Electric Relay Technician
Also posted as Relay Technician; Protective Relay Technician; Protection and Control Technician; Relay and Control Technician; Substation Relay Technician
An electric relay technician installs, programs, tests, calibrates, commissions, and maintains protective relays and control systems that detect faults and isolate abnormal grid conditions. Many people start with a two-year associate degree or a technical certificate rather than a four-year degree.
Below: what it pays, what you'd do, the skills you need, and how to become one.
The role profile
Everything you need to know about this role, the same details employers use to post openings and colleges use to build training.
How much does it pay?
Explore the core responsibilities of this role, from daily operations and equipment handling to safety, quality, and performance requirements.
Commission protective relays
Install, commission, test, calibrate, and program electromechanical, solid-state, and microprocessor relays.
Apply protection settings
Implement approved settings and verify relay logic, trip paths, and control schemes.
Run protection testing
Perform end-to-end, functional, secondary-injection, and system protection testing.
Investigate misoperations
Troubleshoot misoperations, communications failures, control-circuit defects, and alarms.
What skills do you need?
Three core skills sit at the heart of this role. You can learn all of them through short, hands-on training.
Relay Testing
Testing and commissioning protective relays on live systems.
Settings & Logic Verification
Loading approved settings and proving relay logic and trip paths.
Protection Schemes
Applying protection scheme and fault analysis fundamentals.
Related roles.
Ready to start your
technician journey?
Get matched with training, apprenticeships, and employers tailored to this role.
