Careers
WAPA IS HIRING
Get paid to learn a trade. Retire with a pension.
WAPA’s apprenticeship is a four-year, eight-step program registered with the Department of Labor. You are a full-time federal employee from the first day, with a raise at every step. You finish as a journeyman, and the job is still yours.
Three places the work happens
Nothing open in your area today? That is normal here. Search the USAJOBS title from the list below, save the search, and turn on email alerts. You will hear the day one opens.
In the field
Linemen build and maintain the lines, from wood poles to steel towers, sometimes by helicopter. Heavy equipment mechanics keep the trucks and rigs running.
USAJOBS titles: High Voltage Electrician (Lineman), Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic, Student Trainee (Pre-Apprentice)
In the substation and shop
Electricians maintain transformers and breakers. Meter and relay craftsmen test the protection that keeps a fault from becoming an outage. Communications craftsmen keep the microwave and fiber links up.
USAJOBS titles: High Voltage Electrician, Electronic Integrated Systems Mechanic (Meter and Relay), Electronic Integrated Systems Mechanic (Communications)
In the control room
Dispatchers run the grid in real time, around the clock, with NERC certification. Energy schedulers buy and sell power to keep hydro, wind, and load in balance. Shift work, and its own pay system.
USAJOBS titles: Power System Dispatcher, Energy Management and Marketing Specialist
The ladder
Craft pay is negotiated with IBEW and benchmarked against other utilities. Every step up is a raise.
1
Pre-apprentice (Pathways student trainee)
Still in school or trade school. Paid, part of a crew, first look at the craft.
2
Apprentice, eight steps over four years
Full pay and benefits from day one. Classroom time is paid. WAPA covers the physicals. A raise at each step.
3
Journeyman
The card, the pay, and the job. Journeymen from other utilities can also hire in directly at this level.
4
Leader and foreman
Foreman I, II, and III run the crews. Many of WAPA’s maintenance managers started as apprentices.
Straight talk about travel
Line crews travel. Storm response can mean weeks away, and some duty stations are a long way from a city. Per diem is paid and overtime is real, but if you need to be home every night, ask about the specific job before you apply.
What you need to start
A high school diploma or GED. A commercial driver’s license for most line and electrician jobs, or the ability to get one. A drug test and a physical, which WAPA pays for.
Already served?
Veterans get preference on craft announcements, and the Veterans Recruitment Appointment can place you into an apprenticeship without open competition. Crew work, shift work, and being trusted with expensive equipment all transfer.
Apprentice classes open on a schedule
Set a USAJOBS alert for “High Voltage Electrician” and “Electronic Integrated Systems Mechanic” so you do not miss the window.
Questions about a job or the application process?
Email pmasscrecruit@wapa.gov.
A real person in Human Resources reads it.
Last modified on October 22nd, 2026