Also called: VP of Operations (Utility), Chief Operating Officer
Leads an electric or gas utility serving millions of customers.
You approve billions of dollars in grid upgrades, testify before state regulators on electricity rates, and lead the response when a hurricane knocks out power for a million homes.
Executive pay varies hugely; BLS caps reported wages above $239k.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in engineering or business plus decades of experience; MBA common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Electrical Engineering, Business Administration, Economics.
Shrinking (about -3% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. AI dashboards speed rate cases and outage forecasting; regulators, boards and crisis calls still want a person who is accountable.
Classes: Economics, AP Government, Public speaking, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.