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System Operator Trainee Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Entergy Services, Inc ESI (OLD) This position will be filled as a System Operator Trainee, System Operator I, II, or Sr. based on the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate. This ...

The Associate System Operator is a trainee position that has the responsibility with limited direct supervision to develop advanced knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to obtain the ...

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System Operator Trainee information

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$44

How much do system operator trainee jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 1, 2026, the average hourly pay for system operator trainee in the United States is $27.75, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.04 and $28.12 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a System Operator Trainee, and why are they important?

To thrive as a System Operator Trainee, you need a solid understanding of electrical systems, power grid fundamentals, and typically an associate’s degree in electrical engineering technology or a related field. Familiarity with SCADA systems, energy management software, and NERC certification is often required or preferred. Strong attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication skills help trainees excel in high-pressure, team-oriented environments. These competencies are crucial for maintaining grid reliability, ensuring safety, and responding rapidly to system disturbances.

What are some common challenges faced by System Operator Trainees in their first year on the job?

As a System Operator Trainee, one of the main challenges is mastering complex monitoring systems and learning to respond quickly and accurately to real-time changes in the power grid. Trainees must also adapt to rotating shift schedules, which can impact work-life balance. Collaborating with experienced operators and staying updated on protocols is key, as the role involves both independent decision-making and close teamwork under pressure. Building confidence in handling emergency scenarios and communicating effectively with field crews are also essential skills developed during the first year.

What is the difference between System Operator Trainee vs Power Plant Operator?

AspectSystem Operator TraineePower Plant Operator
Required CredentialsHigh school diploma or equivalent; technical trainingHigh school diploma; technical training or certification
Work EnvironmentControl rooms, training facilitiesPower plant facilities, control rooms
Employer & Industry UsageUtilities, energy companies, training programsPower generation plants, energy sector
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

The main difference is that a System Operator Trainee is in a training phase, learning to monitor and control systems, while a Power Plant Operator is a fully qualified professional responsible for operating power plant equipment. The trainee role focuses on gaining experience, whereas the power plant operator role involves hands-on operational duties.

What are system operator trainees?

System operator trainees are entry-level professionals who are undergoing training to manage and monitor the operations of systems such as electrical power grids, water treatment plants, or other critical infrastructure. They work under the supervision of experienced operators, learning how to ensure the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of these systems. Their responsibilities typically include observing control panels, responding to alarms, recording data, and assisting with routine maintenance. The goal of the training is to prepare them for full operator roles by providing both hands-on experience and classroom instruction.
More about System Operator Trainee jobs
What cities are hiring for System Operator Trainee jobs? Cities with the most System Operator Trainee job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of System Operator jobs? The most popular types of System Operator jobs are:
What states have the most System Operator Trainee jobs? States with the most job openings for System Operator Trainee jobs include:
Infographic showing various System Operator Trainee job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 35% Full Time, 63% Part Time, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $57,721 per year, or $27.8 per hour.

SYSTEM OPERATOR/SENIOR SYSTEM OPERATOR/SYSTEM OPERATOR TRAINEE I/II

City of Farmington

Farmington, NM • On-site

$36.22 - $60.73/hr

Full-time

Posted 17 days ago


City Of Farmington (New Mexico) rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 9 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

343rd of 840 rated public administrative organizations


Job description

Job Description: JOB OPENING CITY OF FARMINGTON JOB POSITION #131: SYSTEM OPERATOR/SENIOR SYSTEM OPERATOR/SYSTEM OPERATOR TRAINEE I/II NUMBER OF VACANCIES: 2 DEPARTMENT: Electric Utility/System Control WORK LOCATION: MOC SALARY GRADE/RANGE: DOE Non-Exempt Senior System Operator/602 - $60.73/Hour System Operator/620 - $53.57/Hour System Operator Trainee I/630 - $44.42/Hour System Operator Trainee II/610 - $36.22/Hour TYPE OF POSITION: Regular, Full-Time DAYS WORKED: Varied HOURS WORKED: Varied Shifts APPLICATIONS WILL BE RECEIVED THROUGH: Until Filled Resumes submitted without a City of Farmington application will not be considered in our job selection process. JOB DUTIES The City of Farmington reserves the right to hire at the System Operator, Senior System Operator, or System Operator Trainee I/II level, depending on experience and qualifications. SYSTEM OPERATOR: Works under the direct supervision of the System Control Supervisor. Has successfully completed the FEUS System Operator Trainee program, or has successfully completed an approved program at another utility. Is current with NERC Certification related to transmission operator functions. SENIOR SYSTEM OPERATOR: Works under the direct supervision of the System Control Supervisor. Is current with NERC Certification related to transmission operator functions. Has successfully completed at minimum three (3) years as a system operator or equivalent experience in another utility. SYSTEM OPERATOR/SENIOR SYSTEM OPERATOR: Salaried positions, will work a mutually agreed upon shift schedule. Salary covers all scheduled hours; hours worked in addition to the scheduled hours will be paid at time and a half. DAY SHIFT SYSTEM OPERATOR: Works under the direction supervision of the System Control Supervisor. Is current with NERC Certification related to transmission operator functions. Assists with daily System Operations duties and projects. SYSTEM OPERATOR TRAINEE I: Works under the direct supervision of the System Control Supervisor. Trains, practices, and assists to improve in learning buying and selling of power, monitoring and maintaining reliability of the system, and knowledge in returning and restoring load. Completes studies and NERC Certified training. System Operator Trainee I duration will be a minimum duration of one (1) years. The employee will be required to successfully complete the applicable trainee program(s). SYSTEM OPERATOR TRAINEE II: Works under the direct supervision of the System Control Supervisor. Trains, practices, and assists to improve in learning buying and selling of power, monitoring and maintaining reliability of the system, and knowledge in returning and restoring load. Has one year of System Operator Trainee I or equivalent. Completes studies and NERC Certified training. System Operator Trainee II duration will be a duration of approximately one (1) year. The employee will be required to successfully complete the applicable trainee program(s). SYSTEM OPERATOR TRAINEE I/II: Hourly positions, will work a mutually agreed to schedule. Schedule will include day and night shifts during training period. The employee will be required to successfully complete the applicable trainee program(s). The employee must pass the NERC System Operator Certification Examination in Reliability (RC) or Balancing, Interchange, and Transmission (BIT) within the training period for Trainee I or Trainee II. Failing to pass the exam on the second attempt will terminate the employee's employment with the City of Farmington Electric Utility. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS SYSTEM OPERATOR/SENIOR SYSTEM OPERATOR: The following duties are the responsibility of the System Operator on shift. A Trainee I/II will perform, assist and learn these duties ONLY under the direct supervision of the System Operator as part of their training process. Works under the direction of the System Operations Supervisor. Ensures North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) reliability standards pertinent to system operations are consistently adhered to:Purchases and sells electrical power, on a real-time basis, to meet the needs of Farmington Electric Utility customers.Monitors, on a real-time basis, the grid for system ties to maintain reliability to FEUS and the bulk electric system.Monitoring and maintains, within acceptable limits, the FEUS transmission, sub-transmission, and distribution voltage.Use independent judgment in curtailing and restoring load. FEUS System Operators have the full authority to take or direct whatever corrective actions are deemed necessary to protect and restore the electric system including but not limited to shedding load and operating any lines and equipment that are deemed critical to preserving the system and enhancing the restoration of the electric system following a disturbance or emergency condition pre or post contingency. These actions do not require prior supervisor approval and are at the primary operator's discretion. Assures NERC and WECC training requirements are met. Ensures the reliability of the transmission, generation, and distribution system and shall exercise such authority to alleviate capacity in dealing with energy and reliability emergencies without being required to obtain prior management approval. Dispatches energy over the electric utility system considering the load requirements, reliability of service and the most economical utilization of power resources. Using excellent customer service skills, establishes and maintains effective working relation-ships with customers, co-workers, officials, and all members of the general public. Updates hourly loads, power resource schedules and ensures hourly resource adequacy to reliably meet customer demand. Ensures reserves are maintained as required by the Southwest Reserve Sharing Group. Monitors, enters and verifies hourly loads and resources for reporting to reserve sharing group to verify reserve requirements are met. Develops and executes arrangements within the WSPP agreement for power sales and purchases and any requisite wheeling and energy accounting requirements internally and externally. Uses NERC tagging guidelines to develop, implement, and verify, through the Western Interchange Tool, all power schedules and transactions. Prepares, processes, and coordinates switching procedures for transmission and distribution for routine construction, maintenance and emergency work on the system. Issues and records transmission and distribution hold tags and switching clearances. Restores electric service or reconfigures the system in the event of an electric system disturbance or failure, safely and promptly in an orderly manner through SCADA and field switching by giving radio directions to field crews. Records other information including hourly and daily electrical load, disturbances, failures and relay breaker operations. Monitors voltage, frequency, loads and Area Control Error (ACE) and performs minor adjustments using the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) to ensure a reliable and balanced electric system. Manages FEUS reserves including requesting and activating reserves response for capacity emergencies within the Southwest Reserve Sharing Group (SRSG). Ensures FEUS Real-Time Analysis is conducted at least every 30 minutes. Ensure appropriate response to ensure reliability for identified contingencies in real time or next-day studies. Provide on-the-job training to newly hired System Operator Trainee/System Operator/Senior System Operators to ensure initial training requirements are met and necessary competencies are verified prior to new hires being qualified to work independently. Answers trouble calls by recording pertinent information in Operator Daily Logs and/or Report Forms and arranging for a repair crew as needed. Required to perform rotation shift work of days, evening and nights including weekends and holidays. Regular attendance at work is an essential requirement of this position. Travels as required for training for periods of up to one week. Operates a motor vehicle as directed to assist in carrying out the business of the division. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position. SYSTEM OPERATOR TRAINEE I/II: Works under the direct supervision of the System Control Supervisor. Trains, practices, and assists to improve in the duties above performed by the System Operator. Upon successfully completing the training and obtaining NERC Certification, Trainee I/II will be eligible to promote to a System Operator. The employee will be required to successfully complete the applicable trainee program(s). The employee must pass the NERC System Operator Certification Examination in Reliability (RC) or Balancing, Interchange, and Transmission (BIT) within the training period for Trainee I or Trainee II. The employee will be required to perform shift work in a rotation of days, evenings and nights including weekends and holidays following the completion of the Trainee period. The employee will work a 40-hour week, Monday through Friday, Days and Evening shifts during the Trainee period. Graveyard shifts will be scheduled for training purposes as needed with advanced notice. Full rotating shift coverage will be expected after passing the NERC Reliability Coordinator Operator test. QUALIFICATIONS This position is subject to the City of Farmington's Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy which includes: pre-employment testing, post-accident testing, random testing, reasonable suspicion testing, return to duty testing and follow-up testing. This position is covered by NERC CIP cyber security standards. Prior to being hired, promoted, or transferred into the position, the candidate must successfully pass a Personnel Risk Assessment, which includes identity verification and a criminal background check. Prior to being granted unescorted access to cyber secure areas, the candidate must attend cyber security training. SYSTEM OPERATOR: Works under the direct supervision of the System Control Supervisor. Has successfully completed the FEUS System Operator Trainee program, or has successfully completed an approved program at another utility. Is current with NERC Certification related to transmission operator functions. SENIOR SYSTEM OPERATOR: Works under the direct supervision of the System Control Supervisor. Is current with NERC Certification related to transmission operator functions. Has successfully completed at minimum three (3) years as a System Operator or equivalent experience in another utility. DAY SHIFT SYSTEM OPERATOR: Works under the direction supervision of the System Control Supervisor. Is current with NERC Certification related to transmission operator functions. Assists with daily System Operations duties and projects. SYSTEM OPERATOR TRAINEE I: Electric Utility background preferred, knowledge of fundamental concepts and/or specific or job-related traits highly desirable. Demonstrated experience in a high stress environment. Specific training or course work in electric theory and/or a related job qualification preferred. SYSTEM OPERATOR TRAINEE II: Minimum of 2 years' experience in electric dispatch or 2 years electric utility experience directly related to the operation of distribution and transmission systems. Specific training or course work in electric theory and/or a related job qualification desirable. Preference may be given to candidates who meet the above requirements and have any the following: Expert knowledge of distribution and transmission systems.Strong knowledge of NERC and WECC policies and procedures.NERC Certified System Operator.Completion of electric utility trades apprenticeship in transmission and distribution, generation, relay, or substation. Education: Graduation from an accredited university with a bachelor's of science degree in electrical or power related engineering preferred or a minimum of two (2) years of technical training in basic electric power system design and operation. Accept rotating shift work. Must have a combination of classroom and on-the-job training in power system apparatus, relaying, control, and system emergency response sufficient to sustain or maintain a stable and reliable electrical system. Proficiency in SCADA systems including but not limited to resource/load balancing, var flow and control and operation of power equipment through Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). Experience in power system generation, including energy and voltage control; electric transmission and distribution systems' operation; and, electronic scheduling tagging is required. Experience and knowledge of interconnected power systems and emergency restoration procedures. Knowledge of telemetry used in Area Control Error (ACE) calculations, hourly integrations, historical archiving and system load calculations. Knowledge of power system economic dispatch and dispatching of generation for system reliability and voltage control. Experience with off-system sales and purchases preferred. Experience with reserve sharing pools preferred. Ability to react calmly, intelligently and efficiently under stressful conditions imposed by system disturbances, customers and/or other emergency conditions. Ability to direct field personnel. Ability to communi­cate effectively with others verbally and written. Ability to establish effective working relationships with others. Know Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and software applications using a browser, OATI tagging and on-line training such as S.O.S. If not knowledgeable, must learn within six (6) months of employment. Knowledge and understanding of basic math and basic algebra sufficient to reconcile daily/hourly loads and resources, to calculate basic electri­cal concepts such as ohms, current flows, voltages and power flows and to under­stand wheeling rates and contracts, losses and interchange ac­counts and power purchase and sales agreements. Valid driver's license with acceptable driving record for the past three years. If required through federal or state legislation, obtain a valid passport for travel. Extensive background check required. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommoda­tions may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work is performed mostly in office settings. Infrequent outdoor work is possible for training purposes at various substation and distribution sites and generation facilities. The employee must have the ability to hear and speak clearly in order to process informa­tion and dispatch energy ov

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