Substation Technician: metro pay ranking

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Skilled Trades Headhunters compares published medians for SOC 49-2095 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay, not estimated offers for this particular title.

Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?

This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.

Highest and lowest published metro medians
Metro	Median	Employment	Location quotient	Trade median / all-occupations median
Fresno, CA	$145,530	40	0.66	3.10
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$141,580	90	0.29	1.91
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$135,130	220	0.79	1.86
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$133,300	90	0.41	2.14
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$131,080	240	1.06	2.71
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$129,590	90	0.58	2.14
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$128,540	60	1.42	2.45
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$126,820	40	0.39	2.30
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$124,700	80	1.31	2.13
Tulsa, OK	$122,260	Not published by BLS	Not published by BLS	2.62
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$121,670	60	0.88	2.40
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$120,930	70	0.44	1.44
Jacksonville, FL	$120,840	130	1.23	2.47
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$119,460	290	0.81	1.79
Syracuse, NY	$119,230	160	3.95	2.25
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$118,990	540	0.64	2.13
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$114,480	170	0.28	2.09
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$114,170	100	0.66	2.31
Rochester, NY	$114,050	80	1.23	2.23
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$112,010	40	0.66	1.82
Clarksville, TN-KY	$110,660	30	2.5	2.47
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$110,140	60	0.75	1.84
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$109,570	230	1.59	1.83
Canton-Massillon, OH	$109,370	40	1.96	2.39
Chattanooga, TN-GA	$109,010	60	1.7	2.33
Kansas City, MO-KS	$108,900	120	0.85	2.14
Greensboro-High Point, NC	$108,240	70	1.34	2.32
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA	$107,990	40	1.29	2.33
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$107,750	40	0.91	2.27
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$107,470	50	0.55	2.00
Wilmington, NC	$106,950	60	2.43	2.34
Worcester, MA	$106,680	90	2.02	1.84
commercial-vehicle manufacturers-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$106,600	150	0.6	2.05
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$106,510	400	1.03	1.96
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	$106,400	50	0.67	2.24
Visalia, CA	$105,830	30	1.33	2.35
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$105,300	280	1.52	2.11
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$105,160	170	0.41	1.48
Columbus, OH	$105,150	190	1.32	2.05
Charlottesville, VA	$104,870	Not published by BLS	Not published by BLS	1.90
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$104,520	100	0.68	2.08
Pittsburgh, PA	$103,950	210	1.44	2.09
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$103,940	520	1.19	2.10
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$103,120	390	2.26	1.81
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	$103,100	30	1.49	2.28
Wichita, KS	$102,950	40	0.87	2.16
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$102,470	410	0.75	1.99
Winston-Salem, NC	$102,310	50	1.39	2.21
Albuquerque, NM	$102,020	70	1.21	2.12
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$101,890	180	0.92	2.08
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$101,780	90	0.49	2.18
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$101,660	70	0.46	2.02
Longview, TX	$101,320	30	2.01	2.24
Stockton-Lodi, CA	$101,160	40	0.94	2.06
Richmond, VA	$101,140	180	2.06	1.97
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$100,910	190	1.85	2.04
Colorado Springs, CO	$100,890	40	1.03	1.91
Cleveland, OH	$100,110	150	1.07	2.00
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	$100,000	40	1.23	2.17
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$99,590	50	1.19	1.64
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$99,480	90	0.93	1.91
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$99,440	70	0.45	2.13
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$98,860	90	0.46	1.68
Victoria, TX	$98,680	60	11.12	2.29
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$96,170	2,870	2.27	1.57
Columbia, SC	$95,740	80	1.46	2.06
Corpus Christi, TX	$95,670	50	1.8	2.11
Oklahoma City, OK	$95,640	80	0.84	2.02
Birmingham, AL	$95,150	80	1.22	1.99
Knoxville, TN	$94,790	70	1.2	2.01
Baton Rouge, LA	$94,100	90	1.56	1.93
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	$94,050	30	0.65	2.05
Portland-South Portland, ME	$92,570	40	1	1.63
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$88,940	180	0.48	1.83
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$87,090	60	1.15	1.77
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$85,800	30	1	1.75
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	$85,460	170	1.12	1.82
Lubbock, TX	$83,200	30	1.47	1.97
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	$81,670	50	0.65	1.74
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$81,180	240	0.61	1.59
Youngstown-Warren, OH	$80,430	30	1.52	1.84
Reno, NV	$74,360	Not published by BLS	Not published by BLS	1.50
Roanoke, VA	$66,480	60	2.68	1.41
Akron, OH	$64,120	Not published by BLS	Not published by BLS	1.31
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	$59,550	40	1.14	1.09
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR	$31,260	160	1.75	1.06

The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.

Where does this trade pay most relative to local wages?

Occupation median divided by the same area's all-occupations median
Area	Wage ratio	Median	Location quotient
Fresno, CA	3.10	$145,530	0.66
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	2.71	$131,080	1.06
Tulsa, OK	2.62	$122,260	Not published by BLS
Jacksonville, FL	2.47	$120,840	1.23
Clarksville, TN-KY	2.47	$110,660	2.5
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	2.45	$128,540	1.42
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	2.40	$121,670	0.88
Canton-Massillon, OH	2.39	$109,370	1.96
Visalia, CA	2.35	$105,830	1.33
Wilmington, NC	2.34	$106,950	2.43
Chattanooga, TN-GA	2.33	$109,010	1.7
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA	2.33	$107,990	1.29
Greensboro-High Point, NC	2.32	$108,240	1.34
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	2.31	$114,170	0.66
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	2.30	$126,820	0.39
Victoria, TX	2.29	$98,680	11.12
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	2.28	$103,100	1.49
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	2.27	$107,750	0.91
Syracuse, NY	2.25	$119,230	3.95
Longview, TX	2.24	$101,320	2.01
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	2.24	$106,400	0.67
Rochester, NY	2.23	$114,050	1.23
Winston-Salem, NC	2.21	$102,310	1.39
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	2.18	$101,780	0.49
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	2.17	$100,000	1.23
Wichita, KS	2.16	$102,950	0.87
Kansas City, MO-KS	2.14	$108,900	0.85
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	2.14	$133,300	0.41
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	2.14	$129,590	0.58
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	2.13	$124,700	1.31
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	2.13	$99,440	0.45
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	2.13	$118,990	0.64
Albuquerque, NM	2.12	$102,020	1.21
Corpus Christi, TX	2.11	$95,670	1.8
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	2.11	$105,300	1.52
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	2.10	$103,940	1.19
Pittsburgh, PA	2.09	$103,950	1.44
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	2.09	$114,480	0.28
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	2.08	$104,520	0.68
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	2.08	$101,890	0.92
Stockton-Lodi, CA	2.06	$101,160	0.94
Columbia, SC	2.06	$95,740	1.46
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	2.05	$94,050	0.65
Columbus, OH	2.05	$105,150	1.32
commercial-vehicle manufacturers-Warren-Dearborn, MI	2.05	$106,600	0.6
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	2.04	$100,910	1.85
Oklahoma City, OK	2.02	$95,640	0.84
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	2.02	$101,660	0.46
Knoxville, TN	2.01	$94,790	1.2
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	2.00	$107,470	0.55
Cleveland, OH	2.00	$100,110	1.07
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	1.99	$102,470	0.75
Birmingham, AL	1.99	$95,150	1.22
Lubbock, TX	1.97	$83,200	1.47
Richmond, VA	1.97	$101,140	2.06
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	1.96	$106,510	1.03
Baton Rouge, LA	1.93	$94,100	1.56
Colorado Springs, CO	1.91	$100,890	1.03
Raleigh-Cary, NC	1.91	$99,480	0.93
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	1.91	$141,580	0.29
Charlottesville, VA	1.90	$104,870	Not published by BLS
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	1.86	$135,130	0.79
Worcester, MA	1.84	$106,680	2.02
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	1.84	$110,140	0.75
Youngstown-Warren, OH	1.84	$80,430	1.52
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	1.83	$109,570	1.59
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	1.83	$88,940	0.48
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	1.82	$112,010	0.66
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	1.82	$85,460	1.12
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	1.81	$103,120	2.26
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	1.79	$119,460	0.81
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	1.77	$87,090	1.15
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	1.75	$85,800	1
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	1.74	$81,670	0.65
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	1.68	$98,860	0.46
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	1.64	$99,590	1.19
Portland-South Portland, ME	1.63	$92,570	1
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	1.59	$81,180	0.61
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	1.57	$96,170	2.27
Reno, NV	1.50	$74,360	Not published by BLS
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	1.48	$105,160	0.41
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	1.44	$120,930	0.44
Roanoke, VA	1.41	$66,480	2.68
Akron, OH	1.31	$64,120	Not published by BLS
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	1.09	$59,550	1.14
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR	1.06	$31,260	1.75

Broader occupation Our title "Substation Technician" is reported by BLS as SOC 49-2095 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay. BLS groups Substation Technician within Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.

National percentile table Methodology