Electricians
What Electricians Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Self-employed
- 7.8%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.7/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.6/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.4/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.4/5
- Designimportance 3.3/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.2/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.9/5
- Psychologyimportance 2.7/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.9/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
- Contact With Others4.8/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.7/5
- Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body4.7/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers93% skill match
- Mechanical Door Repairers84% skill match
- Solar Photovoltaic Installers82% skill match
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians82% skill match
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters82% skill match
- Rail Car Repairers82% skill match
- Commercial Divers81% skill match
- Sheet Metal Workers80% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Troubleshootingimportance 4.0/5
- Repairingimportance 3.5/5
- Installationimportance 3.3/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.1/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- AVEVA InTouch HMI
- Construction Master Pro
- Craftsman CD Estimator
- Database software
- Electrosoft FlashWorks
- Elite Software E-Coord
- Elite Software Inpoint
- Elite Software Outpoint
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- Stress Tolerance
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where electricians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Kokomo, IN4.20× national avg
- 2Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA2.89× national avg
- 3Gulfport-Biloxi, MS2.61× national avg
- 4Odessa, TX2.61× national avg
- 5Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX2.52× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersLateral Move
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersCareer Change
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related RepairersCareer Change
- Solar Photovoltaic InstallersLateral Move
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Electrician
- Owensboro Community and Technical College (Owensboro, KY)grads earn ~$68,178
- City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College (Chicago, IL)
- Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (Elizabethtown, KY)grads earn ~$54,485
- Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College (Bowling Green, KY)grads earn ~$76,923
- Lincoln Technical Institute-Union (Union, NJ)grads earn ~$49,232