Electricians
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.
At a Glance
Electricians earns a median of $62,350/yr with +9.5% projected growth. Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent. Top skills: Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Microsoft Windows.
$62,350/yr
+9.5%
81
High school diploma or equivalent
Skills & Requirements
Skills (9)
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Knowledge (5)
Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Abilities (18)
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Technology (8)
Work Activities (33)
Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
Careers with Overlapping Skills
These occupations share the most skills. A career transition between them means many of your skills transfer directly.
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First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
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Explore Key Skills
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