Geothermal Energy Industry Workers

Employers

Approximately 8,870 people are employed in the geothermal industry, according to the research group Statista. Currently, the majority of geothermal employment opportunities in the United States exist where most geothermal reservoirs are located—in the western states, especially in rural areas. About 94 percent of the current U.S. geothermal generating capacity was in California and Nevada in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Geothermal electric power generation also occurs in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Other states—such as Louisiana and Mississippi—are expected to begin generating electric power via geothermal technology in the next several years. However, since magma is located everywhere under the earth’s surface, better technology and more powerful tools may enable geothermal-related projects to be found throughout the United States.

Geothermal energy workers are employed by government agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service, that review and approve licensing requests from geothermal energy contractors. They also conduct geothermal energy research for the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of the Interior (National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey), and other agencies. Developers of geothermal energy resources are major employers of workers in the field. Opportunities are also available with construction subcontractors and suppliers of power and cooling systems components, many of which are located in Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Starting Out

There are many ways to explore job opportunities in the geothermal energy industry. Your college’s career services office is a great resource for job listings as well as for help drafting resumes and cover letters. It may organize career fairs, at which you can meet with company recruiters. Contacting companies directly regarding employment is also a good approach. Professional associations are another good source of job information via their Web sites or publications.

For more information on clean energy jobs and career planning, visit https://www.energy.gov/eere/education/clean-energy-jobs-and-planning.