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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $62,350 in the US with the middle 80% earning between $37,020 and $104,180 and is projected to grow 10% over the next decade (faster than average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows low AI exposure (0.30 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include Critical Thinking, Troubleshooting, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Quality Control Analysis.
Salary distribution (US)
Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £39,647 a year for Electricians and electrical fitters (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £32,287 to £49,138 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5241). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Electricians, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification ITI trade 'Electrician' (2 years, after Class 10 with science and maths) under the Craftsmen Training Scheme[1][2]
- 2 · Certification Pass the all-India trade test to get the National Trade Certificate (NTC) from DGT[1]
- 3 · First role Electrician (general) or electrical fitter[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- DGT — Electrician trade syllabus (Craftsmen Training Scheme) (read on 2026-09-27)
- DGT — List of CTS courses (read on 2026-09-27)
1 open listing on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Building and Construction
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Design
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
A day in the life
You show up at a job site at dawn with your tool belt, blueprints, and a strong cup of coffee, then start the morning pulling wire through conduit in a new commercial building. By mid-morning you might be bending and mounting conduit runs, wiring breaker panels, and installing outlets and switches while making sure every connection meets code. Afternoons could take you to a residential service call where you troubleshoot a dead circuit with a multimeter, trace the fault to a corroded junction box, and fix it on the spot. The work is physical and cerebral at the same time—one wrong connection can cause a fire—and the satisfaction of flipping a breaker and watching a whole building light up never gets old.
Illustrative: one typical day. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
- Place conduit, pipes, or tubing, inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas, and pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between boxes.
- Work from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
- Use a variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.
- Assemble, install, test, or maintain electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, apparatus, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.
- Connect wires to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Electricians do?
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.
What does a typical day look like in Electricians?
You show up at a job site at dawn with your tool belt, blueprints, and a strong cup of coffee, then start the morning pulling wire through conduit in a new commercial building. By mid-morning you might be bending and mounting conduit runs, wiring breaker panels, and installing outlets and switches while making sure every connection meets code.
How much does Electricians earn?
The median annual salary for Electricians in the US is $62,350. The middle 80% of workers earn between $37,020 and $104,180 annually. Entry-to-mid-career earners typically fall between $46,700 and $82,340.
What is the job outlook for Electricians?
The role is projected to grow 10% over the next decade (faster than average). Current US employment is approximately 818,700 workers.
How do I become a electricians?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Electricians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Troubleshooting, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Quality Control Analysis, Installation. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Electricians?
Our AI-durability model gives Electricians a score of 0.30 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Electricians has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.