How to Become an Electrician

Becoming an electrician is a great career path for those that like working with both their hands and their brain.  There are several paths one can take too in the electrical field, such as residential, commercial, industrial, marine, and aircraft.  Each require specialization and the skills can be acquired through trade school, apprenticeships, military training, and hands on –on the job training.

Pay for electricians can vary depending on level of skill and location.  For the first couple of years, a trainee can expect a pay range of between $10 and $15 per hour.  Journeymen electricians can write their own ticket but those that work for contractors can expect a pay range of between $18 and $49 per hour.  Again, it depends on the specialization, skill set, and location.

Below, you will find several ways that one can become an electrician. Each path requires certain obligations or financial commitments.

One of the quickest ways to get started as an electrician is to search out the help wanted postings in your area.  Many of the larger contractors that are hiring for electricians are also looking for electrical helpers.  An electrical helper is pretty much the same as an apprentice but without an official program.  The helper is normally paired up with an experienced electrician that will become sort of a mentor.  The pay for a helper depends on how much experience has been acquired.  Experience can come from a book or online sources, but nothing is better than hands on training. At the very least, if you want to go the on the job training route you should get some background knowledge on basic residential wiring, which includes knowledge and use of basic tools and electrical lingo.  Two of the very best references can be found in the 2 books listed on the right.

There is a much slower route but one that will give you the greatest electrical knowledge to prepare you for a long and prosperous career as an electrician.  This route requires that you apply for and be accepted to an apprenticeship program.  Apprenticeships can be found through the National Electrical Contractors Association, the Independent Electrical Contractors Association, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.  Apprenticeships normally last about 4 years but you will be working and earning an income doing electrical work.  Mostly, the work will be the same as the work you would be doing as a helper but you will be earning credentials through a structured program.  When you finish the apprenticeship program you will be ready for the journeymen exam along with higher pay.

When I was doing electrical work I took the on-the job- training route and I learned a lot but was limited by what my then mentor knew.  I soon tired of residential and commercial work but I didn’t have the experience to move into industrial electrical work and soon moved onto another career path.  Had I known more about the electrical field I would have elected to be trained in that field when I joined the Army.  Military electrical training is second to none and would be my recommendation to any recent high school graduate.  In the Army, there is only a two year commitment and in that time you can get all the electrical training and experience you need to bring over to the civilian world.  Use the links to the right to discover if military training in the electrical field is the right path for you.