Electrician Career Highlights

• Job prospects are projected to be good, especially for those electricians with the right skills.
• Most electricians learn their skills by completing an apprenticeship program lasting 4 to 5 years.
• Almost 75 percent of electricians work for building contractors or are self-employed, however, there will also be many job openings for electricians in other industries.

Nature of the Work

Electricity is required for light, power, air-conditioning, and refrigeration. Electricians install, connect, test, and maintain electrical systems for many different purposes, including climate control, security, and communications. They also may install and maintain electronic controls for machinery.

Electricians usually specialize in construction or maintenance work, though a growing number do both. Those specializing in construction work predominantly install wiring systems into new homes, businesses, and factories, but they may also rewire or upgrade existing electrical systems as needed. Those electricians who specialize in maintenance work noramally maintain and upgrade existing electrical systems and repair electrical equipment.

When they install electrical systems, electricians work with blueprints . Blueprints depict the locations of circuits, outlets, load centers, panel boards, and other equipment. Electricians are required to follow the National Electrical Code and comply with State and local building codes when they install these systems.

When installing wiring systems in factories and commercial settings, electricians must first place conduit (pipe or tubing) inside partitions, walls, or other concealed areas as specified by the blueprints. They also afix small metal or plastic boxes to the walls that will house electrical switches and outlets, then they pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between the boxes. In residential construction, electricians generally install plastic encased insulated wire, which does not need to be run through conduit. The gauge and number of wires installed in any setting depends on the load and end use of that part of the electrical system, for example, the greater the diameter of the wire, the higher the voltage and amperage that can flow through it.

Electricians connect every type of wire to circuit breakers, transformers, outlets, or other components. They linkk the wires in boxes with various specially designed connectors. Electricians use hand tools such as conduit benders, screwdrivers, pliers, knives, hacksaws, and wire strippers, as well as power tools such as drills and saws, during the installation process. When they finish installing the wiring, they must use testing equipment, such as ammeters, ohmmeters, voltmeters, and oscilloscopes, to test the circuits for proper connections, and ensure electrical compatibility and safety of components.

Depending on the setting, maintenance work varies greatly. Electricians specializing in residential work tend to perform a broad variety of electrical work for homeowners. For example, they may rewire a home and replace an old fuse box with a new circuit breaker box to accommodate additional appliances. They may install new lighting and other electric household items, such as ceiling fans. Those electricians who work in large factories may repair motors, transformers, generators, and electronic controllers on machine tools and industrial robots, while those employed in office buildings and small plants may repair all types of electrical equipment.

Maintenance electricians employed in factories, hospitals, and other similar settings repair electric and electronic equipment when breakdowns occur and install new electrical equipment. When malfunctions occur, they must make repairs as quickly as possible in order to minimize downtime. Sometimes they replace items such as circuit breakers, fuses, switches, electrical and electronic components, or wire. Maintenance electricians also periodically inspect all equipment to ensure it is operating properly, and locate and correct problems before malfunctions occur. Many times electricians advise management whether continued operation of equipment could be unsafe. Those electricians working with complex electronic devices, may work together with engineers, engineering technicians, line installers and repairers, or industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers.

Working Conditions

Electricians work both indoors and outdoors; at construction sites, residential settings, and in businesses or factories. Work can be strenuous at times and include lifting heavy objects, and standing, stooping, and kneeling for long periods of time. When working outdoors, electricians may be subject to poor weather conditions. A few electricians may have to travel long distances to jobsites. Electricians are at risk from injury due to electrical shock, falls, and cuts; to avoid injuries they must follow strict safety procedures .

Electricians generally work a standard 40-hour week, although overtime may be required at times. Maintenance electricians may work nights or weekends, or be on call to go to the worksite as needed. Those working in industrial settings may periodically work extended overtime during scheduled maintenance or retooling periods. Companies and factories operating 24 hours a day may employ three shifts of electricians.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Some electricians learn their skills through apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship programs combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Candidates for apprenticeships normally must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or a G.E.D equivalent. Good math and English skills are important; most instruction manuals are written in English. They usually have to pass a test and meet other requirements, as well. Apprenticeship programs last about 4 years and each year includes at least 144 hours of classroom instruction and 2,000 hours of hands-on training. Apprentices learn electrical theory and installing and maintaining electrical systems In the classroom. Generally, they take classes in blueprint reading, mathematics, electrical code requirements, and safety and first aid practices. They also learn soldering, communications, fire alarm systems, and cranes and elevators. On the job, they work under the close supervision of experienced electricians. In the beginning, they drill holes, set anchors, and attach conduit; later, they may measure, fabricate, and install conduit, as well as install, connect, and test wiring, outlets, and switches. Apprentices also learn to design and draw diagrams for entire electrical systems. In order to complete the apprenticeship and become licensed electricians, apprentices must show mastery of the electrician’s work.

Other persons who wish to become electricians choose to obtain their classroom training before seeking a job. Training is offered by many public and private vocational-technical schools and training academies often in affiliation with local unions and contractor organizations. Employers often prefer to hire students who complete these programs and usually start them at a more advanced level than those who have not completed the training. Some people become electricians by first working as helpers, helping electricians set up job sites, gathering materials, and doing other nonelectrical work, before entering an apprenticeship or formal training program.

Skills necessary to become a successful electrician include manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, physical fitness, and a good sense of balance. They must be able to solve arithmetic problems quickly and accurately, and have good color vision. Electrical workers often must identify electrical wires by color. A good work history or military service is viewed favorably by apprenticeship committees and employers.

Most States require electricians to be licensed. While licensing requirements vary from area to area, electricians generally must pass an examination that tests their knowledge of electrical theory, the National Electrical Code, and local electric and building codes. Experienced electricians periodically take continuing education courses offered by their employer or union to keep abreast of changes in the National Electrical Code and new materials or methods of installation, and for their professional licensure requirements.

Experienced electricians may advance to jobs as supervisors; in construction they may become project managers or construction superintendents. Some may start their own electrical contracting business. Many electricians prefer to become electrical inspectors. Supervisors and contractors must be able to identify and estimate the type and quantity of materials needed to complete a given job, and accurately estimate how long the job will take to complete and at what cost.

Employment

In 2004, electricians held about 656,000 jobs. Nearly 66 percent of wage and salary electricians were employed in the construction industry; while the remainder worked as maintenance electricians in other industries. In addition, about 10 percent of all electricians were self-employed. Because of the broad need for electrical services, electrician jobs are found in every part of the country.

Job Outlook

Job opportunities for electricians are expected to increase as fast as average for all occupations through the year 2014. As the population and economy expand, more electricians will be needed to install and maintain electrical devices and wiring in homes, factories, offices, and other structures. New technologies also are projected to continue to stimulate the increased demand for electricians. Increasing prevalence of robots in factories, as well as other automated manufacturing systems will require more complex wiring systems. More electricians will be needed as older structures are rehabilitated and retrofitted, which normally requires that they be brought up to meet existing electrical codes.

As well as jobs created by the increased demand for electrical work, other openings are projected to occur over the next decade as many electricians are expected to retire, creating good job opportunities for qualified jobseekers. The demand for electrical workers will vary by area and will be greatest in the fastest growing regions of the country.

During economic downturns, job openings for construction electricians tend to be reduced as the level of construction activity declines. Opportunities for apprenticeships are also less plentiful during these periods. Employment of maintenance electricians tends to be steadier than that of construction electricians. However, those working in the automotive and other manufacturing industries sensitive to cyclical swings in the economy may be laid off during periods of recession. Additionally, opportunities for maintenance electricians are often limited in many industries by the increased contracting out for electrical services, which tends to reduce operating costs and increase productivity. Generally, increased job prospects for electricians in electrical contracting firms should partially offset job losses in other industries.

Earnings

In May 2004, median hourly earnings of electricians were $20.33; the middle 50 percent earned between $15.43 and $26.90; the lowest 10 percent earned less than $12.18, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $33.63. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the greatest number of electricians in May 2004 were as follows:

• Motor vehicle parts manufacturing $30.04
• Local government 22.24
• Nonresidential building construction 19.99
• Building equipment contractors 19.76
• Employment services 15.62

Apprentices normally start at between 40 and 50 percent of the wage rate paid to fully trained electricians, depending on their experience. When apprentices become more skilled, they receive pay increases at intervals throughout the course of their training.

Many electricians are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; among unions representing maintenance electricians are the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; the International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine, and Furniture Workers; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; the International Union, United Automobile, Aircraft and Agricultural Implement Workers of America; and the United Steelworkers of America.

Related Occupations

Electricians combine manual skill and knowledge of electrical materials and concepts, in order to install and maintain electrical systems. Workers in occupations involving skills similar to electricians include heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers; line installers and repairers; electrical and electronics installers and repairers; electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers; and elevator installers and repairers.

For additional information regarding apprenticeships or other work opportunities in the electrical trade, contact the State employment service office, the State apprenticeship agency, local electrical contractors or firms that employ maintenance electricians, or local union-management electrician apprenticeship committees. Information may also be available from local chapters of the Independent Electrical Contractors, Inc.; the National Electrical Contractors Association; the Home Builders Institute; the Associated Builders and Contractors; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; and other local organizations.

For a directory of career training and certification programs, go to:

For information about union apprenticeship and training programs, contacts include:

*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.