Perform technical activities at power plants or individual installations necessary for the generation of power from geothermal energy sources. Monitor and control operating activities at geothermal power generation facilities and perform maintenance and repairs as necessary. Install, test, and maintain residential and commercial geothermal heat pumps.
U.S. Workers
183,690
Median Salary
$48,640
10-Year Growth
+2.4%
Annual Openings
21,500
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
24 of 24 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems.
AI: Fully automatable - Routine monitoring and adjustment of geothermal plant operations are already handled by automated control systems and can be fully managed and optimized by AI in many cases.
Collect and record data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well fields.
AI: Fully automatable - Sensor networks and SCADA systems already collect and log operational data end‑to‑end and AI can aggregate and record that data without human intervention.
Prepare and maintain logs, reports, or other documentation of work performed.
AI: Fully automatable - Digital records, automated logging and AI summarization can generate and maintain work logs and reports reliably in most cases.
Determine whether emergency or auxiliary systems will be needed to keep properties heated or cooled in extreme weather conditions.
AI: Fully automatable - Forecasting models and building/plant control algorithms can evaluate conditions and decide when auxiliary systems are needed, enabling full automation of that determination.
Identify equipment options, such as compressors, and make appropriate selections.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can analyze performance requirements, compare compressor options against specs and constraints, and recommend optimal selections with high reliability.
Determine the type of geothermal loop system most suitable to a specific property and its heating and cooling needs.
AI: Fully automatable - Given site inputs and constraints, AI can model loads and ground characteristics and determine the most suitable loop type reliably.
Design and lay out geothermal heat systems according to property characteristics, heating and cooling requirements, piping and equipment requirements, applicable regulations, or other factors.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can generate system designs and layouts that account for property data, loads, piping/equipment, and applicable regulations to a usable level for implementation.
Calculate heat loss and heat gain factors for residential properties to determine heating and cooling required by installed geothermal systems.
AI: Fully automatable - Full — software and AI tools can perform heat-loss/heat-gain (Manual J–style) calculations given building parameters, sensor data, or survey inputs with high accuracy.
Identify and correct malfunctions of geothermal plant equipment, electrical systems, instrumentation, or controls.
AI: Partial - AI and monitoring systems can identify many geothermal equipment malfunctions, but corrective actions often involve complex, hands‑on repairs and safety judgments by humans.
Adjust power production systems to meet load and distribution demands.
AI: Partial - Automated control systems and dispatch algorithms can adjust production to match loads, but complex, safety‑critical real‑time decisions and unusual contingencies still require human oversight and intervention.
Install and maintain geothermal plant electrical protection equipment.
AI: Partial - AI can support diagnostics and configuration of protection equipment, but physical installation and hands‑on maintenance require skilled technicians.
Maintain, calibrate, or repair plant instrumentation, control, and electronic devices in geothermal plants.
AI: Partial - Calibration and electronic diagnostics can be automated or assisted by AI, but physical repair and precise hands‑on calibration tasks still need human technicians.
Maintain electrical switchgear, process controls, transmitters, gauges, and control equipment in accordance with geothermal plant procedures.
AI: Partial - Predictive diagnostics and automated monitoring can handle many maintenance decisions, yet physical inspection, repair, and safety checks remain largely manual.
Test water sources for factors such as flow volume and contaminant presence.
AI: Partial - Analytical testing and in‑line sensors can automate measurement of flow and contaminants, but physical sample collection and some field tests still require human presence.
Install and maintain geothermal system instrumentation or controls.
AI: Partial - AI can configure, monitor, and diagnose instrumentation and controls, but installation and many maintenance tasks are physical and require on‑site technicians.
Prepare newly installed geothermal heat systems for operation by flushing, purging, or other actions.
AI: Partial - Automated flushing and purge systems exist and can be controlled by software, but preparing new systems often requires manual procedures, verification, and safety checks by technicians.
Apply coatings or operate systems to mitigate corrosion of geothermal plant equipment or structures.
AI: Partial - This is a hands-on corrosion-mitigation and coating task that AI can guide and optimize but cannot reliably perform the physical application or site-specific adjustments autonomously in 2025.
Operate equipment, such as excavators, backhoes, rock hammers, trench compactors, pavement saws, grout mixers or pumps, geothermal loop reels, and coil tubing units (CTU).
AI: Partial - Autonomous and semi-autonomous equipment control exists, but reliably operating a wide range of heavy field equipment across varied geothermal sites still requires human operators in 2025.
Install, maintain, or repair ground or water source-coupled heat pumps to heat and cool residential or commercial building air or water.
AI: Partial - Installation and hands-on maintenance/repair of ground- or water-source heat pumps require field skills and dexterity beyond AI-only capabilities today, though diagnostics can be automated.
Perform pre- and post-installation pressure, flow, and related tests of vertical and horizontal geothermal loop piping.
AI: Partial - AI can plan, control sensors, and interpret pressure/flow tests, but physical hookup, safety checks, and on-site troubleshooting remain largely manual.
Weld piping, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, using techniques such as butt, socket, side-wall, and electro-fusion welding.
AI: Partial - Some welding processes can be mechanized, but field HDPE welding techniques vary and still need skilled human welders or supervision for quality and safety in 2025.
Dig trenches for system piping to appropriate depths and lay piping in trenches.
AI: Partial - Excavation and pipe-laying are physical tasks where machinery can be semi-autonomous, but full autonomous trenching and precise on-site laying are not broadly reliable yet.
Backfill piping trenches to protect pipes from damage.
AI: Partial - Partial — mechanized backfilling (automated excavators/attachments) can perform much of the work but site variability, delicate pipe handling, and final verification still require human oversight.
Integrate hot water heater systems with geothermal heat exchange systems.
AI: Partial - Integration often requires physical plumbing, electrical hookups, and commissioning on site; AI can design and control integration plans but cannot fully execute them alone.