How Does an Electrician Spend a Workday?

Scope of An Electrician's Job

Electricians are involved in all aspects of getting electricity from electrical lines into homes, offices, plants, construction sites and anywhere that light and power are needed. A workday may begin with surveying the job site, reading building plans, studying current electrical configurations and putting together the supplies and tools to accomplish needed tasks. A basic element of each job is connecting wires from supply to point of use. They may use many different hand tools to do this: pliers, wire cutters, knives and specialty equipment to bend cable holding tubes. Power tools come into use as well, for example to drill holes for wire runs. Electricians also often need to use test equipment such as voltmeters to check wiring connections and safety.

Details of the Work

Some electricians spend much of the time repairing, replacing or upgrading existing installations. Companies that specialize in home wiring will send electricians out to replace existing circuit breakers, add new circuits and install electrical appliances. Electricians working in manufacturing plants need to repair generators, transformers and other heavy duty equipment. In either case, people in this line of work tend to spend time both indoors and out. They have to be careful always to guard against job site accidents and electric shock. A typical workday can involve a lot of heavy-duty physical activity and often crawling around tight spaces to run wires.

Learning to Become an Electrician

Becoming an electrician usually is a process involving moving from apprentice to journeyman, often working with experienced electricians. These apprenticeship programs tend to be sponsored by unions involved in the particular industry. For example, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association have training committees. The Independent Electrical Contractors Association has 70 training centers around the country. The programs may take as long as four years to complete, including classroom sessions and on-the-job training. Just about all states require licensing for electricians, which may involve passing difficult examinations.

Job Market

The job market for electricians is expected to continue to grow due to new construction, constant need for maintaining and upgrading existing electrical situations and the spread of sophisticated telecommunications equipment. Since many senior electricians have been working for long years, increasing numbers of retirements will open new positions as well. Earnings for experienced workers in this field are good. Depending on the area of specialization, median hourly incomes can range from around $18 per hour to $32 per hour or higher.

Resources

• National Electrical Contractors Association
• Independent Electrical Contractors Inc.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers