About This Career

Installs, maintains, and repairs electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensures that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.

This career is part of the Architecture and Construction cluster Construction pathway.

A person in this career:

• Prepares sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
• Places conduit, pipes, or tubing, inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas, and pulls insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between boxes.
• Works from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
• Uses a variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.
• Assembles, installs, tests, or maintains electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, apparatus, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.
• Maintains current electrician's license or identification card to meet governmental regulations.
• Connects wires to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components.
• Plans layout and installation of electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures, based on job specifications and local codes.
• Directs or trains workers to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
• Tests electrical systems or continuity of circuits in electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures, using testing devices, such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, or oscilloscopes, to ensure compatibility and safety of system.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves keeping or regaining your balance more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires climbing things such as ladders, scaffold, and poles more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Requires getting into awkward positions
• Lighting is either extremely bright or inadequate
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Work in this occupation involves kneeling, crouching, stooping, and/or crawling more than one-third of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time
• Work at heights above 8 feet more than once a month on structures such as ladders, poles, scaffolding, and catwalks

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Maintaining a body position that prevents falling when in an unstable position
• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel