Do you have good communication and reading skills? Do you have a knack for math and working with mechanical things? Are you good with your hands and in good shape? Do you enjoy using tools, figuring out plans and solving problems? Do you get along well with others? Then, you could become an electrician!

What the work is like

Electricians install, test, and repair electrical wiring, fixtures, and related equipment in all types of buildings and structures.

They are employed by electrical contractors and building maintenance departments, or they may be self-employed.

Electricians work in all four construction sectors: new home building and renovation, heavy industrial, institutional and commercial, and civil engineering.

Your duties

As an electrician, your duties may include:

  • Installing and repairing lighting fixtures and equipment, including switches and circuit breakers
  • Connecting power to communications equipment, signalling devices and heating and cooling systems
  • Troubleshooting electronic systems and replacing faulty components
  • Conducting preventive maintenance programs
  • Reading and interpreting drawings and blueprints

Work conditions

The standard work week for electricians is 40 hours (8 hours a day, 5 days a week). As with many careers in construction, there are peak periods that will require you to work overtime. The number of additional hours you work each week depends on the construction sector and region you work in, and will vary from one job to the next.

As an electrician, you may work indoors and outdoors, independently or with other construction professionals. If you work in renovation or maintenance you may have to deal with customers.

The work can be physically demanding, and you may have to work at heights.

As with all careers in the construction industry, safety is the top priority. Electricians are trained to work safely, and take special precautions to protect themselves from electrical shocks.

Essential skills

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has identified nine essential skills that are necessary to succeed in the workplace. These skills provide the foundation for learning all other skills and are applicable to most construction careers. Best of all, you can learn and improve on these skills in school, on the job, and during your everyday life.

The most important Essential Skills for electricians are:

  • Document use—reading and interpreting documents to extract information
  • Problem solving—coming up with solutions to challenges
  • Computer skills—working with computers to operate machinery or to input/extract information

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship is one way of starting out in the construction industry. It involves both classroom studies and on-the-job training under the supervision of a certified electrician, called a journeyperson.

As an apprentice, you earn while you learn and are paid by the hour while working on the job site. Wages start at about 40% of a journeyperson’s hourly rate and increase during your apprenticeship, until you reach the full rate.

Entering an apprenticeship program

Requirements for electrician apprenticeship programs vary across Canada. In most provinces and territories, you must be at least 16 years old and have a Grade 12 education, or equivalent, to enter an electrician apprenticeship program. You may find it helpful to have courses in English, physics and math.

Some provinces and territories offer secondary school apprenticeship programs that allow high school students to work towards a career as an electrician.

Program length

Apprenticeship training programs for electricians vary across Canada, but generally involve four 12-month periods, including at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, four 8-week blocks of technical training, and writing a final certificate examination.

Related work experience or completion of an electrical program at a college or technical institute can reduce the time required to complete your apprenticeship.

Certification

Electrician certification is required in most provinces and territories. Certification tells employers and other workers that you are a skilled professional. It also helps you get jobs.

To be certified as an electrician, you usually need to complete a four- to five-year apprenticeship program. Once you successfully complete the on-the-job training, technical training and examinations required by the program, you are awarded a journeyperson certificate.

As a certified electrician you may attempt the Interprovincial Exam to qualify for the Interprovincial Standards’ Red Seal. With a Red Seal, you can work as an electrician anywhere in Canada.

Certification for construction electricians is compulsory in:

  • Alberta
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Québec
  • Saskatchewan
  • the Northwest Territories
  • the Yukon

It is available, but voluntary, in British Columbia and Manitoba.

In territories where certification is not available, it may be possible to study as an apprentice through your local labour organization.

To keep your skills current, you have to keep up with new technological developments by reading talking with other electricians, and attending upgrading seminars.

Salary ranges

TYPICAL WORK WEEK/YEAR *

JOURNEYPERSON
ANNUAL SALARY RANGE **
     
LOW   HIGH
     
$37,440   $70,720
     
HOURLY SALARY RANGE
LOW HIGH
$18 $34
 
APPRENTICE
HOURLY SALARY RANGE
  LOW HIGH
YEAR 1 – 50 % $ 9.00 $ 17.00
YEAR 2 – 60 % $ 10.80 $ 20.40
YEAR 3 – 70 % $ 12.60 $ 23.80
YEAR 4 – 80 % $ 14.40 $ 27.20

In addition to their hourly rate, many construction workers receive statutory holiday and vacation pay. Depending on the contract, you may also receive benefits such as group insurance for health, dental and vision care, retirement packages, and training benefits up to 30% of your hourly rate.

If you are self-employed, it’s up to you to arrange your own benefits.

* Wages vary across Canada, among labour organization locals and among open-shop construction contractors.

** Most construction work involves overtime, so your annual salary will vary depending on the number of hours you work. The salary range listed above represents the annual salary range for full-time journeyperson electricians across Canada, based on a 40-hour work week, without taking overtime into account.

Building your career

With experience and additional training you can move into more senior positions such as estimator or electrical inspector, or into supervisory roles such as foreman or superintendent. You can also become self-employed and start your own contracting business.

As with most careers in the construction industry, your skills are portable. If you want to move, you can take your skills with you.

Job prospects

Construction careers across Canada are booming! To learn about the forecast for electricians, check out Job prospects. There you’ll find information on the expected demand by province for electricians from 2006 to 2014.

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