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Wind turbine technician

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Career outlook for wind turbine technician

UK Salary Ranges

Entry-level

£25,000

Experienced

£47,000

Currently employed in Scotland

10,400

Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.

What's it like?

A wind turbine technician is an adventurous career choice, you could be working while suspended hundreds of feet in the air – or out at sea.

Wind turbines are a form of green energy used across the world to produce electricity in an environmentally friendly way. Whitelee Windfarm – just outside Glasgow – provides power to 330,000 homes. It’s also the biggest wind farm in Europe.

A wind turbine technician installs, inspects, maintains, operates and repairs wind turbines. They’re able to fix any problem that could cause the turbine to shut down unexpectedly or not operate efficiently.

Becoming a wind turbine technician can involve exciting and varied days at work. You’ll be doing your bit to positively impact the planet and keep Scotland well powered.

What you might do:

  • install wind turbine towers on land or at sea
  • fit electrical, mechanical and hydraulic equipment
  • test turbine blades and control systems
  • carry out planned maintenance work
  • find faults and fix them
  • record job details and fill in safety reports
  • run safety checks on electrical substations and cables

Working conditions

Hours

You can expect to work Monday to Friday – during the day. Your hours might vary slightly depending on where your services are needed.

Environment

You could work in remote rural areas or out at sea. You could also spend time travelling to wind farms – either by car or boat.

UK employment status

Full-time

90%

Part-time

5%

Self employed

6%

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  • Cooperating
  • Working with technology
  • Problem solving
  • Observation
  • Attention to detail
  • Reliable
  • Analysing

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Getting in

Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.

Foundation Apprenticeships

Choosing a Foundation Apprenticeship as one of your subjects in S5 and S6 can help you get a head start with this type of job.

You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification (the same level as a Higher) plus valuable work placement experience and skills you can't learn in a classroom.

Interested? Find out what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.

Qualifications

Most beginners in this role have earned an engineering qualification together with relevant wind farm experience. Experience in other industries like oil and gas, marine or utilities is also relevant.

The best way in is to gain a qualification in an electrical, electronic or mechanical engineering subject. Relevant courses include: 

  • NC 
  • NQ 
  • HNC 
  • HND 
  • City and Guilds Wind Turbine Technician qualification. 

Entry requirements range from 3 subjects at National 4 or 5 for NC and NQ courses to 1 to 2 Highers for HNC and HND courses. You should have English, Maths and at least one science or technological subject. 

You can take a City and Guilds course in wind turbine technology and maintenance at Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and Fife colleges. From there, you could move on to an MA or further study at HNC or HND level. Go to the college websites for more details and entry requirements. 

You may need a driving licence for travelling around sites. 

To work offshore, you may need to pass a medical and an offshore survival course. An example is the Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training Certificate (BOSIET). You may also need a Global Wind Organisation (GWO) certificate. 

You could start as a trainee with a range of employers. 

Useful subjects

​​​​​​Many colleges and universities will have required subjects that you must have for entry. They might also highlight additional subjects that they would value. Look at individual institution websites for specific entry information.   

Useful subjects would be: 

  • maths 
  • physics 
  • technical subject 

Helpful to have

Having transferrable skills from another industry can also be useful. These can be skills from engineering or construction. There are also distance learning courses that do not need any previous skills or experience. This includes The Renewables Energy Institute course. They also offer other courses for people with relevant qualifications to allow them to work in renewable energy.

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“A Day in the Life”
National Careers Service
Scottish Renewables