Wind Turbine Technicians in the Denver area earn a median of $74,740 a year, 18% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #2 of 8 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Greeley.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for wind turbine technicians here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (4.0%) and the population is growing faster than most (+4.1% since 2020).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Denver scorecard for wind turbine technicians Our calculation
Grades compare Denver with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($63,350).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Denver Our calculation
Prices in the Denver area run 6% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $70,655 would in a typical place, ranking #3 of 8 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What wind turbine technicians do
Inspect, diagnose, adjust, or repair wind turbines. Perform maintenance on wind turbine equipment including resolving electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic malfunctions.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Troubleshoot or repair mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical malfunctions related to variable pitch systems, variable speed control systems, converter systems, or related components.
- Perform routine maintenance on wind turbine equipment, underground transmission systems, wind fields substations, or fiber optic sensing and control systems.
- Diagnose problems involving wind turbine generators or control systems.
- Test electrical components of wind systems with devices, such as voltage testers, multimeters, oscilloscopes, infrared testers, or fiber optic equipment.
- Start or restart wind turbine generator systems to ensure proper operations.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, wind turbine technician jobs are projected to grow 29.5% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 1,500 openings a year. About 15% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often wind turbine technicians deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Colorado Official source
The main state licensing office in Colorado is the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations. The state licenses electricians and plumbers; general contractors are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for wind turbine technicians.
Official Colorado licensing site ↗
Requirements for wind turbine technicians vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, wind turbine technicians have 133 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.5× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CO metros for wind turbine technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DenverCOLORADO · CO | $74,740 | $70,655 | 160 |
| GreeleyCOLORADO · CO | $62,150 | $62,041 | 30 |
See every metro in Colorado.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Denver area's unemployment rate was 4.0% in 2025 (all workers, not just wind turbine technicians), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.5% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Denver area is 28 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 16% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 64% drive alone, 2% take transit and 23% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Denver area's population grew 4.1% from 2020 to 2025 (2,970,099 → 3,092,037), ranking #121 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +62,102) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Denver are down 47% from 2021 to 2025 (30,006 → 15,948).
In 2025 the Denver area approved permits for 15,948 new homes (7,477 single-family), or 5.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #127 of 393 metros.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $74,740 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get wind turbine technician pricing & estimate templates →Compare Denver with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for wind turbine technicians as a separate industry, so that section is left out.