How to become an energy production manager
Official title: Energy production manager
Also called: Geothermal production manager, Hydroelectric production manager, Wind energy operations manager, Biofuel production manager, Renewable energy production manager, Sustainable energy production manager
Energy production managers oversee power generation facilities and energy production operations. They may manage staff, processes, equipment and policies.
Main tasks
- Oversee energy production plants and services
- Apply rules and regulations
- Direct maintenance and repair work
- Manage workers and production teams
- Make sure health and safety rules are met
- Make sure energy work follows standards
- Manage energy production activities
- Report on compliance matters
How to become one
You need experience to become an energy production manager and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: experience in similar work. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in electrical and electronic engineering and technology, environmental studies, engineering studies, business and management, science or similar area; a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Honours) (Renewable Energy Systems).
Ways in
- University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 5 universities in New Zealand
- University: Agriculture & Environment degrees, Offered by 4 universities in New Zealand
- University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 6 universities in New Zealand
Pay
- Most common pay: $99,000 to $129,500 a year (median $125,667), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $80,000 a year · Upper: $142,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
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Questions people ask
How do I become an energy production manager?
You need experience to become an energy production manager and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: experience in similar work. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in electrical and electronic engineering and technology, environmental studies, engineering studies, business and management, science or similar area; a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Honours) (Renewable Energy Systems).
How much does an energy production manager earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $125,667 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $99,000 to $129,500 a year.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026