Careers 101: Electrician Construction Jobs

Published on 2008-06-16

Tools:

Construction electricians usually learn their trade by completing an apprenticeship program. These four-year programs require a high school diploma or GED, and each year involves 144 hours of classroom teaching and 2,000 hours of on-the-job training. The joint program of the National Electrical Contractors Association and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers offers specialized courses for outside linemen, inside wiremen, VDV installer technicians, and residential wiremen. Vocational and technical schools also offer degree programs for electricians.

Electrician construction jobs can involve a lot of lifting, standing and kneeling, so strength, flexibility and manual dexterity are all important. Many construction crews are bilingual, so good English and Spanish skills would be helpful. Colorblindness can be an obstacle because of the color coding of electrical wires.

Tasks:

Construction electricians, in contrast to maintenance electricians, specialize in the installation of new wiring systems in residential, commercial and/or industrial buildings. These could be high-voltage electrical systems or low-voltage wiring for telephones, computers or fire/security alarms. Many electricians do both construction and maintenance jobs, while others become independent contractors. The median earnings for electricians as of 2006 were about $21/hr.