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The differences between apprentices and lead electricians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an apprentice and a lead electrician. Additionally, a lead electrician has an average salary of $56,709, which is higher than the $37,107 average annual salary of an apprentice.
The top three skills for an apprentice include PET, customer service and basic math. The most important skills for a lead electrician are electrical equipment, hand tools, and electrical systems.
An apprentice is responsible for learning specialized tasks on their chosen field through actual job training under the supervision of tenured staff. An apprentice's duties include performing administrative tasks as needed, creating observation reports of daily operations, providing possible recommendations on improving productivity, and adhering to the business' safety standards and regulatory procedures. An apprentice must be detail-oriented, fast-learner, and enthusiastic. An apprentice should also know how to accept constructive criticisms and feedback to improve performance and skill development.
A Lead Electrician is the one who does the maintenance, inspection, and repair, and installation of needed equipment and other electric-related things. They are the one who supervises and monitors the job of the Electrician, plans and takes action to every happening and problem that they can encounter. They also do the planning of schedule and the process of conducting an equipment check-up and maintenance. Also, they need to be knowledgeable when it comes to repairing and installing needed material and equipment.
Apprentices and lead electricians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Apprentice | Lead Electrician | |
| Average salary | $37,107 | $56,709 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $51,000 | Between $38,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Mid-South Management | Ameresco |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Energy |
There are a few differences between an apprentice and a lead electrician in terms of educational background:
| Apprentice | Lead Electrician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between apprentices' and lead electricians' demographics:
| Apprentice | Lead Electrician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% | Male, 97.4% Female, 2.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 2.2% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.2% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |