JobPOVs
Explore

Residential & commercial

Electrician

Wiring the buildings everyone else works in.

Typical pay

$45k-$110k

How you get in

4-year paid apprenticeship + license

Outlook

Strong; aging workforce and constant demand

Electricians install, troubleshoot and maintain electrical systems. Most start as an apprentice and get paid while learning, ending up with a licensed trade that is hard to outsource.

A day in the life

  1. 6:30aLoad the van, check the day's work orders
  2. 7:30aOn site, walk the job with the general contractor
  3. 9:00aRough-in wiring: drilling studs, running cable, setting boxes
  4. 12:00pLunch in the truck, order missing parts
  5. 1:00pPanel work and troubleshooting a dead circuit
  6. 3:30pClean up, log hours, plan tomorrow

How to get in

Union apprenticeship (IBEW)

Duration

4-5 years

Cost

$0 — you earn a wage from week one

Credential

Journeyman electrician license

  1. Finish high school or a GED, with algebra on the transcript
  2. Apply to your local IBEW/NECA training center when applications open
  3. Pass the aptitude test (mostly algebra and reading) and sit for the interview
  4. Work roughly 8,000 supervised hours while attending night classes
  5. Pass your state's journeyman exam

Merit shop apprenticeship (IEC / ABC)

Duration

4 years

Cost

$500-$3,000 total for books and class fees

Credential

Journeyman electrician license

  1. Get hired as a helper at a non-union electrical contractor
  2. Enroll in the contractor's IEC or ABC apprenticeship program
  3. Log the same ~8,000 hours, classes usually one or two nights a week
  4. Pass your state's journeyman exam

Trade school first

Duration

9-12 months, then an apprenticeship

Cost

$8,000-$18,000

Credential

Certificate, then journeyman license

  1. Complete an electrical program at a community or technical college
  2. Use the certificate to get hired and sometimes shave hours off the apprenticeship
  3. Still log the required on-the-job hours
  4. Pass your state's journeyman exam

What people love

  • · Strong pay without a degree
  • · Apprenticeship pays you while you learn
  • · Always in demand
  • · Tangible finished work

What wears people down

  • · Hot attics and cold crawlspaces
  • · Hard on knees and back
  • · Real safety risk if careless
  • · Early mornings

From people doing it

Add yours