AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-8012.00
Will AI replace Power Distributors and Dispatchers?
Power Distributors and Dispatchers: AI can already handle 2 of 14 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 14 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Power Distributors and Dispatchers, from most to least exposed. 2 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculate load estimates or equipment requirements to determine required control settings. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Record and compile operational data, such as chart or meter readings, power demands, or usage and operating times, using transmission system maps. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect equipment to ensure that specifications are met or to detect any defects. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Distribute or regulate the flow of power between entities, such as generating stations, substations, distribution lines, or users, keeping track of the status of circuits or connections. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Monitor and record switchboard or control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Implement energy schedules, including real-time transmission reservations or schedules. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Track conditions that could affect power needs, such as changes in the weather, and adjust equipment to meet any anticipated changes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Tend auxiliary equipment used in the power distribution process. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 14 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 14 of 14. 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 28% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 35% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 65% 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
- 8,520
- Median annual wage
- $106,730
- Middle half of earners
- $90,200 to $130,940
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -3.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
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.
- Power Plant Operators 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure25
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure55
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure19
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure25
- Gas Plant Operators 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure31
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Power Distributors and Dispatchers and AI
Will AI replace Power Distributors and Dispatchers?
AI already handles 2 of the 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 27 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 -3.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Power Distributors and Dispatchers?
27 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 14 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 14 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Power Distributors and Dispatchers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Calculate load estimates or equipment requirements to determine required control settings; Record and compile operational data, such as chart or meter readings, power demands, or usage and operating times, using transmission system maps. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 28% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 65% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. 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 Power Distributors and Dispatchers, and what do they earn?
8,520 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $106,730 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -3.2% 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: Power Distributors and Dispatchers. 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/power-distributors-and-dispatchers
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