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.