Will AI replace hydroelectric plant technicians?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 3h 20m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 4h 40m (58%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 5.1% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 8 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 3h 20m of a typical shift. 7 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 4 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as necessary. (55m a shift; e.g. Spot with Orbit fleet software, in use)
• Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs. (36m a shift; e.g. Spot with Orbit, gauge/thermal/acoustic inspection payloads, in use)
• Start, adjust, or stop generating units, operating valves, gates, or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric power generating plants. (24m a shift; e.g. Reclamation hydropower fleet remote operation, in use)
• Take readings and record data, such as water levels, temperatures, or flow rates. (24m a shift; e.g. Boston Dynamics Spot 'Energy Dog' with Smart Inspection analytics, in use)

4h 40m of a typical shift, or 58%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Maintain or repair hydroelectric plant electrical, mechanical, or electronic equipment, such as motors, transformers, voltage regulators, generators, relays, battery systems, air compressors, sump pumps, gates, or valves. (1h 7m a shift)
• Identify or address malfunctions of hydroelectric plant operational equipment, such as generators, transformers, or turbines. (43m a shift)
• Maintain logs, reports, work requests, or other records of work performed in hydroelectric plants. (30m a shift)
• Install or calibrate electrical or mechanical equipment, such as motors, engines, switchboards, relays, switch gears, meters, pumps, hydraulics, or flood channels. (24m a shift)
• Test and repair or replace electrical equipment, such as circuit breakers, station batteries, cable trays, conduits, or control devices. (24m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 88% talk face to face with others every day
• 72% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 67% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time

On Indeed, job postings in the Production & Manufacturing sector are at 124% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 12.6% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 2,300 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $102,040 a year ($49.06 an hour), 100% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $61,790 and $131,940 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 5.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 28,000 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 2,300 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 29,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.02% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 482nd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 28,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is an associate's degree: about 34% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 4h 40m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Geothermal Technicians (51m touched, $49k median pay)
• Wind Turbine Service Technicians (12m touched, $64k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 8 with robots in real deployments, 13 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.