Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Paying close attention to accuracy, quality, instructions, and small but important details.
Understanding, using, maintaining, or repairing machines, tools, equipment, and mechanical systems.
Adjusting effectively when priorities, conditions, tools, or expectations change.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become a Wind Turbine Technician Wind turbine technicians receive on-the-job
Education
Windtechs typically attend technical schools or community colleges, where they may complete a postsecondary certificate in wind energy technology or choose to earn an associate’s degree. Many technical schools have onsite wind turbines that students service as part of their studies. In addition to hands-on learning, windtech coursework includes maintenance instruction for electrical and hydraulic systems, braking and mechanical systems, and programmable logic control systems. Students also receive instruction in tower climbing, along with training for rescues, safety, first aid, and CPR. Training Once hired, windtechs typically receive employer- or manufacturer-provided on-the-job training that is related to the specific wind turbines they will maintain and repair.
Training
from experienced workers. Wind turbine service technicians, also known as windtechs, typically need a postsecondary nondegree award to enter the occupation. They also typically receive on-the-job training from their employer.
Licenses, Certifications & Registrations
Although not mandatory, professional certification allows workers to demonstrate a certain level of knowledge and competence. Certification subjects for windtechs include workplace electrical safety, tower climbing, and self-rescue. Employers often direct workers to the certifications they need.
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Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of wind turbine technicians is projected to grow 30 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 1,500 openings for wind turbine technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment Increased demand for electricity is expected to result in more wind turbines being built. This, in turn, should create jobs for wind turbine service technicians to install and maintain these turbines. Wind Turbine Technicians Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Wind turbine service technicians 30% Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 5% Total, all occupations 3% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Wind Turbine Technicians Do
Wind turbine service technicians, also known as windtechs, maintain and repair wind turbines.
Duties
Wind turbine service technicians typically do the following:
- Assist engineers and ironworkers in installing new wind turbines
- Inspect the exterior and physical integrity of wind turbine towers
- Climb wind turbine towers to inspect or repair wind turbine equipment
- Perform routine maintenance on wind turbines
- Test and troubleshoot electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic components and systems
- Replace worn or malfunctioning components
- Collect turbine data for testing or research and analysis
- Service underground transmission systems, wind field substations, or fiber optic sensing and control systems
Windtechs maintain and fix the components of wind turbines, large mechanical structures that convert wind energy into electricity. The three major components of each turbine are a tower; a nacelle, which contains the equipment that generates electricity; and three blades attached to the nacelle. Most of a windtech’s work focuses on maintaining the nacelle.
Windtechs typically maintain turbines by inspecting components and lubricating parts. Maintenance schedules are largely determined by the hours a turbine operates but also may vary by manufacturer. For turbines that operate year round, windtechs may do routine maintenance one to three times a year.
Turbines have electronic monitoring equipment, usually located in the nacelle, that provides an alert when a problem is detected. Although windtechs may access monitoring equipment both onsite and off, they must travel to the worksite to make repairs to turbine components.
Windtechs use a safety harness when climbing the tower, which may be 200 feet or higher, to reach the nacelle. They use a variety of handtools and power tools to make adjustments or repairs, and they use computers to diagnose electrical malfunctions.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Wind turbine technicians held about 11,800 jobs in 2025. The largest employers of wind turbine technicians were as follows:
| Wind electric power generation | 42% |
| Self-employed workers | 15 |
| Power and communication line and related structures construction | 15 |
| Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment (except automotive and electronic) repair and maintenance | 12 |
Wind turbine service technicians, also known as windtechs, generally work outdoors, including in extreme temperatures, on rural or offshore wind farms. They must be physically able to work at great heights. For example, workers must climb ladders to reach the nacelle—which is mounted on towers that are more than 200 feet tall—while wearing a fall-protection harness and carrying tools. When repairing blades, windtechs rappel, or descend by sliding down a rope, from the nacelle to the section of the blade that needs servicing.
When maintaining mechanical systems, windtechs work in the confined space of the nacelle.
Windtechs sometimes work with another windtech or with other specialists, such as electricians, when doing major service or repairs.
Work Schedules
Most windtechs work full time, and they also may be on call in the evening or on weekends.
Windtechs may travel to wind farms in rural areas or on offshore wind farms. Working on offshore farms may require being away from home for several days or weeks at a time.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Ability to work at heights. Windtechs must be comfortable working at heights to maintain or repair turbines. Tower ladders are usually at least 200 feet high. Communication skills. Windtechs must exchange information with windtechs or specialists, such as electricians, in order to work safely and effectively. Detail oriented. Windtechs must maintain records of all of the services they perform. Turbine maintenance requires precise measurements, a strict order of operations, and numerous safety procedures. Mechanical skills. Windtechs must understand and be able to maintain and repair a turbine’s various technical systems. Physical stamina. Windtechs must be able to climb turbine towers, often with tools and equipment. Physical strength. Windtechs must lift heavy equipment, parts, and tools, some of which weigh 50 pounds or more. Problem-solving skills. Windtechs must diagnose and repair turbine problems. When a malfunction or other issue arises, technicians must determine the cause and make the necessary repairs.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about wind turbine technicians by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.