The employment outlook for electricians is excellent and expected to grow faster than average over the next eight years. New housing and business construction is expected to grow throughout the United States. Manufacturing plants continue to automate production that requires electricians to set up new robotic equipment. Additionally, innovations and lower acquisition costs in technology place a demand on electricians for video, telecom, security and home automation wiring.
Wages for electricians are very good. The median hourly pay rate is $19.90 with $11.81 per hour being the low end and $33.21 being the high end. A 40 hour workweek is typical, but some industries require overtime. Some maintenance electricians may work on-call, nights or weekends. There are a number of unions that represent electricians in various industries. Many construction electricians are members of unions.
Electricians typically go through an intensive apprenticeship program lasting three to five years. Once that is completed, journeyman electricians can advance their careers through management opportunities as supervisors or superintendents. Additional opportunities exist as inspectors. Some experienced electricians open their own businesses.
