How to Become a Journeyman Electrician (US)

Understanding the Trade

Familiarize yourself with possible lines of work. Journeymen electricians install electrical systems in homes and businesses. They inspect and repair wiring, transformers and circuit breakers. As a journeyman electrician, you could work as an outside lineman or an inside wireman. Once you have worked as a journeyman for a period, you can eventually become a master electrician. As an outside wireman or journeyman lineman, you work on all of the electrical lines that connect power generation to the power meter. In this role, you spend more time outside, such as fixing the wiring on poles and towers. As an inside wireman or inside journeyman, you maintain the electrical systems inside a building. The term "journeyman" is often a level of license that is followed by the next level "master electrician.” There are many areas in this profession, such as industrial wiring, factory wiring, as well as wiring data, alarm and telecom systems. The field is full of opportunities.

Learn about journeyman electrician salaries in your area. Since the average salaries for journeyman electrician varies a lot depending on geography, firm and experience, you should search career sites to find relevant salaries in your region. For instance, you could search Glassdoor or similar websites to find the average salaries for journeyman electricians in your area. In the United States, the overall income range is between $37K and 81K. The firm you work for has a huge impact on your overall salary, as well as geography and your level of work experience. If you are at the top end of earners in this profession, you may benefit from bonuses and profit sharing. Starting pay for a first year apprentice is usually not too much more than minimum wage.

Don’t let your gender identity hold you back. Most journeymen electrician are still men. But there are more women getting involved in the electrical trade so, if you identify as female, you should go for it! Trade unions and women in trades organizations are trying to get more women involved in the electrical trade, so take advantage of resources directed to women in trades. You may also be interested to hear that most women report positive experiences working as journeymen electricians. If you are a woman in the electrical trade, you may want to be mindful of favoritism. Female electricians report that it is important to know when to accept or turn down help from male colleagues. You can lose respect if you accept too much help.

Getting Qualified

Get your high school diploma. You will need a high school diploma to become a journeyman electrician. If you are career transitioning as an adult and do not currently have a high school diploma, you should get your GED or high school equivalency. However, if you have not finished school and are considering this career, you should finish high school as a first step. You can study for the GED at a local community college, which might have online courses for this purpose. To get your GED, you will need to take the exam or test that is administered by your local state.

Get a job as a helper. As a helper, you can prepare tools and materials for the electricians, dig ditches and do other manual labor. If you do well in this position, you can land a paid apprenticeship or enroll in a program at a vocational college. You do not need any special qualifications to be an electrician’s helper. It is expected that helpers have a basic working knowledge of electrical safety, hand tools and electrical construction methods. As a helper, will you to learn to identify the large assortment of tools and materials in the electrical trade. Wage increases come with progression to 2nd, 3rd and 4th year helpers.

Enroll in an electrician program at a vocational college. Vocational training at the college or trade school level is not absolutely necessary for becoming a journeyman electrician. However, because this training will give you a heads up and open up opportunities for an apprenticeship, you should look at enrolling in an electrician program in your area. You can learn about electrical codes, electrical theory and workplace safety, amongst other topics, at an electrician program. One of the advantages of completing an electrician program is that you will be better prepared for the tests and interview process involved in becoming an apprentice. The technical school training can be obtained after high school, or as part of the high school curriculum in a vocational/technical high school. The IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) offers paid training for a limited number of interested candidates. IBEW training is typically 4 years in duration, but may also vary by local area. Most branches of the U.S. armed forces provide paid training and generous benefits to those that choose this career path at the time of enlistment.

Apply for an apprenticeship. After completing your electrician program, you should find an apprenticeship through a job board or an electricians organization. At this stage, you should also think about whether you want to train for a particular specialty, such as outside lineman, inside lineman, VDV installer technician or residential lineman. You can find an apprenticeship through The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), or Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC). Be sure to choose an apprenticeship where you'll be paid on payroll. Otherwise, the hours you work may not count toward your license.

Pass the apprenticeship application process. You may need to pass an aptitude test prior to starting the apprenticeship, which will involve some arithmetic, algebra and comprehension skills. However, the aptitude test is only required for some apprenticeships. You may also need to pass a drug test and show you have some level of hands-on, mechanical aptitude. After the aptitude test and passing any other specific requirements, you will complete an interview to determine your suitability for the position. For the IBEW inside wireman and limited energy technician apprenticeship programs, you have to do an aptitude test focused on basic math and reading. The math portion consists of 33 questions that you have to answer in 46 minutes. The reading part consists of 36 questions that you have to answer in 51 minutes. If your apprenticeship program requires an aptitude test, you should prepare by brushing up on your basic math skills. Most people who fail say they wished they had spent more time studying for the math part of the exam. If you fail the aptitude test for an IBEW apprenticeship, you will have to wait at least six months before doing it again. If you are female or a minority, your local trade union should be eager to find you an apprenticeship, since they are trying to build a more diverse workforce. Although there are increased training opportunities for female electricians, it can still take up to a year to get accepted into an apprenticeship.

Check to see if you need to register as an apprentice in your jurisdiction. Some places require you to register as an electrician trainee or apprentice, so you should check with your local department of labor before beginning your apprenticeship. If you do need to register, you will just be asked to fill out a few forms.

Complete your apprenticeship. Your apprenticeship will last around four years and will include a mix of on-the-job and classroom training. During this period, you will get to learn all about construction blueprints, the national electric code, wiring, lighting fixtures, testing and inspection of electrical systems. You will also earn an hourly wage, which is typically around half of what you will end up earning as a certified journeyman electrician. In many places, you can only take the test to get your journeyman license after completing a certain number of school hours as well as working as an apprentice for a certain number of hours.

Getting Licensed

Determine the licensing requirements for your jurisdiction. Since the requirements for becoming a licensed electrician differ substantially depending on where you work, you will need to contact your local licensing board to find out specific requirements. Typically, getting licensed will require having worked a certain number of hours in the field, studied the profession in a classroom setting for a certain number of hours and completion of a licensing exam. Some regions do not require an exam. The specific number of work and study hours varies substantially by region. In California, you need to have registered as a trainee, completed 720 hours of classroom time, 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience and passed a state certification exam. If you live in the province of Ontario, you’ll need to do the Certificate of Qualification exam. Licensing assures employers and the public of a minimum level of competency.

Study the Electrical Code. Most licensing authorities and electrical wiring inspectors use the National Electrical Code (NEC) for electrical code enforcement. Determine if the version used for enforcement is the NEC, or other state, county or city code. Familiarize yourself with the codes for the area where you plan to work.

Prepare for testing. If your jurisdiction requires an exam in order to become a licensed electrician, you should figure out the format of the exam. In some regions, tests involve a mix of multiple choice, essay, computation, practical (hands on) and verbal examination. Many licensing authorities make use of a two-part examination, including a written test and a practical examination. The practical is designed to identify individuals that have never really performed the work in the field but have a very good understanding of the code. Some jurisdictions, such as New Jersey, do not require an exam as part of the licensing process. Use of the electrical code book may or may not be permitted during the exam. Obtaining aides for the particular type exam offered can be a wise investment.

Pass the licensing exam for your jurisdiction. Once you have completed your four years of apprenticeship training, you can go ahead and take your licensing exam. The exams are administered by state licensing boards, so you’ll need to contact them to find out about the exam. The licensing board may also have a requirement for a certain number of hours working in the field. Once you have passed the local licensing requirements, such as number of hours and exam, you can go ahead and work as a certified electrician. In some states, like New York, cities administer the licensing exams. If you live in one of these states, you’ll need to contact the city licensing board to find out about exams. While there are locations that have no licensing, many others require multiple licenses such as state, county or city license(s). Many licensing authorities require that a minimum amount of documented time has been spent working in the trade to be eligible for license examination. It is not uncommon for 6,000 to 8,000-hour minimum time requirements. Examples of documentation include tax information (W-4) or pay stubs, school transcripts (if claiming time spent attending a technical school), etc.

Advancing Your Career

Find a job with a local contractor. You can search for a position as a certified electrician with a construction company or contractor. If you completed your training through a college or trade school, you could see if they have a career center that can help you. You could also look on the website of the National Electrical Contractors Association.

Start your own business. If you feel confident in your business and management skills, you could start your own business as a journeyman electrician. You’ll be able to work for yourself and focus on the kinds of projects that you enjoy! You could also take a course or program that focuses on business in the trades.

Become a master electrician. After working for a number of years, you can take the exam to become a master electrician. You can make more money and find better opportunities as a master electrician. Find out the requirements in your jurisdiction, which may involve both a certain number of hours working as an electrician and some educational qualifications.