Electrician

Description of job: 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.

Behind every light switch or electrical outlet, there is an electrician who made it work. Almost every building has an electrical power, communications, lighting, or control system that electricians and helpers installed when the building was constructed… and maintained afterwards. For new construction, electricians read diagrams that show the planned location of circuits, outlets, and other equipment to guide their work. They use hand and power tools to run wiring through walls and protect it. They also test equipment and materials to find problems and ensure components work properly. Maintenance means first finding the problem then accessing it for repairs. Electricians must carefully follow building regulations to ensure safety, especially when directing or training other workers. Electrician helpers carry materials and tools, cut and bend wire and conduit, use tools to repair and maintain wiring, and clean work areas and equipment. These workers keep full-time hours, sometimes evenings and weekends, working indoors and outdoors in homes, businesses, and construction sites. Most work for electrical and other wiring contractors. Work can require long periods of standing and kneeling, sometimes in cramped spaces. Most electricians learn their trade in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship program that combines technical training and paid on-the-job training. Most states require a license. Electrician helpers usually need a high school diploma or equivalent and are trained on the job. Electricians and electrician helpers literally help the United States “keep the lights on.”

Sources: Minnesota CAREERwise & CareerOneStop

Typical Job ActivitiesSkills & KnowledgeAve Wage/Job OutlookEducation & Training

Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:

Inspect electrical or electronic systems for defects.
Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
Fabricate parts or components.
Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.
Thread wire or cable through ducts or conduits.
Update job related knowledge or skills.
Plan layout of construction, installation, or repairs.
Assist skilled construction or extraction personnel.
Dig holes or trenches.
Communicate with other construction or extraction personnel to discuss project details.

Typical Working Conditions

Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
Standing.
Having face-to-face discussions.
Exposure to sounds or noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable.
Responsibility for others’ health and safety.
The importance of being accurate or exact.
Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
Exposure to hazardous conditions.
Meeting strict deadlines.
Working indoors in non-environmentally controlled conditions.
Working with a group or team.

Tools & Technology used by Electricians

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Most Important Skills for Electricians

Troubleshooting—Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Installing Equipment or Programs—Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Repairing—Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Controlling Quality—Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Understanding How People Learn—Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Maintaining Equipment—Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Most Important Knowledge Areas for Electricians

Building and Construction—Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Design—Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Physics—Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:

Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Wages Per Hour For Electricians (MN)

Low

$28.84

Median

$35.79

High

$46.04

Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.

Demand
This career is seeing very high growth compared to other careers. There will be a 2.8% growth new for Electricians to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

This career is best for those with at least an Associates degree, and many professionals attend at least some college. This career does require a license Elec Contractor Class A; see all licenses.

View the local post-secondary education options for this career from MSTATE/Wadena.

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