4 Steps Towards Becoming An Electrician
If you want to enter a career field that is well paying, has demand for the future and doesn't require you to sit through a typical four-year college education process, you should consider become a journeyman electrician. The median pay for trained electricians is around $51,000 per year. You generally make less than that as you go through training, and can make much more than that over time as your skills and experience increase and you become a license electrician.
Step #1: Graduate From High School
The first thing that you need to do is graduate from high school. If for some reason you never completed your high school education, you should work to obtain your GED first. You will need this in order to advance your career as an electrician.
Step #2: Go To A Trade School
The second thing you need to do is attend a trade school. Trade schools are generally not long programs; most last around a year, although some trade school programs are a little longer. The great thing about trade school is that it is structured a little differently than traditional schooling. You are not going to have to learn about subjects outside of the area that you want to specializing in, in this case, electrician training. The vast majority of your training is going to be hands on, and many of your tests and work assignments will be hands on demonstration of your knowledge. However, you will still have to do some traditional school work as well.
Step #3: Start An Apprenticeship
Third, you are going to need to start an apprenticeship. With an apprenticeship, you will no longer have to be paying money out to a school. Instead, you will be pulling in a starting salary while also getting on the job training. The apprenticeship training will allow you to also build up your job experience. The apprenticeship period can be long, generally somewhere around four years, although the requirements vary from state to state. Although this seems like a long period of time, keep in mind that during this period you will be earning money, unlike with traditional college, where you would be paying out money.
#4 Pass State Licenses Tests
Fourth, after you finish your apprenticeship, you are going to need to take state licensing exams. Depending upon the state that you live in, this will comprise a written exam as well as hands-on tests. These licenses will allow you to practice on your own as an electrician, and you will be able to experience a nice increase in your salary. With this license, you can continue to work for other electrical companies, as a sub-contractor or you can start your own business. For more information, contact a business such as the HVAC Technical Institute.
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