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Electricians
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.
Other titles employers use
Control Electrician · Electrical Journey Person · Electrical Troubleshooter · Electrician · Housing Maintenance Electrician · Industrial Electrician · Inside Wireman · Maintenance Electrician
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
- Place conduit, pipes, or tubing, inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas, and pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between boxes.
- Work from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
- Use a variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.
- Assemble, install, test, or maintain electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, apparatus, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.
- Connect wires to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Subjects to know
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Design
Useful strengths
- Problem Sensitivity
- Near Vision
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Oral Comprehension
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.0 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 4.5 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.9 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A certificate or some college 64%
- High school or less 33%
- A two-year degree 2%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Word processing software
- Document management software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Operating system software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 88,600
- Job openings each year
- 8,310
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 13.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 88,600 | 8,310 | 13.3% |
| Texas | 81,440 | 7,800 | 18.1% |
| Florida | 54,510 | 5,200 | 17.4% |
| New York | 45,140 | 200 | 4.6% |
| Michigan | 28,900 | 2,590 | 4.9% |
| Ohio | 28,120 | 2,530 | 5.4% |
| North Carolina | 28,040 | 2,630 | 13.2% |
| Washington | 27,040 | 2,780 | 10.2% |
| Virginia | 25,050 | 2,270 | 6.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 24,200 | 2,200 | 7.0% |
| Georgia | 24,130 | 2,300 | 17.0% |
| Illinois | 22,820 | 2,070 | 7.1% |
| Colorado | 21,130 | 2,010 | 17.0% |
| Arizona | 21,040 | 2,020 | 18.7% |
| Tennessee | 20,210 | 1,890 | 13.1% |
| New Jersey | 19,000 | 1,750 | 9.9% |
| Utah | 16,750 | 1,740 | 42.2% |
| Indiana | 16,310 | 1,490 | 7.4% |
| Maryland | 15,620 | 1,450 | 10.8% |
| Missouri | 14,070 | 1,290 | 8.1% |
| Wisconsin | 13,710 | 1,290 | 13.9% |
| Minnesota | 13,450 | 1,240 | 9.9% |
| Oregon | 13,430 | 1,300 | 20.0% |
| Louisiana | 13,220 | 1,230 | 11.7% |
| Alabama | 12,120 | 1,120 | 11.1% |
| Kentucky | 10,900 | 990 | 6.7% |
| Iowa | 9,780 | 920 | 14.3% |
| Oklahoma | 9,570 | 880 | 9.0% |
| South Carolina | 9,440 | 870 | 9.5% |
| Arkansas | 9,210 | 850 | 10.4% |
| Connecticut | 8,970 | 840 | 13.5% |
| Nevada | 8,060 | 760 | 14.2% |
| Idaho | 8,010 | 800 | 28.8% |
| Massachusetts | 7,590 | 700 | 11.3% |
| Nebraska | 7,260 | 680 | 14.0% |
| Kansas | 7,010 | 640 | 8.9% |
| Mississippi | 6,810 | 670 | 23.1% |
| New Mexico | 6,220 | 590 | 17.1% |
| West Virginia | 4,020 | 350 | — |
| Montana | 3,800 | 380 | 26.7% |
| Maine | 3,740 | 330 | — |
| New Hampshire | 3,650 | 340 | 13.7% |
| North Dakota | 3,500 | 330 | 15.5% |
| Wyoming | 3,150 | 310 | 23.0% |
| Rhode Island | 3,020 | 290 | 15.3% |
| South Dakota | 2,940 | 280 | 16.7% |
| Delaware | 2,630 | 250 | 12.9% |
| Puerto Rico | 2,150 | 200 | 12.6% |
| District of Columbia | 1,950 | 180 | 11.4% |
| Alaska | 1,850 | 170 | 12.8% |
| Vermont | 1,510 | 140 | 11.0% |
| Guam | 530 | 50 | — |
Career to college
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