Which top companies are hiring electricians in your area? Hint: It’s all of them.
The demand for electrician work continues to rise as electrical service companies and others in the skilled trades seek qualified workers to fill the gap left by more retiring electricians than new recruits entering the field.
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Bridging the workforce gap is reaching a critical stage, as electrician jobs are projected to surge 8% within the next eight years, or double the national average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. From small businesses to large enterprises, jobs for electricians are clearly in demand.
A number of factors converged in the past two decades that led to the current electrician shortage, for instance:
The housing crisis and recession drove electricians from the industry, and they didn't return.
Schools quit offering shop classes and placed more emphasis on students attending college, cutting off a steady stream of trained workers.
Experienced electricians are aging and retiring at a rate far greater than they’re being replaced.
More focus on green energy and smart-home technology requires the expertise of a skilled electrician.
Now millions of college-educated Americans owe $1.7 trillion in student loan debt, according to the U.S. Department of Education, while apprentice electricians pay nothing for training and are instead paid to learn on the job. They also avoid racking up college debt on their way to becoming a well-paid journeyman electrician.
"In a very general way, our society has fallen out of love with the skilled trades," Mike Rowe, host of The Discovery Channel's “Dirty Jobs” and a champion of the skilled trades, told Forbes magazine in August 2018.
"Part of the problem is a myriad of myths and misperceptions that surround the jobs themselves,” he adds. “But the biggest cause is our stubborn belief that a four-year degree is the best path for most people."
What types of electrician jobs are available?
Job seekers who overlook the trades, especially working as an electrician, risk missing unprecedented career opportunities in an industry projected to grow faster than other industries for the next decade. Electrician positions offer higher pay, job security, unlimited tracks to advancement, and an opportunity to write your own job description.
Many electricians value their jobs because:
Apprentice electricians get paid full-time for on-the-job training.
Average salaries for electricians start at $40,900 to $52,100, and grow quickly to $80,700 to $103,200.
Electrician job openings and job security rank high.
Career opportunities for electricians include numerous advancement options.
Diverse work environments give electricians options.
Applying for an electrician job now may give you a better shot at securing higher bonus incentives or choosing your own work environment. You don't even need to be a certified electrician. Many companies offer on-the-job training and scholarships to attract new recruits, because the construction industry and other trades struggle to fill tens of thousands of open electrician jobs.
Diverse job titles in the electrical industry welcome willing applicants. You may enjoy electrical wiring in skyscrapers and working with power tools, or you may prefer the camaraderie among electrical system installers at more modest construction sites to repairing transformers or circuit breakers in residential settings.
Some folks' brains are wired for troubleshooting electrical systems, while others use their imaginations to light up electrical work in sound and communications, or the growing niche of smart-home electronics.
High demand jolts average salaries for electricians
If you’re ready to work as an apprentice electrician, or if you’re an experienced electrician looking for a change of pace, the construction industry offers some high-voltage news for you.
The average salary for apprentice electricians, according to Payfactors.com, ranges from a low of $40,900 in Arkansas to $52,100 in Alaska, while electricians with seven years of experience under their tool belts may earn $80,700 to $103,200.
Electricians nationwide made a median salary of $56,900 in 2020, or about $27 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some electrician salaries can quickly grow into six figures with on-the-job training and experience.
Electricians who earn the highest pay typically work as commercial electricians, repairing or installing electrical systems on oil rigs, substations, industrial settings, and construction sites.
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How to become an electrician
Many paths lead to a career as an electrician. For the most part, all you need to start the process is a high school diploma or GED.
Some employers train their own hires. Technical schools also offer trades programs, and scholarships are available for many.
Most states require electricians to pass a test that often includes questions about the National Building Code, for example, to become licensed. Your employer and other mentors can help you troubleshoot any obstacles.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) offers its own apprenticeship program to train apprentice electricians to become outside linemen, inside wiremen, sound and communication technicians, or residential wiremen. IBEW members even provide assistance to help you understand the requirements to become an electrician, complete the application, and prepare you for interviews.
There's interview help for employers, too. ServiceTitan contractors and experts in the trades coach business owners focused on their bottom line with top electrician interview questions to attract qualified candidates and weed out the weaker ones.
An apprentice electrician trains on the job. After receiving that training, you can apply for a journeyman electrician license and begin working under the supervision of a master electrician.
After gaining experience as a journeyman, you can apply to become a master electrician and run your own shop. This might involve performing more of the electrical work you enjoy, whether as an estimator, a maintenance electrician, or a commercial electrician. Some electricians specialize in industrial electricity or HVAC, air conditioning, renewable energy, smart-home technology, and lighting systems.
You could even become an Army electrician, get paid for doing your everyday job, and earn a journeyman certificate that proves your mettle to the civilian market later.
Electrician jobs rank high in job security
If you’re seeking a career with job security, look no further. The BLS projects electrician jobs to grow by nearly 8.5 percent, or more than 82,000 electrician jobs a year, throughout the 2020s. That's more than twice the growth rate expected in all other occupations.
In the meantime, the new housing market remains at historically high levels.
A national building boom and trade laborer shortage make it very difficult to find qualified electricians. This combination jolted the construction industry, small electrical shops, and the biggest electrical companies into offering higher pay, greater incentives, and on-the-job training for those willing to work and study.
Electrical contractors retake control
A societal misconception that skilled trades deliver low pay and few prospects leaves electrical contractors across North America short-staffed, unable to bid on trillions of dollars worth of jobs, and competing with one another. At the same time, students fall deeper into college debt instead of pursuing lucrative electrical career opportunities.
Tired of missing out on profitable jobs due to the labor shortage, the construction industry and electrical contractors now strive to:
Educate the public about the benefits of working in the trades.
Offer creative and better perks and incentives for electricians.
Develop in-house training programs for new recruits.
Partner with educational institutions to train electrical workers.
Turn to other industries to identify new pools of workers.
Devote more time than ever on staffing and recruitment.
How to hire electricians
Look for electrician jobs online and you'll find tens of thousands of job titles unfilled for electrician careers.
Hiring electricians can seem daunting and expensive when competing with top companies for talent. But ServiceTitan field management software makes hiring easier and gives even smaller electrical service companies an edge.
Electrical service companies also recognize that women and minorities represent a previously untapped source to fill electrician jobs, and now actively recruit them. Only 2.4 percent of women are electricians, while women own 9.5% of electrical contracting businesses. And only 7.6% of electricians are black or African-American.
Tommy Mello, a trade company owner and host of a weekly podcast, “The Home Service Expert”, combats low opinions of the trades through extensive training and high expectations for every employee, and by offering performance pay as an incentive for helping employees grow. He also gives a $1,500 bonus to employees for referring a new hire.
“Some people say ‘always be closing,’” Mello says. “I say, ‘always be recruiting.'
ServiceTitan’s payroll software automates the process and takes the surprise out of complicated incentive pay structures, satisfying highly productive employees who may consider a job with a competitor for better pay and more timely bonuses. Just enter your bonus structure into ServiceTitan's payroll software, and the software automatically does the rest come payday.
Finally, there's one bonus you can't put a price on: feeling like your boss cares.
Employers who keep their word about pay and who cultivate a safe shop environment reap rewards in the form of fewer injuries, greater employee satisfaction, and less employee turnover.
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