What can you expect from a job as an electrician?

As an electrician, you're responsible for getting electricity from its source to the places where individuals and business consumers can use it. The specific responsibilities associated with this job may vary depending on the area of specialisation, but they might include:

• ✓Planning the electrical systems for new buildings, including the best position for electrical outlets, light fixtures, heating outlets, and ventilation systems
• ✓Reading and interpreting architect blueprints, circuit diagrams, and other technical documents
• ✓Installing wiring, lighting, and control systems in new and existing buildings, according to municipal codes
• ✓Forming electrical circuits, by connecting electrical wires to components and fixtures and testing completed circuits
• ✓Installing switches, circuit breaker panels, relays, and other electrical control and distribution equipment
• ✓Installing hangers and brackets to support electrical products
• ✓Performing maintenance procedures to keep wiring, lighting, and control systems in good working order
• ✓Inspecting circuit breakers, transformers, and other electrical components for faults
• ✓Using testing devices to discover why electrical products and systems are malfunctioning
• ✓Repairing, replacing, and upgrading faulty or outdated electrical equipment, fixtures, and wiring, including isolating faults for safe removal and replacement
• ✓Training other electricians and directing them to perform specific tasks

Electricians may spend their time working inside buildings under construction or renovation or outdoors on power and telecommunications systems. They may work in large spaces or in cramped conditions. These working environments often involve live electrical wires, so they can be quite dangerous if the proper precautions aren't taken. Often electricians work independently on projects, but they may also be part of a larger construction team.

Unlike many employees who have a regular place of work, electricians work on a remote site for a certain period of time, ranging from a single day to a few months, before moving on to the next job. Job sites can be far from electricians' homes. It's not uncommon for electricians to travel 100 miles or more from their home to complete work.

Electricians enjoy year-round job opportunities. Their hours vary depending on their role. Maintenance electricians usually have regular work which they complete in a typical 40-hour week. Most keep regular business hours on weekdays and don't usually work on weekends, public holidays, or late at night. Some electricians work on-call and put in extra hours to troubleshoot urgent problems.

In contrast, independent electrical contractors and the junior electricians who work underneath them don't have such regular hours. They may have a busy schedule one week and have few hours the next. Working as an independent electrical contractor or consultant gives electricians the most flexible schedules.

Electricians rely on a variety of technical skills and personal attributes to excel in their positions. While these attributes aren't usually listed on an electrician job description, don't underestimate their appeal to hiring managers:

How much do electricians make?

This all depends on their level of experience and location. Entry-level electricians usually earn around £17.00 per hour. Salary increases sharply early in an electrician's career. By the time electricians have between 5 and 10 years of experience behind them, they usually command around £42,000 a year. Average annual salaries sit at approximately £48,000. However, electricians in some of the nation's most lucrative markets stand to make much more. For example, the average annual salary for an electrician is £54,210 in London and the South East.

Traditionally, becoming a licensed electrician involves around four years of working as an apprentice under a qualified electrician. That said, there’s a more direct and flexible route available, designed specifically with adult learners in mind.

Our Fast Track courses are a leading option for those looking to start a new and rewarding career as an electrician. They’re our most popular pathway and can take you to a Level 3 qualification in as little as six months. From there, you can progress onto the NVQ and Gold Card route, leading to becoming a fully qualified, Gold Card Approved Electrician.