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Wireman
Job Description
Electricians install and maintain electrical systems in homes, businesses, and factories.
Rewarding Aspects of Career
- “I build something every day that you can see and touch.”
- A sense of accomplishment when you finish a project
- Autonomy: You can work as much and as little as you want. It’s project-based.
- Typically you start at 6:30am-3:30pm: Able to do other projects in the afternoon.
- Work with your hands!: “When you are mechanically inclined, the trades are excellent for that.”
$52,720
The Inside Scoop
Job Responsibilities
- Reads blueprints or technical diagrams before doing work.
- Installs and maintains wiring and lighting systems.
- Inspects electrical components, such as transformers and circuit breakers.
- Identifies electrical problems with a variety of testing devices.
- Repairs or replaces wiring, equipment, or fixtures using hand tools and power tools.
- Follows state and local building regulations based on the National Electric Code.
- Directs and trains workers to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring or equipment.
Different types of electricians
- Outside linemen: Installs the distribution and transmission lines that move power from a power plant to a factory, a business, or your home.
- Inside Wireman: Installs the power, lighting, controls and other electrical equipment in commercial and industrial buildings.
- VDV Installer Technician: Installs circuits and equipment for telephones, computer networks, video distribution systems, security and access control systems and other low voltage systems.
- Residential Wiremen: Installs electrical systems in single-family and multi-family houses or dwellings.
Skills Needed on the Job
- Math skills
- Drafting skills
- Attention to detail
- Spatial intelligence
- Dexterity, hand-eye coordination
- Physically fit
- Good balance
- Color vision: dangerous to be color blind
- Troubleshooting skills
- Customer service
Where do they work?
- Electrical and wiring installation contractor company: Range from mom and pop shop (4-8 electricians) to large shops (200+ electricians)
- Residential: home building
- Commercial: malls, office buildings
- Industrial: refineries, chemical plants, power plants
- Ancillary
- Manufacturer
- Building Superintendent/Stationery Engineer
- Building Inspector
Work Environment
- Indoors and outdoors
- Might work with noisy machinery in factories
- Might work in cramped spaces
- Physical: Requires a lot of lifting, bending, kneeling, and stretching.
Why become a union electrician?
- Union negotiates competitive rates: mostly likely double or triple non-union rates
- Full medical benefits (medical, dental, vision)
- Pension
- Annuity
- Protection from discrimination and being out of work due to injury
- Access to better jobs and amazing opportunities
- Helmets to Hardhats program: Connects quality men and women from the Armed Forces with promising building and construction careers.
Expectations/Sacrifices Necessary
- Dangerous: common risks include electrical shocks and burns, cuts, and falls.
- Irregular work schedule: Sometimes might work really early in the morning. Sometimes at night.
- Might have to drive long distances for job site.
Education and Training Needed
- Electricians learn their trade through a lengthy, ~2,000-hour apprenticeship. A high school diploma/GED is needed, but a college degree isn’t
- Some students complete an Electrician associate’s or training program from a community college or vocational school
- Some enroll in prep-training, like the Home Builders Institute’s Preapprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) program, to prepare for apprenticeship
- Apprenticeships are a time-honored way of learning by doing. Most are sponsored by union and contractor associations (see our Recommended Resources > Websites for details)
- Note, apprenticeship candidates must take the Electrical Training Alliance Aptitude Test, managed by the Electrical Training Alliance
- Practical education gained from work experience is vital. Entry-level Electrician apprentices start with basic tasks, learning under the supervision of a seasoned pro over a period of up to 4 or 5 years
- Common areas of learning include reading circuitry, basic electrical information, blueprints, math, building codes, safety principles, first aid, soldering, fire alarm systems, and elevators
- To become a Journeyman, Apprentice Electricians must pass an exam regarding the National Electrical Code (and other state or local codes) to get their state license
- Tests vary by state, but may cover topics such as:
- Electrical services, service equipment, and separately derived systems
- Branch circuit calculations and conductors
- Wiring methods and electrical materials
- Electrical equipment and control devices
- Motors and generators
- There are dozens of specialized certification options from organizations such as:
- American Lighting Association
- International Association of Electrical Inspectors
- International Association of Lighting Management Companies
- International Code Council
- InterNational Electrical Testing Association
- International Municipal Signal Association
- Professional Lighting and Sound Association
Basic requirements for apprenticeship program
Unions and contractors sponsor apprenticeship programs. The basic qualifications to enter an apprenticeship program are as follows:
- Minimum age of 18
- Driver’s license
- High school diploma or equivalent (GED or take an aptitude test)
- Physically able to do the work
- Minimum grade of “C” for high school or college algebra.
- Pass drug test
Things to do in high school
- Take courses in high school such as shop, English, math, algebra, and electronics
- Get in the habit of practicing good safety and wearing proper personal protective equipment
- Have your color vision tested to ensure you can meet job eligibility requirements
- Obtain your driver’s license so you can make it to job sites on time
- Review criteria for taking the Electrical Training Alliance’s Electrical Training Alliance Aptitude Test
- Consider taking pre-apprenticeship training
- Study books, articles, and video tutorials related to the trade
- Ask a seasoned Electrician if you can shadow them to get a feel for the job’s day-to-day
- Keep a working draft of your resume, noting any skills you’ve picked up, projects completed, and other details
- Get certified in a specialized area to bolster your credentials
- Review educational content on the National Electrical Contractors Association website
Education Stats
- 39.7% with HS Diploma
- 13% with Associate’s
- 5.9% with Bachelor’s
- 0.8% with Master’s
- 0.4% with Doctoral
Typical Roadmap
How to land your 1st job
- Read apprenticeship ads carefully to ensure you meet the criteria to apply
- Electrician apprenticeships are the way to break into this line of work
- Pay: Start off with 35-50% of journeyman’s wage and increases are usually given every 6 months.
- Union will give you the signatory list: local union will give you leads and you start making calls to contractors on the list.
- Contact Job Corps.
- Ask the local union for help and get on “out of work” list.
- If attending a college or trade school, ask their career center for assistance
- Many trade/vocational programs serve as pipelines to local recruiters, so let them know when you’re ready for work!
Description of the different positions
- Estimator: Budgets the job then bids on the job.
- Project Manager: Behind the scenes, paperwork. Make sure request for information is filled out. Money is getting paid. Work in conjunction with Superintendent.
- Superintendent: Takes care of the manpower needs on a jobsite. Materials and workers.
- Foreman: Takes care of the job.
How to stay competitive and climb the ladder
- Dedication
- Person who is best with tools and the union elevates these people.
- Leader/Teacher: someone who knows the craft so well and they teach others.
- Keeping up with new technologies and methods
Recommended Tools/Resources
Websites
- Apprenticeship.gov
- Associated Builders and Contractors
- Electrical Training Alliance
- Explore the Trades
- Helmets to Hardhats
- Home Builders Institute
- Independent Electrical Contractors
- International Association of Electrical Inspectors
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- International Municipal Signal Association
- National Electrical Contractors Association
- NCCER
Books
- At Your Best as an Electrician: Your Playbook for Building a Successful Career and Launching a Thriving Small Business as an Electrician, by At Your Best Playbooks
- The Electrician's Trade Demystified, by David Herres
- Ultimate Guide: Wiring — DIY Home Electrical Installations & Repairs from New Switches to Indoor & Outdoor Lighting, by Editors of Creative Homeowner
Plan B
Related Careers: Electrical Engineering Technician, Elevator Installer/Repairer, HVAC Technician, Line Installer
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