2025 Year-End Insights
The United States Utilities and Services industry, which includes electric power, natural gas, and water supply, is a segment characterized by high stability, generous compensation, and a profound demographic challenge stemming from an aging, unionized workforce. Employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows a consistently low and stable employment level, with about 597,600 employees in September 2025, and an exceptionally low unemployment rate, currently sitting below 2 percent, indicating that once a job is secured, it is highly stable (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Utilities: NAICS 22"). Average hourly earnings in this sector are among the highest for production and non-supervisory employees, exceeding $46 per hour in late 2025, reflecting the specialized, skilled nature of the work. However, the sector is also facing a massive retirement wave, particularly in critical roles like Power-Line Installers and Electrical Engineers, creating a critical talent gap that is difficult to fill due to the demand for specialized, safety-intensive skills.
Economically, the industry is a pillar of the U.S. economy, defined by regulatory stability and continuous capital investment to modernize aging infrastructure and integrate new energy sources. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) shows that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the Utilities industry remains stable, reflecting its essential, non-cyclical nature, as demand for electricity and water remains constant regardless of general economic fluctuations (FRED via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, "Gross Domestic Product: Utilities (22) in the United States"). The industry is undergoing a historic investment phase driven by the energy transition, focusing capital expenditure on hardening the grid, deploying smart meter technology, and integrating renewable energy sources. This massive capital flow creates significant demand for highly specialized technical, engineering, and data-focused roles, while the traditional field labor force requires continuous skill upgrading to manage digitally enabled infrastructure .
Worker sentiment shared across social media platforms is a mixture of professional security and profound fatigue. Many long-term employees highly value the strong union representation (which stands near 19 percent; one of the highest in the private sector), the excellent benefits, and the certainty of long-term employment. However, a pervasive theme across recent discussions is exhaustion and burnout, with workers feeling that while the mission is essential, the workplace culture often prioritizes reliability over employee experience. There is also frustration among younger, digitally-savvy entrants who cite a lack of flexible working arrangements and the slow adoption of modern workplace technology as factors that make utility careers less attractive than those in the private tech sector, despite the stable pay.
To successfully explore new opportunities, employees are capitalizing on their unparalleled expertise in critical infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and complex system management. The most successful strategy for experienced field workers and engineers is the move into Industrial Safety Management, Regulatory Compliance Consulting, or Specialized Technical Training across other highly regulated sectors like manufacturing, construction, or aerospace. Their deep, practical knowledge of safety protocols, asset integrity, and continuous operations is highly valued and often formalized by obtaining certifications like the Certified Safety Professional (CSP). Corporate staff and engineers are successfully pivoting to Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, and Project Management roles, specifically targeting the new wave of Clean Energy and Energy Technology (EnergyTech) companies. This transition relies on highlighting their experience in managing complex, multi-year infrastructure projects and their ability to translate technical specifications into business strategy, often solidified by earning a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. The industry's push for knowledge transfer also creates opportunities for retiring or long-tenured employees to successfully pivot into Mentorship or Consultancy roles, providing invaluable institutional knowledge back to the very organizations facing the critical skills gap.
Q4 2025 Insights
The workforce across the diverse Utilities and Services industries presents a bifurcated picture, with the highly-paid, secure Utilities sector showing stability, while the broader, lower-wage Administrative Support and Waste Management Services sector faces differing challenges.
The Utilities sector, which encompasses electric power, natural gas, water, and sewage, is characterized by its high wages, strong union representation, and older workforce. The latest data shows an industry with comparatively stable employment levels and production workers earning significantly high average hourly wages, often near the top of the wage scale for all private industry. Employment in this sector is projected to grow, driven largely by the massive need to replace a large wave of retiring workers, a trend that ensures job security for existing staff and a strong hiring pipeline for new entrants in skilled trades like power-line installers and repairers. In stark contrast, the expansive Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector has a much lower average annual salary, with median wages falling well below the national average. While this sector employs millions in roles such as janitors, landscapers, and office support, the lower pay and lower-skill roles mean workers often operate with a smaller financial cushion.
Sentiment from workers on social media platforms reflects these official data points. For those in the skilled trades within Utilities, there is a general consensus that pay and benefits are excellent, which compensates for the demanding nature of the work. Satisfaction often stems from the problem-solving aspect and the satisfaction of just getting things done, though some comment that the work is not deeply fulfilling and is done primarily for a paycheck. The major trend identified for workers in both the higher-paid utilities and other sectors, especially those in administrative or government roles, is an emphasis on work-life balance over salary. Many recount leaving high-stress, high-pay private sector jobs for public sector roles, often taking a pay cut for better hours, less guilt about taking paid time off, and significantly less stress. This trend highlights that for many, survival and long-term well-being are found in stability and time off, rather than raw earnings.
For those in the secure Utilities sector, the primary challenge is dealing with toxic environments or simply finding deeper satisfaction in a stable but repetitive job, while their career path is generally clear, with significant opportunity due to impending retirements. For the lower-paid Services workforce, the struggle is more focused on financial survival and preventing burnout in high-turnover administrative or low-wage service roles. The exploration of new jobs frequently points toward the public sector as a refuge, where better benefits and a structured work environment offer a crucial trade-off for lower pay. The common thread for survival across both industries, particularly for those in construction management or skilled trades, is the need to set firm boundaries on working hours to avoid the 50-plus hour work weeks that management often expects, making a personal commitment to work-life balance the key to long-term survival.
August 2025
It all begins with an idea.
Employee attitudes in this sector is a mix of stability and frustration. Many workers appreciate the job security and steady pay that come with a utilities job. After all, utilities do count as a part of autonomous spending in the United States. However, worker sentiment on social media reveals a growing sense of frustration, particularly among public service workers. Many feel that morale has gone down due to a lack of leadership support and extended hiring freezes, which increase the workload on existing staff. A key finding from a study on municipal utility workers is that job satisfaction is highly dependent on an employee's emotional connection to the organization and a sense of pride in their work, rather than just their interactions with coworkers. When this connection is lost due to poor management or a heavy workload, it often leads to what some describe as a "silent resignation," where an employee stops going above and beyond and simply does the bare minimum.
The utilities and services sector is showing little change in employment over the last month. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that overall utilities and services payroll employment has been stagnant since April, the utilities sector has remained relatively stable. Increased prices of water in the midwest U.S., nation-wide increases in fueld and energy costs, and cost hikes that outpace inflation have allowed utilities to either thrive or hold strong with their current strategies. Hiring freezes and cost-cutting measures are taking place in some public service organizations, but the core utilities sector is not experiencing significant layoffs. The long-term outlook for the industry is stable, as it provides essential services that are not heavily affected by short-term economic fluctuations.