Should I Become An Electrician?: Pros and Cons
If one was to ask me, (Master Electrician with over 20 years experience) “Brandon, how do I know if the electrical field is right for me?” I would tell them first, to start with the basics. No need to overcomplicate things right off the bat. Let’s start with what we were all taught in school for simple decisions. A list of pros and cons. Now Im naturally an optimist so let’s start with the pros.
Pro - No College Debt
It’s no secret we have a crisis in this country with college debt. There is no doubt higher learning is a necessity, but at what cost? In my generation it was just a given. You will graduate high school and move on to a two to four year degree at your college of choice aka, wherever you can afford, aka wherever will accept you. You will then take that degree and go find a job in your field of choice and pay off the debt. Guess what? That’s not exactly what happened. In fact a recent pole by NGPF.org reveals that less than 50% of college graduates currently work in their field of study, and even more, an average student loan at a public institution is around $34,000. That means every other person you meet is strapped with debt and not even able to utilize a ROI. This brings us right to our second Pro.
Pro - Pay
For those who decide to go into the trades instead of traditional schooling, the benefits begin right away. Meaning instead of paying to go to school for four years without an income, they can begin receiving a paycheck immediately . Depending on which devision of the field you choose to enter, it typically begins with training. There are trade schools available for those who want the leg up before seeking employment. If that is the route you choose to go, a report from zippia.com says you can expect to pay between $5,000 and $15,000 for a two year program. The truth is most electrical companies with a strong structure offer free training in house. This may not be the case with every contractor but if you due your due diligence and ask around your sure to find someone with a paid program. (Electrical Specialists) Now to answer the pay question.
According to a recent study from ZipRecruiter, the average hourly pay for an Electrician in the Midwest is $25.40 an hour. While there are some sited as high as $42, and some as low as $13 an hour, the average fell between $22 and $29. Now let’s weigh this against ZipRecruiters reported average pay for a graduate with a college degree in the Midwest at $19 an hour. So for those unsure of their career and are wanting to mitigate risk, the electrical trade is a great candidate.
Pro - Room for Growth
If you are thinking, “yeah but isn’t being an electrician a dead end job?” You would be mistaken. The room for growth in this fast paced constantly changing career is virtually limitless. There are so many avenues available for skilled electricians they can go just about anywhere they want to once they have their legs under them. Not only can a green apprentice work their way to a licensed journeymen, they can then move forward and get their Masters. At this point in the global economy, an electrician with a license is absolutely golden. Everyone needs licensed electricians, everyone is hiring, and no one is applying. In fact just having your license opens the doors to working at almost any outfit you set our sights on. Not only that but now the option of business ownership is available if one was to decided to pursue it. “Going out on your own” as it is referred to is a commonly selected goal. So not to get too lost in the weeds here, besides the options just listed, most reputable companies will have room for advancement in house. It could be going from lead technician to service manager, or from project manager to superintendent. There is always another opportunity available. Now let’s jump on over to the not so popular attributes.
Con - Working Conditions
Let’s not dance around it, there are some things in this trade that are not suited for everyone. The low hanging fruit here is weather. Due to the nature of the installation, no pun intended, there are going to be many times you will be asked to work in the elements. Whether it’s 110 degrees and it’s time to crawl in the attic, or its 0 and we have an emergency meter replacement, you will be working in the elements. Let’s even pick a nice spring day and it’s 68 out. You never know when it’s going to start raining and that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re done working. Ask any veteran electrician about a brutal day and they will surely have multiple stories for you.
Besides weather, there are other times we have to deal with certain uncomfortable conditions. For residential electricians attics are filled with fiberglass insulation which can leave you itchy for weeks, not to mention the confined space one must traverse to get to certain areas for access. Don’t forget the tight crawl spaces where you might just meet your favorite varmint face to face. For our commercial and industrial friends you will almost always work in the elements as buildings are being constructed, as well as work from great heights and sometimes even underground. I recall too many times we worked outside all winter getting a building ready. Then came the hot summers stagnant humidity. Stuck in a building with no open windows and no breeze, just to be reassigned to the next project just as the salvation of Air Conditioning was turned on for testing.
Last but not least, let’s not forget this is electricity folks, and electricity is deadly. BLS.gov reported in 2020 that an average of 70 electricians per year die from fatal injuries related to occupational hazards. With over 1,000,000 electrical workers employed in the United States, that’s much less than 1%. Add to that the constant improvement of safety standards throughout the industry. But the fact remains, there is a risk.
Con - Time Investment
We get calls on a regular basis from people looking to change careers. Let’s just make a for instance. Let’s say Susan is 35. She has been a painter for 10 years and has just grown tired of the environment and working conditions. She has been watching Jim the electrician work on the house she has been painting for the last week and she is very interested. She calls a few electrical contractors only to find out that she cant afford the pay cut. We’re not saying that painters make more than electricians here, were focusing on the fact that a trades person with experience will always make more than a trades person with none. There is a 2 to 5 year gap Susan would have to traverse in order to receive the training and qualifications necessary to demand higher pay. She may make $19 as a painter, but may have to drop to $15 for a few years to learn an entirely new set of skills. Once she has training and licensing under her belt she could bring $25 to $40. The story here is there must be time invested at the entry level. Trying to break into the field at a mid to high wage is not impossible but very uncommon to say the least. Our advice would be if you’re interested, sooner is always better than later.
