Types of Electricians: A Complete Guide to Specialties, Levels, and Salaries
Key takeaways:
This complete guide covers the different types of electricians, their career levels, specialties, and expected salaries to help you choose a path or hire the right professional.
- Electrician career levels define responsibilities and earnings. Electricians typically progress from apprentice to journeyman to master, with each level requiring more training, experience, and licensing. Salaries increase with expertise, from $21,000–$56,000 as an apprentice up to $90,000 as a master electrician.
- Electricians specialize by property type and field. Roles include residential, commercial, industrial, and maintenance electricians, each focusing on specific environments and types of electrical systems. Salary ranges differ based on field and complexity of work.
- Specialties offer diverse career paths. Electricians can further specialize as automotive, solar panel, marine, highway systems electricians, and more—each with unique job duties, required skills, and pay scales. Highly specialized roles like electrical designers and outside linepersons offer some of the highest earning potential.
- Licensing and certifications are essential. Most states require completion of apprenticeships, work hours, and passing exams for licensing, with additional certifications like OSHA 10/30 and NFPA 70E increasing safety and qualifications.
- Critical skills combine technical and interpersonal abilities. Successful electricians blend hard skills such as installation, troubleshooting, and code knowledge with soft skills including customer service, teamwork, and adaptability.
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Becoming an electrician is the beginning of an exciting and lucrative career. You can work for yourself, for a company, or start your own electrician business.
The electrical trade has many sectors and specialties for you to choose from. Each has its own requirements, levels, services, and salaries.
Learn about the different types of electricians and what each one can do. We’ll also explore what it means to go from apprentice, to journeyman, to master electrician.
Learn about the different types of electricians:
Types of electricians by experience level
Different types of electricians have similar education, licenses and certifications, and experience level. Career progression in the electrical trades usually advances through the levels of apprentice, journeyman, and master electrician.
Each qualified electrician level comes with different responsibilities, as well as education, experience, and license requirements.
Apprentice electrician
An apprentice electrician is an entry-level tradesperson gaining valuable experience to start their career. They can perform basic electrical work under the supervision of a journeyman or master electrician.
An apprentice electrician usually needs a high school diploma or GEF to get started. They are also required to complete at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job experience and 500–1,000 hours of classroom training each year to complete their program.
Average annual salary range: $21,000–$56,000
Journeyman electrician
A journeyman electrician is a more experienced tradesperson who performs advanced electrical work like repairs and installations without supervision. Despite their experience, a journeyman electrician cannot pull permits or supervise other electricians.
To become a journeyman, electrical apprentices must complete 8,000 hours of work experience over four or five years and pass a state-specific licensing exam. The exam tests their knowledge of electrical theory and the National Electric Code (NEC).
Average annual salary range: $43,000–$71,000
Master electrician
A master electrician is the highest level in the trade. They can perform complex electrical work, like designing complete systems and supervise apprentices and journeyman electricians on the job.
To become a master electrician, a journeyman must work for two more years to reach a total of 12,000 hours of experience before taking the master-level exam.
Average annual salary range: $48,000–$90,000
Types of electricians by field
Electricians vary based on the types of properties and customers they service. There are different electrical code requirements and best practices for different buildings, so electricians are usually trained for one type of property.
Electrician businesses vary as well, with some hiring electricians across property types and others specializing in one.
Residential electricians
Residential electricians service domestic properties like homes, apartments, and condos. They maintain, install, repair, and upgrade electrical systems on these properties.
A residential electrician performs everyday jobs like installing light fixtures or wiring outlets and circuit breakers. Larger residential electrical work includes new home builds and renovations.
Average annual salary range: $28,000–$94,000
Commercial electricians
Commercial electricians service corporate buildings like offices, financial institutions, restaurants, and retail stores.
Their work is more complex and on a larger scale than residential properties, including power distribution setups, security systems, and electrical system design for commercial spaces.
Commercial electricians frequently work with building blueprints and are responsible for making sure all electrical is compliant with local and state regulations.
Average annual salary range: $36,500–$69,500
Industrial electricians
Industrial electricians service high-risk facilities like factories, power stations, and manufacturing plants. Their work is much more dangerous than residential and commercial electrical—dealing with potentially hazardous materials and high-voltage machinery.
The nature of their work often requires additional specialized safety training.
Average annual salary range: $35,500–$85,000
Maintenance electricians
Maintenance electricians services residential, commercial, and industrial property to keep equipment in good condition and working safely. Their work involves frequent inspection, repairs, and upgrades to electrical systems.
A maintenance electrician is critical for all properties to minimize disruption in electrical services and production.
Average annual salary range: $34,000–$90,500
There are three things in life … that you need: a plumber, an HVAC, and an electrician.
Types of electrician by specialty
Beyond property type, different types of electricians can specialize in a specific equipment or service. These specialties include:
- Automotive electricians
- Solar panel electricians
- Marine electricians
- Highway systems electricians
- Installation electrician
- Construction electrician
- Wind turbine electrician
- Avionics electrician
- Electrical assembler
- Outside lineperson
- Electrical designer
- Inside wireperson
Below is a breakdown of these various roles, with a brief electrician job description for each:
Automotive electricians
Automotive electricians service the electrical systems found in vehicles like cars, trucks, and buses. An automotive electrician’s work focuses on electrical components like lighting, battery systems, brake systems, ignitions, air conditioning, infotainment systems, and more.
Automotive electricians are increasingly relying on digital tools for troubleshooting and diagnosis.
Average annual salary range: $35,000–$86,000
Solar panel electricians
Solar panel electricians are responsible for the installation, connection, maintenance, and repair of solar energy systems. Their work includes the positioning of solar panels and connecting to power sources in residential or commercial properties.
Solar panel electricians are also known as photovoltaic (PV) installers.
Average annual salary range: $39,070–$80,150
Marine electricians
Marine electricians service watercrafts like boats, ships, and yachts. Their work includes installation, repair, and maintenance of an array of electrical systems like navigation, communication, and lighting.
A marine electrician has the unique challenge of working in saltwater environments, high-moisture settings, and on mobile aquatic vessels.
Average annual salary range: $34,000–$96,500
Highway systems electricians
Highway systems electricians service electric systems on roadways like street lights, traffic signals, and communication lines. Their work includes the installation, maintenance, and repair of equipment to make sure roads are safe and efficient for pedestrians and drivers.
Highway electricians often work at night and when there isn’t much traffic to disrupt.
Average annual salary range: $32,000–$98,000
Installation electrician
Installation electricians are responsible for setting up electrical systems in residential and commercial properties. Their work includes installing wiring for fixtures and other electrical components and connecting that wiring to main breakers and transformers.
An electrician installation technician also follows blueprints to ensure electrical systems and wiring are correct and up to code.
Average annual salary range: $42,310–$109,300
Construction electrician
Construction electricians are responsible for the configuration and installation of electrical systems on new builds and construction projects.
Their work includes reading blueprints, wiring system layouts, and panel installation on properties like homes and condos, or construction projects like bridges and tunnels.
Average annual salary range: $33,000–$112,000
Wind turbine electrician
Wind turbine electricians service the spectrum of components in wind energy systems. Their work includes the installation, maintenance, and repair of different parts of a wind turbine, including generators and control systems.
Wind turbine electricians operate in a much more dangerous environment than other electricians and are specially trained for working safely at heights and in various weather conditions.
Average annual salary range: $49,110–$88,090
Avionics electrician
Avionics electricians service aircraft electrical systems. Their work includes the maintenance and repair of electrical components like flight control systems, navigation, and communication.
There are critical aviation safety standards and regulations to follow to ensure everything is working safely and tested properly.
Average annual salary range: $47,790–$120,080
Electrical assembler
Electrical assemblers are responsible for building components used in larger electrical systems. Their work includes reading instructions and blueprints to assemble parts like control panels and circuit boards for industrial machinery and other sectors like medical devices.
Electrical assemblers are also involved in the testing, troubleshooting, and maintenance of the parts they build.
Average annual salary range: $32,270–$63,490
Outside lineperson
An outside lineperson (also called an outside lineman) services power lines that are above and underground. Their work includes installing, maintaining, and repairing electrical systems that deliver power to residential and commercial properties.
Being an outside lineperson is a high-risk job that requires a lot of work from heights in all weather conditions. The dangerous nature of the job means all outside linepersons require additional safety training in first aid and climbing training.
Average annual salary range: $50,020–$126,610
Electrical designer
Electrical designers are the artists who craft the technical plans and blueprints for electrical systems in residential, commercial, or industrial properties. They use a wide array of digital design tools to prepare diagrams that showcase the electrical system layout, circuit and component placement, and more.
Electrical designers need to have a deep knowledge of electrical code and best practices in order to design compliant electrical systems.
Average annual salary range: $74,670–$175,460
Inside wireperson
An inside wireperson is responsible for connecting residential and commercial properties to a primary power source and installing components inside of these properties.
Their work also includes the installation of control panels, power outlets, security systems and other interior electrical equipment.
Average annual salary range: $49,500–$71,500
Essential skills for electricians
Different types of electricians need to possess a unique set of hard skills and soft skills to effectively do their job and meet client needs. These skills break down as follows:
Hard skills for electricians
Hard skills are technical abilities that an electrician learns from their education program or apprenticeship, as well as on-the-job experience. These skills include:
- Diagnosing problems with electrical equipment to get started on fixes more quickly.
- Troubleshooting electrical equipment to reduce downtime and have equipment working properly.
- Installing, maintaining, and repairing electrical systems to manage the entire lifecycle of equipment.
- Working with power tools and hand tools to perform all standard electrician duties.
- Reading blueprints and understanding instructions to complete electrical work according to code and safety requirements.
- Understanding National Electrical Code (NEC), International Electrical Code (IEC), and any local electrical codes to keep electric systems compliant and passing inspections.
- Understanding proper safety and emergency response protocol to protect everyone working on a job site.
Soft skills for electricians
Soft skills are the non-technical abilities that different types of electricians bring to their profession to elevate their service. These skills come from their approach, attitude, and personality. They include:
- Working under pressure to meet deadlines and fix critical issues.
- Providing excellent customer service to build lasting relationships and loyalty.
- Problem-solving to work more efficiently and effectively.
- Showing an appetite to learn about new technical methods and technology so you can continue to grow in your career.
- Being a dependable team player to contribute to a smooth-running job site and positive morale.
There’s a lot of problem solving. You can really put a smile on people’s faces, and what’s cooler than, ‘I press this button and all this comes on’?
Electrician licenses and certifications
Depending where you want to work as an electrician, you’ll either need a state or local electrician’s license. For example:
- Massachusetts has state electrician licenses for journeymen electricians, master electricians, system technicians, and system contractors.
- California has electrical trainees, a general electrician certification, and then the highest-level C-10 electrical contractors license.
- Ohio doesn’t require a license for general electrical work, but the state does require an electrical contractor license to work on commercial projects or contracts.
- States like Illinois, Nevada, New York, and Pennsylvania do not have a state electrician license. Local municipalities determine electrical certification requirements.
To get an electrician license in most states, you are required to complete an apprenticeship or equivalent training program, get on-the-job experience, and pass a licensing exam.
Additional certifications
Electricians should also equip themselves with important safety and electric code certifications to increase their knowledge, improve their skillset, and protect themselves and others. A few important certifications include:
- OSHA 10 and 30: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides courses for entry-level and senior electricians to teach awareness and prevention techniques for common hazards on the jobsite. The training specifically focuses on falls, electrocutions, struck-by incidents, and caught-in or -between accidents.
- NFPA 70E: The National Fire Protection Association’s 70E course focuses on the dangers of electrocution, shock, arc flash, and arc blast and preventing major workplace injury.
Getting the NFPA 70E certifications shows you understand safe working boundaries, the best lockout procedures, and the proper personal protective equipment (PPE).
Knowing your electricians
Electricians are organized into different levels and specialities to ensure work is done safely and properly. Knowing what electricians do, how much experience they have, and how much they get paid will help you:
- Pick an electrician career path: Figure out where a person’s passion lies and begin the journey through training and work experience.
- Hire the right employees for your electrical company: Understand what a team needs to provide the best service to customers.
- Find the right electrical services: Save time and money by picking the right type of electrician for a project.
Explore our electrician resources to learn more about becoming an electrician, getting an electrician license, or starting an electrician business.
Frequently Asked Questions
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An electrical designer makes the most money with a salary that can reach up to $175,460/year. The electrical designer puts together all of the blueprints and diagrams from the electric system or component and then participates in the assembly, testing, and troubleshooting parts of the process.
For someone providing service on actual electrical systems, the outside linesperson makes the most money with the potential to earn up to $126,610/year. That price tag comes at a premium because an outside lineperson’s job has more risk than other specializations. -
The difference between a commercial and industrial electrician is where they work and the equipment they service.
Commercial electricians work in public buildings like offices, retail stories, and financial institutions. They focus on the electrical systems required for daily business operations, like power distribution, security systems and lighting.
Industrial electricians are more behind the scenes in the locations they work, such as manufacturing plants and factories. The equipment they work on is often higher voltage and complex (hydraulics, pneumatics, PLCs, etc.), focusing more on reducing downtime and keeping production equipment working properly. -
Most states require you to complete your apprenticeship with at least 8,000 hours of experience before you can apply for the journeyman licensing exam. Since the standard work year is about 2,000 hours, this timeline averages out to around 4 years.
Many states also require you to complete anywhere from 576 to 800 hours of additional classroom training throughout your apprenticeship.