Congratulations on deciding to start your electrician training. Here you can learn how to become an electrician and start your career off on the right foot!
Electricians are one of the most in demand trades and the need for qualified and certified electricians is increasing each and every year. The most important thing to keep in mind when becoming an electrician is to obtain the proper electrician training and education.
Before you learn how to become an electrician it’s important to understand what an electrician actually does.
What Is an Electrician?
Electricians are highly skilled and trained manual tradespeople who are responsible for the installation, repair, maintenance, and upgrading of electrical equipment in either a residential or commercial setting. Electricity is so important to us that most medium sized organizations employ at least an on-call electrician as part of the staff. From movie sets to construction sites, electricians are highly valued (and well paid!). Electricians often have to go through several years of specialized trade school before they can start their apprenticeship. Even once they are fully fledged electricians, they will still need to attend regular classes and training since their the job is so critical. With how quickly technology and electrical codes change, it’s important that electricians stay up to date on everything.
Here are some examples of some of the tasks that an electrician might need to perform:
- Installation of of lighting fixtures
- Running wires through walls/floors
- Repair of alarm and security systems
- Design and implementation of wiring and electrical plans
- Supervision of other electricians
As you can see, qualified electricians are important to everything we do. It’s no surprise learning how to become an electrician is such a popular career decision.
How to Become an Electrician
There are several steps one must take when becoming an electrician. The first, and most important step, is proper education. Most trade, vocational, technical, and community colleges offer electrician training programs. There are also a number of online electrician school you can enroll in. Although it isn’t often required to become an electrician, a good education makes you far more employable and can ultimately reflect an increase in your pay over the long term.
The second step is to begin an apprenticeship in which you will gain experience under and learn from an experienced master electrician over 2-4 years. Once you’ve completed your apprenticeship you will be able to take your state’s journeyman exam or equivalent and become a fully licensed electrician!
What Are the Different Types of Electricians?
Just as with most other careers there are a number of different levels of electrical qualification that a trades person can progress through as they gain more experience. There are also ways an electrician can specialize in a particular field within the electrical trade. The more qualified and the more specialized an electrician is, the more money they are likely to be paid for their services.
Apprentice Electrician
Apprentice electricians are electrical professionals who perform tasks under and are trained by a master electrician. An apprentice electrician will take classes and gain experience in the field for a few years, at which point they can take an exam to become a journeyman electrician. Depending on your state, your license can actually be called something else.
Journeyman Electrician
Journeyman electricians are trades people who are able to perform electrical duties without the supervision of a master electrician. At this point, many electricians begin to specialize and choose their career paths. Once a journeyman electrician has completed several years of additional practical experience, along with the required yearly training, they can take an exam to become a master electrician.
Master Electrician
Master electricians have reached the highest level of certification for an electrician and are able to train and supervise both apprentice and journeyman electricians. Many master electricians end up starting their own companies or being employed as contractors for businesses. These people are making really good money especially if they are in highly populated or rapidly expanding areas.
Auto Electrician
Auto electricians are journeyman or higher electricians who have been trained to deal specifically with electrical systems in cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc. They are normally paid slightly more than a standard electrician due to the technical nature of what they do.
Electrical Engineer
Electrical engineers aren’t really electricians but many of them have a background in electrical training. They are involved in the design and testing of electrical products and equipment. Typically, these types of engineers are very well paid.
Electrician Salary
Electricians are highly educated, skilled and well trained and as a result they can receive excellent salaries. Depending on the level of qualification, an electricians’ experience and local economic conditions electricians can make upwards of $90,000 a year! Check out our electrician salary page for a detailed analysis of how much electricians actually make.
Good Luck!
Becoming an electrician is an excellent choice and with ElectricianAuthority.com you’re off to a great start! Best of luck pursing your new and exciting career! If you’ve found this site helpful remember to let your friends and colleagues know by sharing us on Twitter, Facebook or whatever else you’re using to communicate with friends!