Have you plant yourself Googling 'electrician apprenticeship' in the hope y'all'll find an article that has everything yous demand to know nigh:

  • How to become an apprentice electrician
  • Where to detect electrician apprentice jobs
  • The average apprentice electrician salary
  • Electrician apprenticeship training

Well, you're in luck.

This guide will tell you everything about getting your electrician apprentice license in the US.

Note: You may read this guide and make up one's mind that becoming an apprentice electrician isn't for you. We're going to tell you how it is. Why? Then you're fully clued-in before you invest time or money getting your electrician amateur license. Remember of it this way: you're better off spending ten minutes reading this now and deciding information technology's not the right fit than a yr downwards the line, correct?

So, the question is: If y'all're considering becoming an electrician apprenticeship, where do you lot start?

Electrician Apprenticeships: The Basics

What is an Electrician Apprenticeship?

In well-nigh skilled trades, you need to spend time every bit an apprentice earlier you lot become fully qualified. When information technology comes to electrician apprenticeships, it'south no different.

Under the watchful center and guidance of a Journeyman or Main Electrician, you'll larn the skills of the merchandise on the job—and get paid for doing it.

Do Yous Need to do an Apprenticeship to be an Electrician?

Legally, you have to practice an apprenticeship if y'all want to become an electrician.

The classroom has its place (every bit nosotros'll discuss later when we await at electrician schools), but there's no substitute for real world, applied feel.

Imagine this: It's 4 am and your power goes out. Who exercise y'all want the power visitor to ship? Someone who has washed the job a hundred times earlier, or someone who has just read about the job in books?

Past completing an apprenticeship, y'all're showing potential employers that you are defended to the chore, possess the ability to practice it, and accept mastered the nuts of the merchandise.

What Responsibilities Do Electrician Apprentices Have?

Yous'll commencement by being an extra pair of easily on-site, similar to a laborer. Yous'll exist expected to show upwardly on time, practice as y'all're told, and non complain. Your typical duties will include passing tools to the journeyman/principal, cleaning, and tidying. While you're doing this, you'll be expected to learn as much every bit possible—soaking upwards everything you see and hear.

If you show some initiative, y'all'll build trust with your mentor. During this time, y'all'll be studying at your electrician schoolhouse. Then before long, you'll exist asked to help with harder jobs like repairing, testing, and installing electrical circuits (amongst other things).

How Does an Electrician Apprenticeship Help You Become a Qualified Electrician?

Your road from amateur electrician to Principal Electrician comes in three stages:

  1. Electrician Apprentice -Yous'll spend 4-five years gaining applied experience on the task with your mentor, plus several hundred hours classroom experience.
  2. Journeyman -After completing your apprenticeship and passing the Electrical Journeyman Exam, you lot'll have the title 'Journeyman' and will be fully qualified.
  3. Chief Electrician -After serving two years as a Journeyman and passing the Chief Electrician Exam, you'll become a Master Electrician.

At that place are additional certifications you tin become if y'all're interested in 'freelancing' as an electrician. Becoming an electrician can too lead to specialist jobs.

Note: you may find yourself picking things up rapidly during your apprenticeship, especially if you testify initiative. Merely earlier you become helping friends and family for some cash on the side, you should know it's illegal in all states to comport out any electric work when not nether the supervision of your mentor.

And then You lot Desire to Become an Apprentice Electrician? Consider These Things Beginning:

Working Hours

If you haven't had a job in a skilled merchandise before, you may exist unfamiliar with the working hours. In short, forget the ix to five workday. Early on mornings are the norm (expect to become out of bed before 6 am). On average (excluding overtime), yous can still expect to piece of work a twoscore-60 minutes week like nearly jobs, so that early showtime means you'll stop before too.

Your working day hours may vary depending on where you live and if your mentor is a Union Contractor or Not-union Shop. Additionally, after working your day job as an apprentice electrician, yous'll take homework to practise.

Yes, homework. Considering in addition to getting hands-on experience, you need to learn the scientific discipline and math to back it upwardly.

Electrician School

Yep, at that place is such a thing equally electrician schoolhouse. Also known equally "technical colleges" or "trade schools," you'll demand to complete several hundred hours of formal instruction while working your day job as an amateur electrician.

In fact, information technology's non a bad idea to take some classes at a trade school before y'all apply for your apprenticeship. Why? It shows initiative and puts y'all ahead of the competition. Nosotros'll look at more tips for succeeding in your application in the next section.

Amateur Electrician Bacon

Electrician apprentice jobs are entry-level positions, so information technology's fair to accept that you'll receive entry-level pay.

Look at information technology this style: if you went to college, you'd pay the schoolhouse to larn. By becoming an apprentice electrician, you're being paid to learn.

As a ballpark figure, y'all're looking at a starting salary of betwixt $10 and $20 dollars an hour, which equates to $20,000 to $xl,000 a twelvemonth. Apprentice electrician salary figures vary from state to state, with the highest existence in Denver, New York City, and Tulsa:

Highest Paying U.Due south. Cities for Amateur Electricians:

Denver, CO $xx.77
New York, NY $20.45
Tulsa, OK $19.61
Dallas, TX $19.23
Austin, TX $18.77
Fort Worth, TX $18.74
Phoenix, AZ $18.71
San Antonio, TX $xviii.27
Houston, TX $17.76

Source: Indeed.com

Once y'all qualify equally a Journeyman, y'all can expect your hourly charge per unit to increment to $28-$37 per hour, while Masters tin can earn fifty-fifty more.

Applying for Electrician Apprenticeship Jobs

At present that you know what an electrician apprenticeship is, why you need it, what your working day will look like, how much y'all can expect to go paid, and what hours you'll be working, you should have a amend agreement of whether being an apprentice electrician is correct for you. Adjacent, we'll wait at how you actually become one.

What Practise You Need to Become an Amateur Electrician?

Before you employ to an electrician apprenticeship plan, at that place are a few things you'll demand to have ready.

A good mental attitude and a high school diploma are essential, while a bones noesis of electric work is a bonus. To succeed every bit an electrician amateur, yous'll need to show you're interested in the bigger picture. Rather than waiting around to be told what to do, evidence initiative. If you do this as part of your awarding before yous start your electrician amateur training, you'll be off to a proficient start.

On a more technical level, you'll need basic tools and protective wearable. While your mentor may let you lot loan the equipment for a short time, you'll need your ain gear earlier too long. Why non show you're serious about the job and invest in your new career from the start? It'll help you get a good starting time and will also make you lot more than appealing to potential employers when you lot're applying for jobs.

Does State Law Bear upon Apprentice Electrician Jobs?

Like most laws in the Us, the verbal certifications and fine details of your electrician apprentice license volition vary from land to country.

For example, in Arizona there is no statewide code and you won't receive any official license until you go to the Journeyman stage. In Arkansas, you need an electrician apprentice license with the DOL, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, and the Arkansas DOL through the Arkansas Department of Labor & Licensing. In Texas, you must take 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience to be certified as a Journeyman, whereas in Southward Carolina the requirements vary on a local level.

Rather than get into the details of all US states hither, apply this guide. Input your ZIP code and information technology'll tell you exactly what you need to know near electrician apprentice training law for the state where you want to live and work.

Where Practise You Observe Electrician Apprentice Jobs?

At that place are many ways to discover electrician apprentice jobs nearly you. Here are the six best ways:

1. Local Task Boards

Where improve to discover jobs close to home than local task boards? Whether it's your local newspaper, on a wall at your local supermarket, or an online task board on Facebook or Gumtree, starting local is never a bad bet. Why? It'll be easier to do your due diligence on any electricians offering an electrician apprenticeship.

2. United states of america Department of Labor

Every bit part of the Registered Apprenticeship Programme, employers sign up to accept on apprentices in a range of different manufacture types. Search past occupations and industry here.

iii. Independent Electric Contractors.

The IEC have a dedicated apprenticeship scheme for budding electrician apprentices to begin their electrical careers. Commencement here to read near grooming opportunities, finding a school virtually yous, and careers.

4. National Electrical Contractors Association & International Brotherhood of Electric Workers

The IBEW & NECA are partners for national and local joint apprenticeship preparation committees and centers (JATC). To find a local JATC, check out the Electrical Grooming Alliance website.

5. Online Job Boards

Whether it's Jobserve, or Indeed, there are numerous online chore boards where electricians volition annunciate apprentice electrician jobs.

6. Workrise

Once you're qualified, check dorsum in with Workrise. We're building the free energy manufacture'south largest online marketplace to connect contractors with work.

Matrimony Contractors and Non-Union Shops: Which One is All-time for Your Electrician Apprenticeship?

You may hear the term 'wedlock contractor' and 'non-union shop' when looking for an electrician apprenticeship. Deciding which route to go can be confusing for aspiring apprentice electricians, and then hither's a summary:

Union Contractor refers to any electrician who is a member of a local electrical spousal relationship. The IBEW governs all local unions and is role of the AFL-CIO. Getting an apprenticeship through the marriage will involve an awarding process, and past becoming an apprentice through them, you'd become a member. The IBEW makes sure their workforce is trained, experienced, and properly vetted. Union salaries take been negotiated by union representatives. This route can be more difficult.

A non-shop electrician is more similar a conventional electrician, and you lot'd expect to apply in the usual way: answering a chore advertisement and going for an interview. Non-shop salaries depend on how much the electrician tin can afford to pay you.

For a full breakup of the pros and cons of each route, check out this comprehensive guide from the Electrician School.

The Importance of Picking Your Mentor

While it'due south true that you'll probably end upwardly applying for many electrician apprenticeship jobs, you lot should still be selective with who you piece of work with.

You will spend 40 hours a week for at least four years with this person, so they need to be trustworthy, reliable, and easy to work with.

Check their credibility on sites similar Yelp, Angi, Rated People, Porch, Google, and Facebook. According to Survicate, 34% of customers are more than likely to exit a bad review after a poor experience, compared to 28% who are likely to share a skilful ane, so acquit that in heed. However, they should still have more than positive than negative reviews.

Applying for Apprentice Electrician Jobs: How to Succeed

If you lot've got this far, we're going to presume you've decided being an apprentice electrician is for y'all. Congrats! To summarize what you've learned so far: now yous know what an electrician apprenticeship is all well-nigh, why you lot demand to complete one, and where you can find one.

Now we're going to look at how yous get 1. And past that, nosotros hateful how to succeed in your application.

Electrician apprentice jobs can be highly competitive, and then you lot've got to find a way to differentiate yourself from the other applicants. But how?

Do Your Research

Y'all're reading this commodity right now, so that's a bang-up outset. Get as clued in as possible earlier budgeted any job advertisements so you lot're prepared to reply any questions a potential employer may have.

Make a Great Get-go Impression

This follows on from point i, but you can't underestimate the importance of making a expert first impression. A business firm handshake, confident introduction, and clean presentation all brand a difference.

Get Ahead of the Competition

Talk about any trade school experience you lot have (if y'all don't accept any, we recommend you get some) and what makes y'all different from the competition.

Think About What You lot'd exist Looking for if You Were Hiring

You'd want to see dedication, a get-up-and-get attitude, and understanding of the central skills of the job, wouldn't you? So testify that.

What to Do Right Now: Activity Items

Now nosotros've looked at the main things all electrician's apprentices need to know. So what exercise you do side by side?

Acquire to Drive

What's that got to practice with electrician apprenticeships you enquire? Quite a lot. Every bit a tradesman, it'south pretty of import that you hold a valid license. Plus, you lot need a driving license to get certified as a Journeyman.

Find and Enroll in a Trade School

We've discussed the importance of trade schools and how they'll not merely requite you a taste of what being an apprentice electrician is all about, but also give you an edge over the competition when applying for your part.

Read Back Over This Article

Make a listing of action items and check everything you need to practice off your list. Earlier long, you lot'll be on your way to Main Electrician condition.