Electricians are required to have a license in order to practice their trade. In United States, one must complete at least 4 years of training and apprenticeship in order to be a licensed electrician.
For those who want to become an electrician, it takes a lot of effort and time.
Becoming an electrician requires you to attend school. And learn all the rules and regulations that go into building electrical projects from beginning to end. The process of becoming trained as an electrician may take 4 or more years.
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Who is an Electrician?
A electrician is someone who studies, installs or maintains electrical equipment. Electricians are responsible for the wiring in homes and workplaces. Some jobs of electricians include working with power lines, motors and generators.
In other words, electricians are responsible for power in homes and workplaces. They work with power lines, motors, and generators to accomplish their jobs.
How to become an Electrician
In order to become an electrician, you need to have a high school diploma or GED. You also need to take an apprenticeship program that is sponsored by a union or trade school. Then You can obtain your license in order to work as an electrician.
It typically takes 4 years of school and 2,000 hours of on the job training in order to become an electrician. Electricians can make a good living, with the median salary being around $52,000 per year. There are many opportunities for electricians, as the field is expected to grow by around 9% in the next decade.
So if you are interested in becoming an electrician you should consider the school and training requirements.
- You need to have a high school diploma or a GED, which will take about 4 years of schooling.
- Then you will need to complete an apprenticeship, which will last for about 2 years.
- After that, you will be able to take the required exam to become a licensed electrician.
STEP 1: Do Well in Your High School
One of the main requirements for becoming an electrician is having excellent grades during your time in high school. Because you will need to be able to pass through an apprenticeship that lasts for approximately 4 years. You need to make sure your grades are acceptable.
Your high school grades can be used as a way of showing potential employers that you have what it takes to succeed as an electrician. The more years you have of schooling, the better prepared you will be for going out into the workforce and becoming a certified electrician.
In addition to having excellent grades to become a certified electrician, a high school diploma or GED is also required. While this is not required, it still shows that you are committed. And you have improved the quality of your education by adding more years of schooling after high school.
STEP 2: Obtain an Associate’s Degree
Although you are not required to get a four year degree in order to become an electrician, many people choose to do so in order to receive more knowledge that can be used in the workforce. There are many benefits of obtaining an Associate’s Degree before starting out as a certified electrician.
The degree will allow you to explore different areas of electrical work, whether it is residential work or industrial work, and give you an idea of what you would like to specialize in.
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You can also obtain a certification as a journeyman electrician, which will help if you plan on moving from place to place and looking for work.
The degree is not required, so it is up to your discretion whether or not you want to obtain one. It may be beneficial if you have the financial means to attend school while also maintaining your career as an electrician-in-training.
STEP 2: Enter the Apprenticeship Program
Once you have obtained your high school diploma or GED, completed 2 years of college. And passed a test that shows that you are qualified to work with electricity, it is time to enter into an apprenticeship program.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, apprenticeship programs last approximately 4 years and include both on-the-job training and classwork in order to become a registered electrician. You will be given classroom assignments as well as learning about safety procedures and how different electrical projects work.
After completing your 4 year apprenticeship, you will then have the opportunity to take a test that allows you to become a full-fledged electrician.
If you fail this test, your apprenticeship can be extended an additional 6 months. It is very important to study for this test since the information you are tested on will be similar to what you have learned during your apprenticeship.
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STEP 4: Obtain Your Certification
As mentioned earlier, you will need to be a certified electrician in order to work as one. If you are already employed, then all you will need to do is take a short exam that will test you on the electrical projects.
There is a small cost for taking this exam, and the test can be taken at any time during your career as an electrician.
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