utility line locator

administrative assistant

gas leak surveyor

technician

customer service representative

Elm-Utility-Services

Overall: Once you learn how to perform the job it becomes routine fast, however... being responsible for doing the job correctly can be stressful. Natural gas and power are the two most dangerous utilities buried underground, so there can be quite some pressure to make sure you do the job right.

A normal day would go something like this: Once you start your company vehicle, you clock in. (day starts at 7am except for some exceptions.) The company work phone you are provided is managed by the area manager and you will have a list of 811 tickets on your phone that you need to respond too. You go to each location one by one, locating or clearing dig sites of PSE utilities based on each sites locate requirements. Where you travel and what areas you need to locate vary day to day. Sometimes you go to a private residence with nothing to locate so you leave in 5 minutes, other times you are on a 10 mile construction site, locating utility lines for hours across multiple days, for as long as they continue to dig in the area. The day ends after you finish locating the last ticket loaded in your system and after you check in with the manager to make sure nothing else has come up (or if hours are capped to 40 hours for the week, sometimes the manager will reduce your work load to ensure you get home in time) You are paid hourly from the moment you take off your driveway to when you get back to your driveway. This was my day to day with the job usually.

The hardest part of this job, in my opinion, was the rotating on call shift and the constant pressure of making sure you do the job correctly. Every 6-10 weeks, for one week, you are responsible for emergency calls and are required to have your work phone on 24/7. This is a responsibility that is stacked on top of your normal work shift. So normally you would work Mon-Fri for about 40 hours for example, but on call, you would also work evenings, overnight, and weekends for the week as needed. This extra burden is compensated well however. Every hour you are out responding to on call requests is paid time and a half, but nevertheless the shift always made for a very stressful week.

The most enjoyable part of this job will vary from person to person. For me, what I enjoyed the most was getting to drive to all kinds of different locations. My most memorable sites that I got a chance to go to for example would be places like the Green River up in the mountains. (This is a water treatment facility closed off to the public.) Due to the nature of our work, we sometimes get access to areas that are closed off to the public, so sometimes we will get to see some cool sights. (Of course we're their to work though.)

So in closing, this job isn't that bad if you can handle driving a lot, can learn how to perform the job correctly, and are willing and ready to work a lot of hours.

The pay is good, at about 18 bucks an hour. Work is usually steady until it gets cold, when the digging stops, but as soon as it warms up you can be guaranteed a good 40 to 40+ hours a week. You get a company vehicle and your day starts the second you leave and the second you get back home. You work with all sorts of different people completing different tasks at different places, so its always different every day. 

However, it doesn't come without consequences. My experience may be unique but it should still be pointed out. There are only two of us in the entire county, so if one gets sick, goes on leave or vacation, one person takes the entire workload. I feel as if this is a poor call made by the management team over our area, but their excuse is how work will be for 3 or more people in the winter, which is fair. You will be left calling contractors, moving dates endlessly while you alone try to get caught up until the other person comes back, which seems ridiculous.

It also start to drive you nuts when you get a vague dig area, with utilities running across 5 or 6 backyards, going door to door and getting angry scowls as you describe what you are doing and why you need back in their yard.

The on call scheduling was never consistent, and I never actually knew when I was on call or not since the schedule described to me never added up, especially when I get back to back emergency calls when I'm supposedly not on call. 

I also was assigned a poor car for the area I am in, a FWD Escape, with real cheap fuel economy orientated tires assigned by management. It did horrible in the snow and the mud, and found myself stuck for a good amount of days during the winter and mud season. Try as I might, I couldn't seem to get the AWD variant or at the very least better tires, and its become more of a pain than anything else. The computer I got was broken, so it had to stay plugged in, which is annoying when you are discussing plans with contractors or homeowners when they are unsure of their exact dig area.

Pros: 
- Take home company vehicle
- Paid "driveway to driveway"
- High levels of autonomy*
- Lots of overtime pay

Cons:
- Automated ticketing system can produce frustrating routes
- Highly dependent on your immediate supervisors being good
- High variability due to weather and time of year for low or high work loads
- Expect to work a lot of overtime*

Different offices locate for different utility companies in different regions - I worked under two different managers in WA and both were excellent: good teachers, understanding supervisors, and extremely knowledgeable. I am aware of other offices and other management that were not nearly as good so you're rolling the dice a bit. 
You work outside all day, in all weather and often digging around in brush/foliage so if that's not your thing you probably won't like locating. I personally enjoyed being outside all day and not sitting behind a desk all day. It's not overly laborious, but expect to walk A LOT - on hard and soft surfaces. 
It requires a lot of autonomy and independence which can be nice, but it also means if you're behind you can get chewed out and there's no one to share the load. Expect to make a lot of phone calls and knock on a lot of doors in order to get the job done - it's not "door to door" by any means, but often you end up needing to knock on doors to access properties which, depending on your area, can be a living h3ll. 
During the winter you might be pushed down to 32 hrs due to low work - I was in a relatively urban area so this problem wasn't as big of an issue. But in the summer, depending on the region, you may end up working 6, 10+ hr days a week. The overtime can be nice, but it can really throw work-life balance out the window. But you can be smart about it - good communication skills with other contractors or other technicians will save you a lot of time. 

Overall, expect to work a lot, hope you get into a good office, and be smart about it - if you take the time to talk to people and learn the ebb and flow it'll make your work a lot easier.  

The job itself is not bad and offers a lot to learn in not only the locating industry but the utility industry as well. The company does not treat its employees well with the exception of management. Here is a list of current negatives:

- Management has poor communication and is impulse driven and uncompromising. Don't be surprised if you get notice as you're leaving for the day that everyone has to stay in the field indefinitely. If you choose not to stay, you risk losing your job. ELM also does not guarantee work so again, don't be surprised if you go to log in for the day and find out they had to "sit you out" to save on hours.

- Management rewards bad behavior and is inconsistent in holding their employees accountable. If a tech is unable to do a job or simply does not want to do it (even though they have all been trained in the same way), that job will get passed on to another tech. No further training or correction is given. 

- Management only cares about ticket production. It will never be enough and management makes sure that you know you are replaceable. When confronted by another tech and gave them his two week notice, they offered him a raise and other bonuses not given to even the most senior techs.

- Was promised a raise when my yearly review came around and when it did not go through they drug their feet to get it input. When it finally was approved by corporate, the raise given was approx $.50/hr less than what was discussed previously. When confronted, the issue was brushed aside. Was also promised a raise when accepting a higher position. Later it was discovered that they do not pay differently even though you have more responsibility as a Lead or Trouble Tech.

- You pay for the company car they give you.

There are more issues but this wall of text should be enough. A short list of pros:

- You mostly work alone. 
- Flexibility in start time.

I strongly advise against working for this company. They prioritize profits over employees, treating workers poorly while offering minimal benefits. Management constantly changes rules unpredictably, and only managers receive bonuses—employees get nothing.

From the start, they mislead new hires. Training lasts two weeks, but once it’s over, you’re left to navigate the job on your own, and any mistakes are used against you. They pay close to minimum wage but demand relentless effort for their own gain.

The management team lacks proper qualifications, and their leadership is among the worst. High turnover is a constant issue—new hires often leave within weeks after realizing how exploitative the job is.

The company also uses AI surveillance in their vehicles, monitoring employees excessively. The only real takeaway from this job is gaining some knowledge about underground utilities. Otherwise, the work environment is toxic and unprofessional.

Despite handling 2,970 tickets without causing any damage, my manager—who was incompetent—claimed I had poor performance and fired me simply because I requested a transfer. This company does not value its employees, and I would not recommend working here.

Most condescending micromanaging supervisor I have ever worked for. When you try to learn something by asking a question, they tell you that they can't believe you don't know that answer. Soo...you stop asking questions and just make mistakes. They make you feel like you are worthless and worse of all you despise answering their phone calls cause it's just going to result in being bitched at or being belittled for the day. 

The sad thing is that they have potential, but they need to start fresh with new management and people that care. All they hire is family and friends and the people that deserve the supervisor jobs are left in the field to rot.

Company cares more about making money than your health, your family, or your performance in general. You are a number to this company who will be easily replaced. Training is very poor, promised 2 week training that was cut down to 3 days max! Supervisor and Area Manager are no help if you reach out with questions while out in the field. The only up side to this job was getting to know the higher ups for the contracting utility companies, a handful of co workers, and being able to work independently. Although you are tracked by your company vehicle even if you stop 5 minutes at a gas station to use the restroom!!! You will either be working very few hours over the winter making barely anything or be placed on unemployment. Depending on who the Supervisor favors more will determine who is out working and hardly making a dime. Horrible turn over rate in the entire company. The upper management talks badly about one another in front of employees and nothing is ever confidential, very unprofessional environment! This is your “you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours” type of show and it feeds all the way back to HR. Find a better company to invest your time and body into! Job security is more important than this company’s ego!

Managers don't have your back. Only scolded never praised. No constructive criticism and training can make you feel very under prepared for the job. False promises repeatedly given. You are expected to work 40 hours a week and not go over however you can get stuck on an emergency for extra time and they send you home early to keep you at 40. Short staffed and constant turnover. Every employee I met had negative things to say about the company and their experiences. Instead of having constructive and positive reinforcement and helping with what are unsure of on the job. They expect you to know everything after barely any training for how important finding gas lines is. If you try calling your supervisor for help 9 times out of 10 you will get the voicemail. If you make a mistake they belittle you and offer no help or anything of the sort. Offer only negative comments and no feedback and just expect you to suddenly understand. A completely miserable place to work. The  pay is only decent for everything you have to put up with and do. 2/10 place to work. 

Huge amounts of overtime. Typical environment in this industry where those with with strong work ethics work overtime to compensate for those that won’t / can’t complete their tickets. Extreme employee turnover; no benefits worth having, no 401(k) match, very expensive healthcare plan. The pay was decent, but still low for the high stress / high risk environment. It’s an entry level job that really needs some kind of career path to keep experienced people around. Potential for extreme problems (property damage, injury, death) if the job isn’t done accurately. Emphasis on what could go wrong. I’ve seen coworkers punished for mistakes, but no one recognized for what they do well. Cameras in the trucks that record the employees, and other recent attempts to micromanage employees. No trust in their workers, but probably because these kinds of places “will hire anyone with a pulse.”

What is the best part of working at the company?
Time starts when you enter your car not at the first job like some others 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The ever changing policy. It changes without any notice,call backs after you worked a 8+ hour day 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Zero trust. We were gpsed,and on camera the entire time you are on the clock. Always the stick, NEVER the carrot. An environment of fear of losing your job ...

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Log in, to your time clock and your utility maps, open the appointment calendar, and make your way to your first job. Communcate to the homeowner or contractor. Find the utility meter, hook up, paint and/or flag the located utilities Document the service render. This includes photos and digital work reports all of which needs to be logged in to their custom software. Then do this 15-25 times throughout the day drive home and make any calls to work orders not visted.then log off

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Utility line locator 182 salaries reported	$26.91 per hour
Administrative assistant 6 salaries reported	$22.92 per hour
Gas leak surveyor 2 salaries reported	$25.00 per hour
Technician 2 salaries reported	$27.00 per hour
Customer service representative 3 salaries reported	$20.67 per hour

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