Career as an Electrician

Electricians are responsible for installing, maintaining, testing, and repairing electrical systems in a house or building, which control heat, lights, air conditioning, ventilation and power sources. The electrician is responsible for examining blue prints of a home or building and then installing the necessary outlets, light switches, and wiring. The work of an electrician is usually done in homes or buildings, sometimes outside and can also be done in very cramped quarters. Electricians work with high voltage electricity and can sometimes find themselves getting seriously injured on the job. The work can also be done in very cold, damp, dirty, dusty environments when a home or building is being built.
Training for an electrician is similar to a plumber and other trades in that you learn both in the classroom and on the job. Typically training will take 3 to 5 years. Usually you can obtain certification following a few years of on the job training. Electricians are often members of a craft union meaning they have to join in order to before they can practice their trade.

Electrician salary range: $11 - $34/hour

Similarly to other trades positions in the electrician industry are expected to grow due to increased demand and decreasing supply. Fewer students are entering electrician programs and many older trades people are retiring. There are great job opportunities in this field.

Associations and Organizations
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers http://www.ibew.org/

Other home and building maintenance career choices

Other career choices