What are the 3 Main Types of Electricians?

Electricians are professionals who specialize in installing, maintaining, and managing electrical energy. There are three levels of certification for electrical workers: apprentice, officer, and master electrician. To become an official electrician, you must complete an apprenticeship and pass an exam. After working as an officer for a period of time, you can apply to become a licensed master electrician. As a master electrician, you can lead jobs, manage teams of electricians, and train apprentices. You also have the option to become an electrical contractor and hire other electricians to perform work. Electricians can focus on residential, commercial, or industrial jobs. Residential electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring and systems in homes and small apartment buildings. Commercial electricians work in commercial buildings and require additional supervised training in a specialty area such as industrial electrical work. Industrial electricians work in power plants, manufacturing facilities, chemical plants, and other types of industrial buildings. Wind turbine electricians assemble, maintain, repair, and replace wind turbines. Maintenance electricians require formal learning and must have an electrician's license to work independently. The primary standard for most states is about 4,000 hours of electrical work as an officer followed by a licensing exam to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the National Electrical Code. Electrician rates vary depending on the type of commercial electrician you're looking for but commercial rates are usually higher than residential rates because they have to work faster.