NJ Civil Service Navigator

CHIEF PUBLIC UTILITY ECONOMIST

Code: 56607 State Unclassified Range: M41 (FY2026)

Career Family: CHIEF

Salary: $162,558.17 - $241,387.79/year FY2026 schedule (last updated 2026-05-08)

Chief Public Utility Economist is an unclassified state title, filled by appointment and outside the tenure protections that cover the competitive ranks.

Eligibility comes down to 5 years of relevant experience. The FY2026 range lands between $162,558 and $241,388.

How to get hired

  1. Chief Public Utility Economist is an unclassified title. It is filled by appointment rather than by examination, and it sits outside civil service tenure protection.
  2. Openings are made directly by the appointing authority, usually a department head, board, or elected official.
  3. Salary for unclassified roles is often set individually, so the published range is a guide rather than a fixed grade.

Read the official specification at NJ Civil Service Commission.

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.

Examples of work

  • Develops and implements data retrieval systems required to litigate economic and financial disputes brought to the Board for resolution.
  • Establishes a systematic review process to regularly study the future load forecasts and plant expansion plans of all electric and gas companies in the state.
  • Provides regular evaluations of proposed legislation having economic impact upon regulated utilities subject to the Board's jurisdiction.
  • Formulates underlying economic analysis of selected legislation, and when required, appears as an expert witness.
  • Reviews current rate design practices of regulated utilities and evaluates the effectiveness of these rates in view of the goals established by the Board.
  • Acts as economic advisor to attorneys handling cases.
  • Where statutes require, develops guidelines to implement the pursuit of competitive markets and prevents predatory behavior on the part of regulated companies. In this area establishes working relationships with various state and federal agencies enforcing antitrust statutes.
  • Represents the Board on the following boards/agencies:
  • Governor's State Economic Planning Council NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Economics
  • National Regulatory Research Institute
  • Directs and prepares expert economic testimony on such matters as rate design, financial analysis, utility efficiency, and any other economic issue relevant to the Board's responsibilities.
  • <b>REQUIREMENTS
  • EDUCATION</b>
  • A Doctorate degree in economics, econometrics, or finance from an accredited university.

Experience

Five years of comprehensive research or regulatory experience

dealing with Public Utilities operations.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

  • Thorough knowledge of economic theory, regulatory economics, industrial organization, economic statistics, and related disciplines of accounting and finance.
  • Ability to design research programs related to regulatory problems. This shall include the preparation of suitable econometric methodologies for the testing of hypotheses.
  • Ability to conduct in-service economic education seminars on topics related to the ongoing regulatory problems confronting the Board.
  • to represent the Board in economic policy discussions with regulated utilities, state agencies, and various public interest groups.
  • Ability to communicate and explain complex regulatory economic principles to forums selected by the Board.
  • Ability to synthesize economic problems related to the growth and development of the state's economy. Particularly important are the consequences of rate increases on the economic health of the state.
  • Ability to coordinate and evaluate the performance of under-graduate and graduate students appointed to PUC economic internships.
  • Actively encourage interviews and seminars, the career opportunities in regulatory service.
  • Ability to read, write, speak and understand English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position.
  • Good health and freedom from disabling physical and mental defects which would impair the proper performance of the required duties of which might endanger the health and safety of oneself or others.