,580
20174,390
20185,580
20195,960
20205,860
202110,100
20229,830
20239,800
202411,220
20259,980

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Where the wind turbine technician jobs are

Wind turbine service technicians: concentration by stateAK: n/aAKAL: n/aALAR: n/aARAZ: 0.4×AZCA: 0.3×CACO: 2.2×COCT: n/aDC: n/aDE: n/aFL: n/aFLGA: n/aGAHI: n/aHIIA: 9.0×IAID: 0.7×IDIL: n/aILIN: 0.7×INKS: 3.6×KSKY: n/aKYLA: n/aLAMA: n/aMD: n/aME: 1.3×MEMI: 0.2×MIMN: 2.4×MNMO: 0.4×MOMS: 0.5×MSMT: 1.3×MTNC: 0.4×NCND: 11.3×NDNE: n/aNENH: n/aNJ: n/aNM: 5.9×NMNV: n/aNVNY: 0.6×NYOH: 0.3×OHOK: 3.1×OKOR: 1.2×ORPA: 0.1×PARI: n/aSC: n/aSCSD: 6.2×SDTN: n/aTNTX: 4.3×TXUT: n/aUTVA: n/aVAVT: n/aWA: 0.9×WAWI: n/aWIWV: n/aWVWY: 5.0×WYSmall statesCT n/aDC n/aDE n/aMA n/aMD n/aNH n/aNJ n/aRI n/aVT n/aConcentration (1.0 = US average)0.4×0.7×1.7×4.4×n/a
Share of all jobs held by wind turbine technicians in each state relative to the national share (location quotient), May 2025. 1.0 means the same concentration as the country as a whole.

North Dakota has the highest concentration of wind turbine technicians, 11.3× the national share, followed by Iowa (9.0×) and South Dakota (6.2×). The lowest is Pennsylvania at 0.1×. Concentration says where the trade is a large part of the local economy; the job count says where the most positions are.

StateJobsJobs per 1,000Concentration
North Dakota3100.711.3×
Iowa9000.69.0×
South Dakota1800.46.2×
New Mexico3300.45.9×
Wyoming900.35.0×
Texas3,8900.34.3×
Kansas3300.23.6×
Oklahoma3400.23.1×
Minnesota4500.12.4×
Colorado4100.12.2×

Metros with the most wind turbine technician jobs

MetroJobsMedian $/hr
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX1,120$30.79
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX400$27.83
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO160$35.94
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX130$29.77
Sioux Falls, SD-MN100$30.12
Bismarck, ND70$32.07
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC40$37.48
Greeley, CO30$29.88

Highest-paying metros for wind turbine technicians

MetroMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjustedAdjusted rank90th pctJobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$30.79$31.23#1$36.351,120

Metros with at least 500 wind turbine technicians. Cost-of-living adjustment divides the median by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100); the adjusted rank is among the 1 metros with a parity.

Job outlook

+29.5%Projected job growth2025-35, BLS
1,500Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
11,800Jobs in 2025BLS projections base, includes self-employed

The BLS Employment Projections program expects the number of wind turbine technicians to change by +29.5% over 2025-35, from 11,800 to 15,300, with about 1,500 openings a year.

Where the openings come from0200400600800New jobs: 300New jobs300Workforce exits: 500Workforce exits500Occupation changes: 700Occupation changes700
Average annual openings for wind turbine technicians, 2025-35, split into growth and the two kinds of replacement need. BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.10.

Of those openings, 300 a year come from growth in the number of jobs and 1,200 from replacement: 500 for people who retire or leave the workforce and 700 for people who move to another occupation.

BLS worker characteristics, 2025-35: typical education for entry: postsecondary nondegree award; related work experience: none; on-the-job training: long-term on-the-job training. The Occupational Outlook Handbook entry describes the work.

What each state projects

State labor market agencies publish their own projections on a 2024–2034 cycle. Wyoming projects the fastest growth for wind turbine technicians at +71.1%; by openings, Texas (1,020 a year), Iowa (140 a year), Minnesota (120 a year) lead. 24 states publish a figure for this occupation.

StateJobs, 2024Projected, 2034ChangeOpenings per year
Wyoming100170+71.1%20
Ohio100160+68.0%20
Iowa7101,180+66.1%140
Rhode Island3050+65.6%10
New York570940+64.9%110
South Carolina70110+64.2%10
Indiana180300+61.2%30
Colorado6601,070+61.1%110
Oklahoma350560+60.9%60
Missouri110180+59.5%20
South Dakota230360+58.3%40
Minnesota6601,040+57.6%120

Source: state labor market information agencies via Projections Central, 2024–2034 projections. State base counts include the self-employed, so they run higher than the BLS survey count above.

Compare wind turbine technician pay with other trades

Questions this page answers

How much do wind turbine technicians make an hour?

Hourly pay runs from about $23.67 at the 10th percentile to $44.45 at the 90th, with a median of $30.83. Overtime, per-diem and union fringe benefits are not included in these figures.

What does a starting or apprentice wind turbine technician make?

Entry-level pay sits near the bottom of the distribution: roughly $23.67 to $28.29 an hour ($49,230 to $58,840 a year). Registered apprentices usually start at a fixed percentage of the local journeyman rate and step up every six to twelve months.

Which state pays wind turbine technicians the most?

New York had the highest median at $39.10 an hour in May 2025, followed by Kansas ($37.62) and California ($37.46). Adjusted for cost of living the order changes; see the state table.

Are wind turbine technician wages going up?

In today's dollars the median wind turbine technician wage changed by -7.5% over the last ten years of data (CPI-adjusted). The nominal median rose from $24.55 to $30.83.

Is wind turbine technician a good career?

By the numbers: median pay of $64,120 a year, a 90th percentile of $92,460, projected growth of +29.5% and about 1,500 openings a year. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself; this site only reports the pay and demand data.

Are wind turbine technician jobs growing?

The BLS employer survey counted 9,980 wind turbine technicians in May 2025, +152.7% compared with ten years earlier and +67.4% since 2019. Looking ahead, BLS projects +29.5% growth over 2025-35 with about 1,500 openings a year, most of them replacing people who leave the occupation.

Which states will need the most wind turbine technicians?

By projected annual openings, the state agencies' figures put Texas (1,020 a year, +51.3% growth), Iowa (140 a year, +66.1% growth), Minnesota (120 a year, +57.6% growth) at the top. Every state's projection is in the outlook table above.

Where are wind turbine technicians most concentrated?

Relative to the size of each state's workforce, North Dakota has the highest concentration at 11.3× the national share, then Iowa (9.0×) and South Dakota (6.2×). The largest absolute job counts are usually in the most populous states; see the map above.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 49-9081 (Wind turbine service technicians). Wages exclude overtime and benefits; job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • Inflation adjustment: BLS CPI-U annual averages, 2025 base.
  • Cost-of-living adjustment: BEA Regional Price Parities, all items, 2024.
  • Prevailing wage: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35 (Tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12). Public-domain data; Skilled Wages is not affiliated with BLS.
  • State projections: state labor market information agencies via Projections Central (Projections Managing Partnership), 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05. State figures include the self-employed.