Energy & Utilities Jobs in Arlington, TX
Oncor, the largest transmission and distribution utility in Texas, is working through a $47.5 billion capital plan for 2026 to 2030, and much of that grid work lands on crews across Tarrant County. The guides below cover every energy and utilities role in Arlington, who is hiring, and what it pays.
Why Energy & Utilities Work Is Different in Arlington
Arlington sits inside Oncor's service territory, a network of more than 145,000 circuit miles of line serving more than 4.1 million homes and businesses. New rooftops in South Arlington toward Mansfield, warehouses in the Great Southwest Industrial District along I-30 and SH 360, and the steady load of the Entertainment District all run on that wire, so line, substation and metering crews stay busy here. Out on the western edge of Tarrant County, Tri-County Electric Cooperative runs its own lineman crews out of Azle and Keller, and CoServ, which began as the Denton County Electric Cooperative, serves more than 500,000 electric and gas meters north of the metro.
Generation is close by too. Vistra, the parent of Luminant, is headquartered on Sierra Drive in Irving and runs gas plants at Forney, Lake Hubbard in Sunnyvale and Midlothian, plus the Comanche Peak nuclear plant near Glen Rose. Constellation, which closed its purchase of Calpine in January 2026, owns the Handley Generating Station on East Rosedale Street in east Fort Worth, right beside Lake Arlington. On the private side, Sunrun keeps field technicians based in Grand Prairie and Freedom Power sells home energy systems across DFW, and since September 1, 2026, residential solar retailers in Texas must register with TDLR.
Top Energy & Utilities Employers in Arlington
These employers have confirmed grid, generation, cooperative and solar roles in and around Arlington:
- Oncor - the largest transmission and distribution utility in Texas, with field operations covering line, substation and meter work across DFW.
- Vistra / Luminant - the Irving-based generator hiring plant technicians at Forney and instrument and control technicians at Lake Hubbard.
- Tri-County Electric Cooperative - the Azle-based co-op that trains apprentice linemen under journeymen at Keller, Azle, Granbury and Aledo.
- CoServ - the North Texas electric and gas cooperative with jobs in more than 50 areas and a path from other roles to the line side.
- Sunrun - the residential solar company with field performance technicians based in Grand Prairie and field sales in the southern suburbs.
- Freedom Power - the Texas solar and home energy company, formerly Freedom Solar, hiring in-home sales consultants in DFW.
Energy & Utilities Career Paths in Arlington
The eight guides in this hub fall into three tracks:
- Line and grid field work - Power Line Technician, Utility Technician and Meter Technician. These are the crews that build and maintain Oncor and co-op poles, wires, substations and meters.
- Generation and gas operations - Power Plant Operator and Gas Service Technician. These roles run the gas and nuclear plants that feed the grid and keep gas service flowing to homes and businesses.
- Solar and energy efficiency - Solar Installer, Solar Sales Consultant and Energy Efficiency Specialist. These are private-market roles installing, selling and tuning home energy systems across DFW.
How to Start an Energy & Utilities Career in Arlington
- TCC South Electrical Line Technician AAS - a 60-hour degree in south Fort Worth, about $4,440 in-county for 2026-27, with shorter Level 1 Ground Technician and Level 2 Line Technician certificates. Oncor has sponsored students in this program through its Secondary Education Outreach Program.
- TCC South Advanced Energy Technician AAS - includes a Level 1 Renewable Energy Technology certificate for solar and storage work.
- TSTC North Texas in Red Oak - an Electrical Power and Controls AAS that feeds plant and substation roles.
- Utility line apprenticeships - co-ops like Tri-County train apprentices for three to four years under a journeyman before they reach journey level.
- TDLR electrician license - required for electricians, with a journeyman license after 8,000 hours under a master. Work on equipment under the exclusive control of an electric utility, cooperative or power generation company is exempt.
- NRC operator licenses - the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses every reactor operator and senior reactor operator, including at Comanche Peak.
- NABCEP certification - voluntary credentials for solar installers and designers that many employers value.
A TDLR license is legally required only for electricians, and an NRC license only for reactor operators; line, plant, meter, gas and solar installer jobs hire on apprenticeships, employer training and voluntary certifications.
Energy & Utilities Salaries in Arlington
- Entry - about $41,000 to $53,000 a year for solar installers, ground technicians and first-year apprentices.
- Mid - about $64,000 to $95,000 a year for journeyman line technicians, plant technicians and experienced field techs.
- Senior - about $105,000 to $135,000 or more a year for senior power plant operators and top line workers.
These are estimates built from federal May 2025 pay data for line installers, power plant operators and solar installers, cross-checked against the Dallas-Fort Worth average for installation and repair trades of $29.86 an hour. Storm-restoration overtime pushes line pay up, nuclear plants pay more than gas plants, and regulated utilities and co-ops generally add retirement plans and paid training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to work in energy and utilities in Texas?
Only for some roles. Electricians need a TDLR license, and nuclear reactor operators need an NRC license. Utility line work on equipment controlled by a utility, cooperative or generation company is exempt from TDLR electrician licensing, so line workers train through apprenticeships instead.
Who hires the most energy workers near Arlington?
Oncor is the biggest grid employer in the area and runs the wires across Arlington. Vistra and Luminant run several gas plants east and south of Dallas, and electric cooperatives such as Tri-County and CoServ hire linemen on the edges of the metro.
How much do power line technicians make in Arlington?
Line workers nationally earned a median of $95,320 a year in May 2025, with the bottom tenth under $51,470 and the top tenth over $128,690. Apprentices start near the low end, and storm overtime can push experienced linemen well past base pay.
What is the fastest way into an energy job in Arlington?
Solar field and sales roles hire without a state license and train on the job. For grid work, the TCC South Level 1 Ground Technician certificate is a short first step toward a line apprenticeship.
Is solar work in Arlington still growing?
Federal projections call for solar installer jobs to grow 37 percent from 2025 to 2035. In DFW, Sunrun and Freedom Power are both hiring, and new TDLR registration rules for residential solar retailers took effect September 1, 2026.
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