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The differences between electricians and apprentices can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an electrician and an apprentice. Additionally, an electrician has an average salary of $48,850, which is higher than the $37,107 average annual salary of an apprentice.
The top three skills for an electrician include hand tools, electrical equipment and run conduit. The most important skills for an apprentice are PET, customer service, and basic math.
| Electrician | Apprentice | |
| Yearly salary | $48,850 | $37,107 |
| Hourly rate | $23.49 | $17.84 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 17,245 | 13,014 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.86 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An electrician is a skilled tradesman in charge of wirings and systems which provide electric power to a facility. They are trained to design, install, maintain, and troubleshoot electrical wiring systems. There are four basic types of an electrician - residential wiremen, inside wiremen, telecommunications electrician, and outside linemen. Some work on a standard 40-hour week shift while others are on-call duty. In some cases, traveling is also a vital key to their role where they would work for a few days before moving to another location.
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.
Electricians and apprentices have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrician | Apprentice | |
| Average salary | $48,850 | $37,107 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $73,000 | Between $26,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Worcester, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | PBF Energy | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an electrician and an apprentice in terms of educational background:
| Electrician | Apprentice | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between electricians' and apprentices' demographics:
| Electrician | Apprentice | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |