Substation Protection, Testing and BESS
Relay Engineers, NETA Technicians and BESS Commissioning Leads
Protection and control relay engineers, NETA III/IV technicians and BESS commissioning leads.
Built for protection managers at utilities, substation epcs, neta testing firms and bess developers, and for the p&c relay engineers, neta level iii/iv technicians and battery storage commissioning leads they are trying to hire.
Our commitments
Calibrated
Shortlist after the search plan
In writing
Replacement guarantee per your engagement agreement
Engaged Fee
100% credited toward final placement invoice
Cost of Vacancy ROI Calculator
Cost of Vacancy Calculator
Every number below comes from the inputs you set. Start from your own billable rate or delay cost.
Starting value is an assumption; replace it with yours. Modeled at 45 billable hours per seat per week.
Intake to start date. Offers, notice periods, and onboarding add time.
Your assumption. Set it to 0% to count unbilled revenue only.
Weekly Unbilled Revenue Bleed
$6,750
1 seat x $150/hr x 45
Total Vacancy Cost over 14 Weeks
$111,510
Including the 18% team load you set
Estimated Cost Avoided
$47,790
6 weeks sooner than waiting
Standard 25% Placement Fee
$25,755
On $103,020 assumed first-year comp per seat
Cost Avoided vs. Fee (illustrative)
1.9x
On your inputs, the cost avoided exceeds the fee by $22,035.
Illustrative calculation from the numbers you enter, not a guarantee of savings or results. Cost avoided counts only the weeks the seat would stay open beyond the search time you set. Fees are 15 to 30% of first-year compensation, with engagement fees starting at $3,500. 100% of engagement fees are credited in full toward your final placement invoice, backed by a written replacement guarantee per your engagement agreement.
Inside Grid & Power Search
Pay Index
Model base, contract hourly rate and per diem for p&c relay engineers, neta level iii/iv technicians and battery storage commissioning leads.
Run the numbers →Talent Vault
Sample profiles that show the credentials and experience we recruit for.
Browse the vault →Vacancy Cost Report
What an open seat costs each week on your own numbers, against a 25% placement fee, plus the 2026 market report.
Price your vacancy →
Frequently asked questions
How much does a protection and control engineer make?
BLS puts the May 2025 median for electrical engineers, the occupation P&C engineers fall under, at $120,630, with the 90th percentile at $184,300. 2026 P&C postings we reviewed ranged from about $100,000 to $157,000, with senior and PE-licensed roles at the top. A posted P&C temp role in Portland paid $75 to $95 an hour.
What is the difference between NETA Level 3 and Level 4?
NETA requires five years of experience for Level 3 and ten for Level 4, and candidates must pass each lower exam first while working for a NETA-accredited company. A Level 3 technician can supervise Level 1 and 2 technicians and perform electrical power switching. A Level 4 technician supervises large projects and multiple crews and can work independently.
How do I hire a relay engineer quickly?
Narrow the search to the platform and voltage class you run, and ask for settings packages and end-to-end tests the candidate personally owned. A PE and NERC PRC experience, including PRC-029 for inverter-based resources, widen the pool you can use.
What is a conflict check?
Before we share an identified candidate, we confirm they don't currently work for your company or its affiliates, and we ask the candidate about anything, such as a notice period or an agreement with a current employer, that could affect the timing of a move. We don't agree with any employer to avoid recruiting another employer's people, and we never share one client's pay data with another.
What does an open P&C engineer seat cost a substation EPC?
For a firm that bills engineering time, an empty seat is unbilled hours. At an assumed $175 billable rate and 50 billable hours a week, that is $8,750 a week per seat before any overtime load on the team. Your rate will differ, so the calculator uses the numbers you enter.
Why are relay technicians hard to hire?
Interconnection queues and new large loads put more substations into construction at once, and the technicians who lead energizations need ten years of experience for NETA Level 4. Demand has grown faster than the experienced workforce.