Electrician trade jobs after high school?

I'm considering becoming an electrician after I graduate. Can anyone share what the job opportunities are like for electricians and what the career path might look like for someone starting out?

Certainly! Being an electrician can be a solid career with a clear advancement path. When you start, you'd typically begin as an electrician's helper to get on-the-job experience, assisting electricians with tasks such as supplying or holding materials, cleaning work areas, and tools.

After gaining initial experience as a helper, you would then likely enter an electrician apprenticeship, which usually lasts about 4-5 years. This is a time to learn under the supervision of a journeyman or master electrician. During this time, you'll learn about safety practices, blueprint reading, electrical code requirements, and how to install and maintain electrical systems.

Once your apprenticeship is complete, you become a journeyman. As a journeyman electrician, you can work independently and may oversee helpers and apprentices on a job site. Depending on the state, you might need to pass a licensing exam to become a journeyman.

After gaining extensive experience as a journeyman, you can advance to a master electrician. To become a master electrician, you generally need to pass another licensing exam and have several years of experience under your belt. Master electricians can design electrical systems, are often responsible for obtaining permits for work, and can supervise an entire construction site.

There's also a variety of specialized job opportunities available for electricians, so they can work in a wide range of industries and environments, such as residential, commercial, industrial, outdoor lighting, and even renewable energy.

As for job outlook, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for electricians is projected to grow 8 percent from 2020 to 2030, which is slightly above the average for all occupations. This growth is driven by an increased demand for electrical work in homes and businesses, as more systems are becoming electronic. In addition, electricians will be needed to help install and maintain the infrastructure for alternative sources of energy, like solar and wind power.

Hopefully, this gives you a good sense of what the career progression looks like for electricians, and what the job market may look like in the coming years. Of course, exact requirements and opportunities can vary depending on your location, so it's wise to research local regulations and job opportunities as well.