Energy · Five U.S. markets
Houston holds petroleum engineers at 12.5 times the national share, while Pittsburgh is the only one of our five energy markets where line workers out-earn the U.S. median, so where you search decides who you find. Careerscape's energy recruiters specialize in this one industry and run searches remotely across all five markets and beyond.
What we recruit
Energy hiring is really three markets that share some people. Oil and gas needs a small, highly paid group of petroleum engineers (18,500 U.S. jobs and a $144,910 median, per BLS) and much larger field and plant crews. Power and utilities need electrical engineers (199,700 jobs, $120,630 median) and power-line installers (131,900 jobs, $95,320). Renewables need solar installers and wind turbine technicians, plus the same engineers the grid needs.
Careerscape's energy recruiters work across all three, remotely and nationally. We do not run local energy teams in any city. That matters because the talent is not evenly spread: a Phoenix utility may need to recruit plant operators from Texas, and a Denver operator may need field supervisors from another basin. Our energy staffing services page explains direct hire, contract, contract-to-hire, executive search and RPO for energy employers.
The national figures here are BLS May 2025 estimates with 2025 to 2035 projections. The city pages break the same occupations down by metro, with location quotients that show where each pool is deep or thin.
Market comparison
Line work is the energy trade every market needs, and BLS projects it to grow much faster than average. Houston has the most line installers of our markets (4,380, location quotient 1.58), followed by Dallas-Fort Worth (3,930) and Phoenix (2,810, LQ 1.4).
| Market | Jobs | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 4,380 | $82,710−13% | 1.58 |
| Dallas | 3,930 | $77,910−18% | 1.15 |
| Phoenix | 2,810 | $75,420−21% | 1.40 |
| Denver | 1,180 | $91,090−4% | 0.87 |
| Pittsburgh | 1,030 | $105,590+11% | 1.09 |
Pay varies more than depth. Pittsburgh's $105,590 median is the only one above the $95,320 U.S. median. Phoenix ($75,420) and Dallas-Fort Worth ($77,910) are about 21% and 18% below it, so out-of-state line workers often expect more than local rates there. Denver is the only market below the national share (LQ 0.87). Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, by metro area, sorted by jobs. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. median $95,320. Concentration is the BLS location quotient (1.0 = the U.S. share). Each market links to its page.
Where to look
Location quotients from BLS May 2025 metro data. A value above 1 means the occupation's share of local jobs is higher than nationally.
Petroleum engineers at 12.5 times the national share, refinery operators and gaugers 7.85, roustabouts 6.15, wind technicians 5.3 and geoscientists 4.79. Houston energy recruiting.
Petroleum engineers 4.83, geoscientists 4.21 and environmental engineers 2.29, but few field or plant workers. Denver energy recruiting.
5,720 electrical engineers, petroleum engineers at 1.94 and solar installers at 1.93, with a utility grid build-out under way. Dallas energy staffing.
Solar installers 2.09 and line installers 1.4, with pay for plant and grid roles well below U.S. medians. Phoenix energy recruiting.
Roustabouts 2.47 and engineering managers 1.3, and the only market where line workers out-earn the U.S. Pittsburgh energy recruiting.
2025-2035 outlook
BLS projects much faster than average growth for electrical engineers (about 11,400 openings a year), power-line installers (10,900), solar photovoltaic installers (4,200) and wind turbine technicians (1,500). Power plant operators and refinery operators are projected to decline, and petroleum engineers to grow slower than average, with about 1,000 openings a year. Openings include replacements for workers who retire or change jobs, so even shrinking occupations keep hiring.
| Occupation | U.S. jobs, 2025 | U.S. median | Projected growth, 2025–35 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum Engineers | 18,500 | $144,910 | Slower than average (1% to 2%) | 1,000 |
| Electrical Engineers | 199,700 | $120,630 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 11,400 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | 131,900 | $95,320 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 10,900 |
| Power Plant Operators | 29,800 | $102,040 | Decline (-1% or lower) | 2,300 |
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers | 31,100 | $53,140 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 4,200 |
| Wind Turbine Service Technicians | 11,800 | $64,120 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 1,500 |
| Environmental Engineers | 39,100 | $107,110 | Faster than average (5% to 6%) | 2,300 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 25,400 | $101,920 | Faster than average (5% to 6%) | 1,800 |
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 45,500 | $46,960 | Average (3% to 4%) | 4,100 |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 32,900 | $96,710 | Decline (-1% or lower) | 2,700 |
| Chemical Engineers | 21,900 | $125,040 | Faster than average (5% to 6%) | 1,100 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 220,900 | $171,270 | Faster than average (5% to 6%) | 14,900 |
BLS Employment Projections and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), as published on O*NET OnLine. Openings include replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
State rules
The regulators and rules that differ across the states we cover. Not legal advice; confirm with counsel for a specific role.
| State (market) | Who regulates utilities and oil and gas | Rules worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Texas (Houston, Dallas) | Public Utility Commission of Texas for electric utilities; Railroad Commission of Texas for oil and gas production and pipeline safety | ERCOT runs about 90% of the state's load. SB 6, signed and in effect since June 2025, sets rules for new loads of 75 MW or more. Occupations Code §1001.057 exempts some in-house engineering, including oil and gas products, from licensure. |
| Colorado (Denver) | Colorado Public Utilities Commission, within the Department of Regulatory Agencies, for electric, gas and intrastate pipelines | Job postings must include pay ranges. Field work is largely in Weld County, a separate metro from Denver. |
| Arizona (Phoenix) | Arizona Corporation Commission, created by Article 15 of the state constitution, for public utilities and pipeline safety | Salt River Project is a public power district, not an investor-owned utility. All employers must use E-Verify. |
| Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh) | Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission | The commission collects and distributes the state's natural gas impact fee. Utility rate cases drive regulatory hiring. |
Details and sources are on each city page. Source: Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
Roles
Searches run nationally, so a role can be filled from whichever market holds the deepest pool.
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FAQ
An energy recruiting firm finds and screens candidates for oil and gas, utility, nuclear and renewables employers. Careerscape works on direct hire, contract, contract-to-hire, temporary staffing, executive search and RPO. Employers get a pre-screened shortlist in a private Employer Portal rather than a pile of resumes, and job seekers pay nothing. Our recruiters specialize by industry and work remotely.
BLS projects much faster than average growth from 2025 to 2035 for electrical engineers, power-line installers, solar photovoltaic installers and wind turbine technicians. Electrical engineers have about 11,400 openings a year nationally and line installers about 10,900. Power plant operators and refinery operators are projected to decline, and petroleum engineers to grow slower than average.
Among the markets we cover, Houston, by far. BLS estimated 4,770 petroleum engineers in the Houston metro in May 2025, a location quotient of 12.5, with a $169,870 median. Dallas-Fort Worth had 910 and Denver 900, but Denver's concentration is higher (LQ 4.83) and its $174,580 median the highest among our markets.
Yes. Careerscape recruits solar installers and crew leads, wind turbine technicians, storage and interconnection engineers and renewables project managers. Houston, Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth have the deepest solar installer pools of our markets, with location quotients of 2.45, 2.09 and 1.93. Houston also has the deepest wind technician pool. Contract and temp staffing suit project peaks.
No. Careerscape is national and remote, with no local offices or city teams. Our energy recruiters specialize by industry and recruit for employers in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and elsewhere by phone, video and the Employer Portal. That lets a search draw on whichever market has the deepest pool for the role.
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