How Do You Become an Electrician? 7 Key Steps

Electricians are in demand across the country with more than 80,000 job openings expected each year throughout the decade¹. The career offers good pay and stability, and you don’t need to go to college to become an electrician. You can learn the skills you need at a trade school, through an apprenticeship program, or a combination of the two. Are you interested in this interesting and rewarding profession? Take these 7 steps to a vibrant career as an electrician:

Step 1: Assess Your Natural Abilities to Be an Electrician

You have an interest in becoming an electrician, but do you have what it takes to be an electrician? Electricians need knowledge and a range of soft skills to succeed at the job. Which do you already possess:

• Attention to detail to ensure precise and safe work
• Critical thinking to troubleshoot and repair electrical problems
• Physical stamina for hands-on labor in various environments
• Time management to complete projects efficiently
• Communication skills to work with clients, contractors, and team members
• Customer service skills to explain issues and solutions clearly
• Basic math for measuring and calculating wiring lengths
• Science understanding to analyze and understand electrical principles

Step 2: Get Your High School Diploma

Trades schools and apprenticeship programs require a high school diploma or GED. The knowledge you acquire in high school is an important foundation to what you learn in trade school and on the job as an electrician. Among the important subjects covered in high school that connect to your future career as an electrician are:

• Algebra: for calculating voltage, resistance, and current
• Geometry: for measuring angles, wiring layouts, and conduit bending
• Physics: to understand electricity, magnetism, circuits, and energy transfer
• Chemistry: to understand electrical conductivity and material properties
• Computers: to understand technical documents and diagnostic software
• Programming: to understand smart home systems and automation
• Shop: for use of tools and development of hand-eye coordination
• English: for communicating with customers and coworkers

Step 3: Meet Minimum Requirements to Become an Electrician

In addition to your high school diploma or GED, you need to meet some basic requirements:

• Be 18 years old
• Obtain a driver's license
• Pass a drug test
• Be physically fit for the job

Step 4: Attend a Trade School to Become an Electrician

A technical program provides you with important electrical knowledge and helps you prepare for exams and licensure. Look for a technical school that combines classroom instruction and plenty of hands-on learning. Your electrical program should provide:

• Comprehensive curriculum
• Experienced instructors
• Lecture and shop hours
• Mentorship
• Flexible schedules

Throughout your training, you learn electrical skills such as how to wire connector boxes, service panels, work the ins and outs of light fixtures and alarm systems, and how to install cable systems and understand industrial motors and conduit benders. You should learn from skilled teachers, get personalized supervision, and acquire the skills and preparation for an apprenticeship and obtain your license. Completing an electrical program helps you stand out from other apprenticeship applicants.

Step 5: Apply for an Electrician Apprenticeship

You may be able to find an apprenticeship through your career school. You can also visit apprenticeship.gov for more detailed and up-to-date information on apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeships typically include:

• 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training
• Up to 1,000 hours of classroom instruction
• Electrical theory, mathematics, safety practices, and building codes
• Starting pay at 40-50% of a journeyman's wage
• Passing a qualifying or aptitude test

Step 6: Get Licensed as an Electrician

States and localities have different rules for electrician licensing. Check with your state to review the exact requirements for where you live. Generally, though, you need to serve as an apprentice and submit an application and payment to a governing board. You may need to pass an exam, and you need significant experience under the supervision of a licensed electrician. For example, to get your E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor license in Connecticut, you need 12,000 hours of experience and 720 hours of classroom training. You also need to score at least 70% on the licensing exam. In Colorado, you need 8,000 hours of experience and 288 hours of classroom training and a grade of 70% or better on the CO Journeyman Wireman Exam.

There are also different levels of licensure. The most common are:

• Journeyman Electrician: which allows you to work independently on electrical installations and repairs and supervise apprentices.
• Master Electrician: which is the highest level of licensing in most states and allows you to design electrical systems, pull permits, supervise apprentices and journeymen, and run your own business.

Step 7: Find an Electrician Mentor

When you serve as an apprentice under a licensed electrician, you gain knowledge and experience. You may also find your boss to be an invaluable mentor as you rise in your career. But if that person isn’t the one for you, consider seeking out someone else in the career who can be a mentor. They can teach you more than just on-the-job skills. They can help you navigate the process of applications and exam and interview preparation, and they can connect you to the right people. If you have questions, they can be your go-to resource and be a sounding board and advisor throughout your career. If you know an electrician, simply ask them if they’d be willing to advise you. Or you may find one through your career training program or a professional organization.

Are you ready to start on the path to a career as an electrician? Lincoln Tech's Electrical and Electronic Systems Technology program can help you build the foundation you need. Fill out the form on this page to get started today.

¹ US Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm, retrieved February 5, 2025.