Substation Engineer Jobs in California
Substation Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in investor-owned utilities, independent power producers, and large-scale renewable energy development, with openings at every level from entry-level designers through senior protection and control specialists. The heaviest hiring runs through the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, where employers such as Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, and Bechtel have long-established operations. Protection and control engineering, relay engineering, and high-voltage design are the most consistently in-demand specializations. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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This Opportunity
WSP is initiating a search for a Substation Engineer to support our Data Center Initiation Team in San Diego, CA. The following locations will also be considered: Kansas City, KS, Seattle, WA, New York, NY, Portland, OR, Houston, TX and St. Louis, MO. This role contributes to early-stage substation planning and design development for data center clients, working collaboratively across business lines to support feasibility, site evaluation, and infrastructure planning.
In this role, you’ll help shape the early vision for substation design and electrical infrastructure supporting cutting-edge data center projects. You’ll contribute to developing preliminary concepts and layouts that inform key feasibility and planning decisions—giving you exposure to the most strategic phase of project delivery.
Working alongside multidisciplinary teams across all the divisions that WSP has to offer, you’ll help evaluate site suitability, coordinate with utilities, and assess infrastructure requirements. Your contributions will play a meaningful role in turning complex project needs into practical, well-informed solutions.
You’ll support technical decision-making around substation configuration, equipment selection, and layout development—building your expertise while helping deliver quality outcomes aligned with client goals. This role offers strong opportunities to grow your technical skills while contributing to projects as they progress from concept through detailed design and into delivery.
If you’re looking to develop your expertise, collaborate with industry experts, and be part of impactful infrastructure projects from day one, this is an excellent opportunity to build your career.
Your Impact
- Support multidisciplinary coordination for site evaluation, planning, and infrastructure integration
- Contribute to proposal development, including technical input and scope definition
- Assist in execution of substation projects across planning, design, procurement, and construction phases
- Coordinate with internal teams, utilities, vendors, and stakeholders for project delivery
- Participate in site visits and field activities to validate design assumptions and resolve issues
- Support development of project schedules, deliverables, and budgets
- Perform substation design tasks including:
- One-line diagrams, schematics, and wiring diagrams
- Layouts, grounding, lightning protection, and basic SCADA systems
- Prepare design deliverables such as general arrangements, sections, BOMs, and cable/conduit plans
- Support development of equipment specifications and vendor coordination
- Follow QA/QC procedures and verify accuracy of deliverables
- Prepare reports, calculations, and technical documentation
- Work collaboratively with senior engineers and project leads
- Maintain compliance with codes, standards, and company policies
- Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
- Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering
- 3+ years of substation design experience
- Experience supporting physical or protection & control design
- Understanding of utility substation systems and equipment
- Familiarity with substation design processes and standards
- Ability to perform engineering calculations and interpret technical documents
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
- Ability to manage assignments with moderate supervision
- Demonstrated problem-solving skills and attention to detail
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Ability to work schedules conducive to project-specific requirements that may extend beyond the typical workweek. Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s Degree in Engineering
- EIT certification; on path to obtain a PE licensure
- Experience supporting multi-discipline projects
WSP Benefits:
WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.
Compensation:
Expected Salary (all locations): $78,600 - $135,000
WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.
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About WSP
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.
At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
See All 47 Substation Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Substation Engineer JobsSubstation Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Substation Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Kiewit7

- E2 Consulting Engineers5

- Mesa Associates5

- Pacific Gas and Electric5

- WSP5

Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services33
- Construction & Real Estate11
- Transportation & Logistics8
- Energy5
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in substation engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from an ABET-accredited program required
- California Professional Engineer license or active EIT registration strongly preferred
- Three or more years of substation design or protection and control engineering experience
- Proficiency with AutoCAD or CADKEY for substation design drawings and schematics
- Familiarity with NERC reliability standards and California CPUC interconnection requirements
- Experience with protective relay coordination studies and relay settings documentation
Substation Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a substation engineer in California?
Start with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from an ABET-accredited program, then register as an Engineer-in-Training through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists after passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. After gaining qualifying experience, passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam earns you a Professional Engineer license, which California utilities and major EPCs increasingly require for lead and senior substation roles.
Which companies hire substation engineers in California?
Employers hiring substation engineers in California right now include Kiewit, E2 Consulting Engineers, and Mesa Associates, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's large investor-owned utilities, major EPC firms, and renewable energy developers represent the most consistent sources of substation engineering demand in the state.
Which California cities have the most substation engineer jobs?
San Diego, Pomona, and Los Angeles have the most substation engineer openings in California. The Bay Area leads because Pacific Gas and Electric is headquartered there and major EPC firms maintain large engineering offices nearby, while Los Angeles draws demand from Southern California Edison and a growing concentration of renewable interconnection projects, and Sacramento reflects SMUD hiring and state-level grid infrastructure work.
Are there remote substation engineer jobs in California?
Yes, but they're rare. Substation engineering involves significant field work, site reviews, and hands-on coordination that limits full remote arrangements. About 30% of substation engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, and when flexibility does exist it tends to apply to design, relay coordination studies, and documentation work rather than construction oversight or commissioning roles.
How can I get hired as a substation engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is applying directly to the new graduate and engineer development programs that Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, and SMUD run each year for candidates with an electrical engineering degree and an EIT registration. Entry-level roles often carry titles like electrical engineer associate or protection and control engineer I, and candidates who have completed a senior capstone in power systems or an internship at a California utility move to the front of the applicant pool.
Where can I find and apply to substation engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to substation engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings. Search the available roles, find the ones that fit your experience and location, and apply directly.
See All 47 Substation Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Substation Engineer Jobs