Taking Charge - Your Career As a Construction Electrician

Thank an Electrician Today

If you turned on your computer, switched on a light, or simply got a cold drink out of the refrigerator, chances are there is a construction electrician out there that you borrowed from thanks. Construction electricians come in charge of installing the conduits and wiring that bring electricity into buildings, offices, and residential structures. Construction electricians may also be in charge of installing signal communication systems, alarms, and other electrical equipment needed to make a structure livable.


What's the work Like?

Although construction electricians usually work inside on construction sites, where they are responsible for installing the electrical hardware of a building or worksite, they could occasionally need to work outside in the elements. Construction electricians usually begin work soon after the structure is framed, as their job requires threading metal electrical conduit (a kind of pipe that protects the building wiring) through the walls and floors of the building. Because the conduit goes in, they also link electrical plugs, switches along with other electrical management hardware to it, threading wires through the conduit, and connecting it to these power points. Construction electricians use screwdrivers, pliers, along with other hand tools, along with electrical test meters to check on voltages and pipe benders and hacksaws to cut and bend the conduits they install.

Construction electricians tend to be more than simply pipe fitters and wire cutters. They need to also discover how to read the blueprints that describe the locations of where electrical wiring runs in a building. They have to know about all local and state building codes and the specifications for all types of residential and commercial electrical hardware. In addition they need to know the best methods to prevent short circuits or other electrical dangers that could appear in the wiring of a structure.

Since construction electricians sometimes work outside, they might be exposed to wind, rain along with other bad weather. Working conditions require standing several hours on ladders, work platforms, or in cramped workspaces. Construction electricians must also be careful to avoid dangerous shocks and injuries from the high voltage equipment they must install. In the case of factory or commercial construction, they may have to deal with extremely powerful transformers, switch systems, and circuit breakers handling hundreds of watts of electricity.

Qualifications

While many construction electricians learn their trade as apprentices to senior electricians, others learn the ropes through formal training programs available through community colleges and vocational schools. These programs typically require a high school diploma or GED equivalent. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association both offer four-year programs, along with assigning apprenticeships between locations and providing work programs that bring experienced electricians and apprentices together.

Under these formal programs, apprentices are expected to master 144 class hours each year, together with four years of on-the-job training under a senior electrician. Classes include training in wiring layout, electronics, blueprint reading, mathematics and electrical theory and applications.

Salaries

The median salary for a construction electrician is $20.33 one hour, with some variation based on location and experience. Generally, since these positions are usually union-affiliated, salaries are pretty much equal across a geographical area.

Employment Outlook

About two thirds of the 659,000 electricians working in the United States are used in the construction field or related jobs. With the expansion of computers, smart houses along with other sophisticated electronic systems, the projected dependence on skilled construction electricians is likely to be very good through another decade, although recent downturns in the housing construction market could have a cooling effect on this growth. However, job growth is expected to hold equal with the national average through 2014.

How to locate Work

While some construction electricians enter the field by working as helpers under a senior electrician at a local job site, the simplest way to start a career as an electrician is though one of the numerous apprenticeship programs offered through a union or the National Electrical Contractors Association. Because so many construction electricians are also union members, they are generally referred by the union for jobs in an area area.

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The prospect of skilled construction to advance is normally quite good, with experienced electricians frequently upgrading to management jobs as estimators, superintendents, and job site supervisors. From this point, they may opt to start their very own contracting businesses or are consultants, handling electrical bids for other contractors. Many senior electricians are able to parlay their experience into related fields, such as factory, aircraft construction, or shipbuilding electrician roles.

Conclusion

If you're looking to take charge of your future (pun intended), you will not have to look beyond a lifetime career as a construction electrician. A vital part of the construction industry in both residential and commercial areas, that is one job which will be in demand so long as people need lights, air-con, and electrical outlets in the spaces they reside in.

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Pub: 02 Feb 2024 21:05 UTC

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