AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-8013.04
Will AI replace Hydroelectric Plant Technicians?
Hydroelectric Plant Technicians: AI can already handle 1 of 21 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 21 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Hydroelectric Plant Technicians, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as necessary. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Identify or address malfunctions of hydroelectric plant operational equipment, such as generators, transformers, or turbines. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Start, adjust, or stop generating units, operating valves, gates, or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric power generating plants. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform preventive or corrective containment or cleanup measures in hydroelectric plants to prevent environmental contamination. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Operate hydroelectric plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, or battery banks. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Implement load or switching orders in hydroelectric plants, in accordance with specifications or instructions. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Change oil, hydraulic fluid, or other lubricants to maintain condition of hydroelectric plant equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain logs, reports, work requests, or other records of work performed in hydroelectric plants. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Connect metal parts or components in hydroelectric plants by welding, soldering, riveting, tapping, bolting, bonding, or screwing. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform tunnel or field inspections of hydroelectric plant facilities or resources. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Splice or terminate cables or electrical wiring in hydroelectric plants. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Erect scaffolds, platforms, or hoisting frames to access hydroelectric plant machinery or infrastructure for repair or replacement. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Cut, bend, or shape metal for applications in hydroelectric plants, using equipment such as hydraulic benders or pipe threaders. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install or calibrate electrical or mechanical equipment, such as motors, engines, switchboards, relays, switch gears, meters, pumps, hydraulics, or flood channels. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Lift and move loads, using cranes, hoists, and rigging, to install or repair hydroelectric system equipment or infrastructure. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Test and repair or replace electrical equipment, such as circuit breakers, station batteries, cable trays, conduits, or control devices. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Communicate status of hydroelectric operating equipment to dispatchers or supervisors. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Operate high voltage switches or related devices in hydropower stations. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Take readings and record data, such as water levels, temperatures, or flow rates. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 21 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 21 of 21. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 80% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 85% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 15% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 29,320
- Median annual wage
- $102,040
- Middle half of earners
- $79,690 to $119,080
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -11.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Hydrologic Technicians 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure52
- Hydroelectric Production Managers 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure51
- Power Plant Operators 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure25
- Biomass Plant Technicians 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure29
- Geothermal Technicians 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure35
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Hydroelectric Plant Technicians and AI
Will AI replace Hydroelectric Plant Technicians?
AI already handles 1 of the 21 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 42 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -11.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Hydroelectric Plant Technicians?
42 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 21 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 21 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Hydroelectric Plant Technicians tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 80% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Hydroelectric Plant Technicians, and what do they earn?
29,320 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $102,040 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -11.2% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Hydroelectric Plant Technicians. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/hydroelectric-plant-technicians
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