Skilled Trades & Technical

Electrician

Install and repair the wiring, lights, and power systems that keep homes, stores, and factories running safely

Open interactive guide

What does an Electrician do?

Electricians work in new buildings, old houses, and factories, reading blueprints and running wire through walls and ceilings. They learn on the job through a paid apprenticeship. It suits people who like solving problems with their hands and follow safety rules closely.

A day in the life

6:30 AMLoad the van with wire, boxes, and tools and read the day's job order
7:30 AMRun cable through the studs of a new house before the walls close
10:00 AMWire outlets and switches and label the breaker panel
12:30 PMTest each circuit with a meter to confirm it is safe
2:00 PMFind why the lights flicker in a customer's kitchen and fix it
4:00 PMClean up the site and sign the work order for the inspector

What's great

  • Get paid while you learn as an apprentice
  • Strong demand in homes and buildings
  • Little or no college debt
  • Can start your own company later

The hard parts

  • Shock and fall risks on the job
  • Crawling through hot attics and tight spaces
  • Four to five years of apprenticeship
  • Licensing exams and code updates

What is an Electrician's salary and outlook?

$35k – $87k
Salary Range
Apprenticeship
Typical Education
Growing

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $34,800 to $87,000 a year, with a midpoint around $58,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Growing.

For the official national outlook, see BLS Occupational Data.

How do you become an Electrician?

A common path is 4–5 year paid apprenticeship plus a state journeyman license exam. The ladder often runs from Apprentice Electrician to Journeyman Electrician, then Master Electrician, and Electrical Contractor (own business). Other routes: Trade school program, then apprentice; Union or non-union apprenticeship program; Military electrical training; Start as an electrician's helper.

  • Trade school program, then apprentice
  • Union or non-union apprenticeship program
  • Military electrical training
  • Start as an electrician's helper

Career path

Entry level
Apprentice Electrician
Mid career
Journeyman Electrician
Senior
Master Electrician
Executive
Electrical Contractor (own business)

Will AI replace an Electrician?

How much will AI change this job?

A little

AI will change only a small part of this job. Most of the work stays hands-on and human.

Electricians keep wiring homes and buildings while AI helps with paperwork and planning tasks.

Being an electrician is still a hands-on job that AI cannot do. You will still climb ladders, run wires, and fix electrical problems in person. AI might help with scheduling jobs, checking codes, or estimating costs, but the real work stays physical.

AI can help with

  • Looking up electrical codes and safety rules quickly
  • Estimating job costs and materials needed
  • Scheduling appointments and organizing work orders

What stays human

  • Installing and repairing wires inside walls
  • Troubleshooting electrical problems on site
  • Working safely around real electrical hazards

Skills to build now

  • Take a basic electronics or shop class
  • Practice using tools safely at home
  • Build strong math skills for measurements and circuits

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.