How To Become An Electrician Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is an electrician technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Ronald Widdoss

From respirators in hospitals to manufacturing equipment in factories, electrical equipment makes up the backbone of operations in many places of work. If that equipment fails, the consequences would be very bad. The electrician technician helps maintain electrical systems and prevents technological crises.

The electrician technician helps assemble and maintain any electronic wiring and equipment. They can specialize in many types of electrical work, from telecommunications to the maintenance of specialty equipment. No matter what they are working on, the electrician technician needs to carefully read electrical design plans, evaluate the system, and troubleshoot any problems. Sometimes, they supervise other electricians.

There are several ways to become an electrician technician, but a bachelor's degree usually isn't one of them. Many electrician technicians have associate's degrees from trade schools or community colleges. Many electrician technicians also apprenticed with a master electrician technician to get practical experience before taking up the mantle themselves.

What general advice would you give to an electrician technician?

Ronald Widdoss

Be a sponge. Learn all you can and prove to your employer you can be taught and that your up for the challenge.

ScoreElectrician TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,813

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.85%

Asian 2.21%

Black or African American 8.02%

Hispanic or Latino 21.05%

Unknown 4.25%

White 63.62%

Gender

female 3.99%

male 96.01%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an electrician technician

Explore electrician technician education requirements

Most common electrician technician degrees

Associate

41.9 %

High School Diploma

19.5 %

Bachelor's

17.8 %

Start to develop specific electrician technician skills

Skills	Percentages
PLC	8.17%
Hand Tools	6.34%
Electrical Systems	5.33%
Preventive Maintenance	4.74%
Electrical Equipment	4.03%

Complete relevant electrician technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New electrician technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an electrician technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real electrician technician resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed electrician technician usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed electrician technician in most of states. 25 states require electrician technicians to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	-	State exam required	Licensed Journeyman Electrician
Alaska	-	State exam required	Electrical Worker
Arkansas	-	Third-party exam required	Journeyman Electrician
Colorado	-	State exam required	Journeyman Electrician
Hawaii	Degree required	State exam required	Electrician

Gain additional electrician technician certifications

Electrician technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific electrician technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for electrician technicians include Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma) and Electrical Technician Certification.

More About Certifications

Research electrician technician duties and responsibilities

Work with delta controls, backnet, citrx and Johnson building automation controls.
Maintain CNC lathes and mills.
Measure, cut, bend and install EMT and RMC conduits.
Analyze and implement on the NEC rules and regulations.

Apply for electrician technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an electrician technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do electrician technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Electrician technician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023

Cons

Bending pipe,cause it cost me money if the measurements is off

Pros

Thinking about the job while working the job

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2022

Pros

Is to keep lights burning to satisfy customers

Cons

The customers siting on the dark

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Cons

Retarded trades who think they are special. They don't realise to be an electrician requires superior brain power, something they can only dream about. Hence the continual flapping of their gums trying to make us believe their dull useless lives are interesting.

Pros

Nothing? Its the worst job on site and you have to put up with working with uneducated divs. And thats just the management.

What is an electrician technician and how to become one

What general advice would you give to an electrician technician?

Electrician technician career paths

Key steps to become an electrician technician

Explore electrician technician education requirements

Most common electrician technician degrees

Start to develop specific electrician technician skills

Complete relevant electrician technician training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional electrician technician certifications

Research electrician technician duties and responsibilities

Apply for electrician technician jobs

How did you land your first electrician technician job

Average electrician technician salary

How do electrician technicians rate their job?

Electrician technician reviews

Electrician technician jobs by state