Starting your career as an electrician can be daunting with so much information out there. What are the different types of electricians, and what type of electrician career is right for you? While most people just think of electrical work as a catch-all, there are many differences in what each profession does. Before you decide on a commercial, residential, or industrial electrician, take a look at an overview of each type.
Residential Electrician Jobs
Residential electricians typically work on wiring newly-build houses before the final touches are put on. Or, with emergency electric needs on residential homes. To become a residential electrician, a high school diploma is required. After this, becoming an electrician apprentice and engaging in classes is the way forward. To become a fully-licensed journeyman, electricians need to complete the apprenticeship or a technical school program and pass a competency exam. Going into this area mostly involves working with single-phase power supplies, from 120 to 240 volts.
Commercial Electrician Jobs
While residential electricians work on things we see every day, commercial electricians work on the business we frequent. From restaurants to retail stores and business offices, this is the workplace of these tradesmen. Typically, commercial electrician jobs involve wiring breakers, generators, transformers lighting fixtures, and other things. Requirements are similar to residential electricians, but the apprenticeship must be in the area you plan to go in. Commercial electricians still typically work with single-phase power supplies but need knowledge for wiring a wider array of equipment.
Industrial Electrician Jobs
While commercial and residential are typically working in areas that look like where people live, industrial engineers work in plants and factories. Ensuring large, industrial equipment is properly installed and grounded, plus regularly going back for scheduled maintenance, is the workday of an industrial electrician. The requirements for licensing are similar to residential and commercial, but industrial electricians need to do apprenticeships in the industry they plan to go into.
Which Type of Electrician is Right For Me?
The type of electrician you choose to become is an individual’s decision. Working with small power sources and interacting with your clients might be a residential perk while working on many different types of wiring could be commercial. If you want to work on large machines with lots of power, industrial is the way to go. Whatever you choose, Nexstar Jobs can help you find a company that is hiring the electrician apprentice job near you and put you on the right path. Nexstar Jobs also has postings for all levels of electricians, if you are looking to broaden your experience or just for a new opportunity. Find out more about how we can help your electrician career on our website: https://resources.jobs.nexstarnetwork.com/ .