Global Wind Workforce Outlook 2025-30

Global Wind Workforce Outlook 2025-2030

Wind Workforce Forecast: from Energy Outlook to People Outlook Chapter 2:

Workforce demand in onshore and offshore wind is projected to increase significantly. By 2030, approximately 628,000 professionals will be required to meet industry needs. This growth is particularly pronounced in the operation and maintenance portion of the wind energy value chain, where the surge in workforce demand reflects an evolving need for higher and more diverse skill sets to service and maintain the world’s 2.1 TW wind fleet. Consequently, this trend raises critical questions for the industry regarding talent availability, skill development, and workforce readiness.

The updated GWEC Global Wind Energy Outlook, shows that between 2025 and 2030, new wind capacity additions are projected to reach 982 GW, bringing total cumulative installed capacity to approximately 2117 GW by 2030. This continued expansion of the wind sector will significantly increase labour demand across the value chain. On the implementation side, beginning at construction to commissioning and operation, the number of wind technicians required worldwide is expected to reach 493,000 in 2026, and exceed 628,000 by 2030, reflecting both the scale of new installations and the growing need for ongoing operations and maintenance.

Job creation is often cited as one of the strongest arguments supporting the clean energy transition – both as a key benefit and as a justification for it. Compared with nuclear power, renewable energy sources such as wind distribute their economic and social value more broadly across communities and industries; they are, quite simply, more inclusive and widely beneficial. 1 From a business perspective, employment in the wind sector – the wind workforce – should not merely be viewed as a byproduct of the transition, but as an essential means of achieving it. Building and empowering this workforce is fundamental to realising our collective clean energy goals.

Around the world, the energy transition has proven to be a powerful job creation engine – and the wind energy sector stands as one of its most dynamic examples. On the production side, renewables have spurred growth in industries that supply equipment, components, and technology. Manufacturers are hiring engineers, technicians, and factory workers to meet rising demand.

Then, on the implementation side, there’s a boom in construction, installation, and maintenance – the boots-on-the-ground work that brings wind energy projects to life. This report specifically addresses the implementation side in C&I and O&M processes (the teal boxes highlight the scope of research in the figure below).

Figure 1: Value Chain of Wind Capacity Development

Design & Planning

Manufacturing

Transportation & Logistics

Construction & Installation

Operation & Maintenance

Decommissioning

1 Submission 69. (n.d.). Inquiry into nuclear power generation in Australia: Evaluating Australia’s energy future – Renewable energy vs. nuclear power. Submission to the House Select Committee on Nuclear Energy, Parliament of Australia.