America’s fastest growing job market offers generous salaries that are well above the national average. And you don’t even need a college degree to apply.
Technicians working on wind turbines in Bee County, Texas, can earn as much as $100,000 a year, CNBC’s Make It reported earlier this month.
Employment in the sector is expected to double over the next decade as demand for clean and renewable energy sources continues to grow.
However, a fear of heights is required for this position. A typical workday starts at 7 a.m. and begins with climbing a narrow metal ladder that can be as high as 350 feet (107 meters), one worker explains. Once at the top, carry out any necessary repairs.
Vestas engineer and mother of four Jessica Jackson, 37, said: ‘It’s not as scary as you might think. Once you’re up there, you get the best views. You see birds flying, eagles, hawks. You see planes flying by. You can see as far as you can see. It’s beautiful.’
Wind turbine engineers don’t need a college degree and the job offers the opportunity to enjoy incredible views – not to mention peaceful periods of peace and quiet.
Vestas technician Jessica Jackson, 37, urged bystanders this week to consider doing wind turbine repairs in Bee County, Texas — a job that could eventually pay a six-figure salary
Jackson explained that she entered the industry in February 2020 after working as a housewife for ten years, and she hasn’t looked back.
She now finishes work at 5:30pm so she can be home in time for dinner at her house, which is a few miles away.
She said the tallest turbine she’s working on towers 35 stories above the ground and overlooks a particularly scenic stretch of South Texas.
It takes her just 10 minutes to climb the turbines she has to maintain, a trip she normally makes only once a day.
But there are also days when more is needed, she explains, because disruptions are inherently unpredictable and can occur at any time.
‘It [feels] “It’s nice to know that when a turbine is fixed or running smoother, you do it. You see the results of your efforts right away,” she said of the satisfaction she gets from each repair.
‘It [feels] “It’s good to know that when a turbine is fixed or running smoother, you did it, just by seeing the direct results of your efforts,” she said of the satisfaction she gets from each repair.
It’s hard to believe that Jackson was ever afraid of heights.
But over the time she’s been playing this role, she’s overcome her fear and is no longer afraid to look down.
‘[I’ve] “I felt much more comfortable climbing such great heights,” she told CNBC.
‘I am extremely grateful for my job, I love what I do.
“If I did anything else, I probably wouldn’t be as happy.”
The downside is that the Department of Labor has identified wind turbine technicians as having one of the highest rates of injury and illness of any occupation, CNBC reports.
She said of the risks: ‘The fact that I am compromising safety may be the reason I don’t go home that day.
“Once you’re there, you’re in the office and ready to work. Everything else is easier.”
Jackson now hopes to literally climb further up the hierarchy, in order to earn a higher salary.
Jackson initially suffered from a fear of heights when she signed up – a fear she has since overcome during her daily excursions into the air
“This job has given me financial stability and freedom, allowing me to afford activities that make my kids happy, like signing up for a basketball league, while still saving money each month,” she told CNBC’s Make It
When comparing her profession to other jobs she had while being a stay-at-home mom, she said, “Because I don’t have a college degree [yet] and being a single mother was hard.
“I was passed over for jobs that I had the experience and skills for just because I didn’t have those credentials,” she recalls.
“This job gives me financial stability and freedom, allowing me to afford activities that make my children happy, like signing up for a basketball league, and still save money each month.”
Jackson has four children ranging in age from 10 to 21. Thanks to her hard work, they all have a good life.
She currently earns $73,000 a year, but she aspires to become a level three technician, which would earn her around $80,000 a year.
After this, she can train to become a chief technician, which will earn her approximately $100,000.
According to the most recent data from the Social Security Administration, the average salary in the US is $63,795.
Her employer, Vestas, has 66 turbines on the farm that require regular maintenance, Jackson explained
She plans to work as a wind turbine maintenance technician until she retires in her 70s, she said, and then she will reap the rewards of her efforts, soon earning a six-figure salary.
Although the work is physically demanding, she says she is able to spend a lot of time outside, which makes her feel ‘stronger and healthier’.
While you don’t need a bachelor’s degree to work at Jackson, some companies do require you to complete a two-year technical training program or apprenticeship.
Others, such as Vestas, offer on-site training, showing new workers best practices for repairs to the turbine’s electrical equipment, along with technical procedures such as tightening and tensioning bolts, she said.
This is in addition to explaining proper first aid and safety protocols, she added.
Vestas has 66 turbines on the park that require regular maintenance.
Jackson said she is normally responsible for one turbine per shift, but some days more repairs are needed.
Until then, she will continue to enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with every trip to the top of these turbines, while taking home a respectable salary
She has four children, aged 10 to 21, all of whom live comfortably thanks to her
Jackson plans to continue working as a wind turbine maintenance technician until she retires in her 70s, when she says she will reap the rewards of her efforts and soon be earning a six-figure salary.
Until then, she will continue to enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with every trip to the top of these turbines, while taking home a more than respectable salary.