An electrician installs, maintains, and repairs the electrical systems that power homes, businesses, and job sites. It is skilled, hands-on work, it pays well, and you can enter the trade without a four-year degree. Here is what electricians do, what they earn, and how to get in.
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Electricians run and connect the wiring, equipment, and fixtures that bring power to a building, then keep those systems safe and up to code. Some focus on new construction, others on maintenance and repair, and many specialize in areas like industrial controls, street lighting, or intercom and security systems.
Day to day, the work mixes the physical and the mental. You read plans and diagrams, lay out the job, install and test systems, and troubleshoot when something fails. Most of it happens on your feet, often on a job site with a crew, so clear communication and steady attention to safety matter as much as technical skill.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Electricians earn a median of $63,190 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is strong. Employment is projected to grow 10 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average for all occupations, with about 81,000 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
You do not need a four-year degree to become an electrician. O*NET places the trade in Job Zone 3, medium preparation, which usually means vocational training, on-the-job experience, or an associate degree. About 6 in 10 electricians hold a post-secondary certificate, and roughly 3 in 10 started with a high school diploma and learned through work.
A registered apprenticeship is the most common route. It runs about 4 to 5 years and combines paid on-the-job hours with classroom instruction, often through programs like the IBEW and NECA Electrical Training Alliance. You earn a paycheck the whole time and finish with a journeyman credential and real hours behind you. Trade school and community college programs are other common on-ramps.
Choosing between an apprenticeship, a certificate, and a community college route comes down to your timeline, your budget, and where you live. If you are weighing those options, Pathly can map the electrician path that fits you and turn it into a step-by-step plan, with your counselor in the loop.
Most states require electricians to be licensed, and requirements vary by state. The common path moves in three steps.
Requirements vary by state, so confirm the details with your state licensing board.
This trade tends to fit people with strong Realistic interests, the practical, hands-on, build-and-fix type. If you like working with tools, solving concrete problems, and seeing a finished result at the end of the day, electrical work is worth a serious look.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
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Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).