What Does an Electrician Technician Do?

The main duties of an electrical technician involve the assembly, evaluation, testing, and maintenance of electronic or electrical wiring and equipment. Sometimes, electrical technicians can take the role of electrical engineers or electricians. They may perform the duties of residential, telecommunications, and inside electricians. They may also work on-site for the efficient functionality of specialty equipment and machinery. The technicians are expected to have mechanical aptitude, reading comprehension, problem-solving skills, and customer service skills.

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Electrician Technician Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real electrician technician resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

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.
Repair or replace ac drive systems in the labeling and packing dept
Provide assistance in testing and commissioning automation systems (SCADA).
Install direct drive DC frequency generators in Puerto Rico industrial MA/COM plants.
Work from ladders and high lifts to repair overhead lighting, vent fan motors.
Perform QA of personnel records in accordance to naval, OSHA and EPA safety guidelines.
Install new electrical commercial equipment, troubleshoot devices, bend emt conduit, pull wire.
Power distribution tunnels check, also Harris substation 138,000 / 12,4700 / 4,160 VAC city tie check weekly
Install various devices such as switches, dimmers, receptacles, range outlets, dryer and laundry receptacles etc.
Diagnose malfunctioning programmable logic controllers components, motor drives, flow meters, reed switches and photo eye switches.
Install control wiring on cooling towers and help to make sure all points assign to controls in delta are operating correctly.
Train in programming procedures for industrial servo/robotic systems and PLC programming techniques.

Electrician Technician Job Description

When it comes to understanding what an electrician technician does, you may be wondering, "should I become an electrician technician?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, electrician technicians have a growth rate described as "faster than average" at 10% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of electrician technician opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is 74,100.

Electrician technicians average about $27.79 an hour, which makes the electrician technician annual salary $57,813. Additionally, electrician technicians are known to earn anywhere from $42,000 to $77,000 a year. This means that the top-earning electrician technicians make $33,000 more than the lowest earning ones.

As is the case with most jobs, it takes work to become an electrician technician. Sometimes people change their minds about their career after working in the profession. That's why we looked into some other professions that might help you find your next opportunity. These professions include a commercial and industrial electrician, maintenance electrician, apprentice electrician, and industrial electrician.

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Electrician Technician Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 8% of Electrician Technicians are proficient in PLC, Hand Tools, and Electrical Systems. They’re also known for soft skills such as Color vision, Communication skills, and Physical strength.

We break down the percentage of Electrician Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:

PLC, 8%
Involved in large-scale plant upgrade and automation projects utilizing PLC controlled machinery and robotics.
Hand Tools, 6%
Installed, secured, and aligned parts, through the use of hand tools, welding equipment, and electric meters.
Electrical Systems, 5%
Performed installation and modifications of avionics, electrical systems and wiring on United aircraft using blueprints and technical data.
Preventive Maintenance, 5%
Perform assigned preventive maintenance duties on assigned equipment and document in maintenance management system in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.
Electrical Equipment, 4%
Design different types of electrical equipment for different applications, design and draw wiring schematics for electrical projects.
Ac Dc, 4%
Installed electrical equipment, such as AC DC Motors and electrical panels for different sections of the plant.

Some of the skills we found on electrician technician resumes included "plc," "hand tools," and "electrical systems." We have detailed the most important electrician technician responsibilities below.

Color vision can be considered to be the most important personality trait for an electrician technician to have. According to a electrician technician resume, "electricians must identify electrical wires by color." Electrician technicians are able to use color vision in the following example we gathered from a resume: "maintained all production equipment plus the electrical systems for the color line. "

Another commonly found skill for being able to perform electrician technician duties is the following: communication skills. According to a electrician technician resume, "electricians work with people on a regular basis." Check out this example of how electrician technicians use communication skills: "experience with installing and maintaining an in house communications network for plc's. "

Physical strength is also an important skill for electrician technicians to have. This example of how electrician technicians use this skill comes from a electrician technician resume, "electricians need to be strong enough to move heavy components, which may weigh up to 50 pounds." Read this excerpt from a resume to understand how vital it is to their everyday roles and responsibilities, "maintained electrical components to physical buildings. "

In order for certain electrician technician responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "troubleshooting skills." According to an electrician technician resume, "electricians find, diagnose, and repair problems" As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "maintain all equipement:air compressors,vacum pumps,lighting, and power,troubleshooting. "

See the full list of electrician technician skills.

We've found that 17.8% of electrician technicians have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 2.3% earned their master's degrees before becoming an electrician technician. While it's true that some electrician technicians have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every two electrician technicians did not spend the extra money to attend college.

Those electrician technicians who do attend college, typically earn either a electrical engineering technology degree or a electrical engineering degree. Less commonly earned degrees for electrician technicians include a electrical and power transmission installers degree or a industrial technology degree.

When you're ready to become an electrician technician, you might wonder which companies hire electrician technicians. According to our research through electrician technician resumes, electrician technicians are mostly hired by Frito-Lay, Wegmans Food Markets, and Marshfield Clinic Health System. Now is a good time to apply as Frito-Lay has 46 electrician technicians job openings, and there are 7 at Wegmans Food Markets and 6 at Marshfield Clinic Health System.

But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, electrician technicians tend to earn the biggest salaries at Nabors Industries, Harley-Davidson, and Eastman. Take Nabors Industries for example. The median electrician technician salary is $78,494. At Harley-Davidson, electrician technicians earn an average of $77,195, while the average at Eastman is $76,010. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.

View more details on electrician technician salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a electrician technician include Us Navy, Ibew, and General Motors. These three companies were found to hire the most electrician technicians from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

For the most part, electrician technicians make their living in the manufacturing and media industries. Electrician technicians tend to make the most in the energy industry with an average salary of $61,264. The electrician technician annual salary in the technology and construction industries generally make $58,645 and $58,630 respectively. Additionally, electrician technicians who work in the energy industry make 14.8% more than electrician technicians in the non profits Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious electrician technicians are:

Frito-Lay46 Electrician Technicians Jobs
Wegmans Food Markets7 Electrician Technicians Jobs
RRD6 Electrician Technicians Jobs

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What Commercial And Industrial Electricians Do

A commercial electrician is different from an industrial electrician since both perform in different environments and have distinct training. Commercial electricians are responsible for ensuring that the electrical components and wiring of the structure are working safely and efficiently. They commonly work on basic electrical installations and repairs of particular equipment. On the other hand, industrial electricians have more specialized and extensive education. Their duties require them to have an in-depth knowledge of their field since accuracy is very crucial in their line of work. They may operate issues relating to extraordinary high voltage systems and micro-control currents of electricity.

In this section, we compare the average electrician technician annual salary with that of a commercial and industrial electrician. Typically, commercial and industrial electricians earn a $11,473 lower salary than electrician technicians earn annually.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both electrician technicians and commercial and industrial electricians positions are skilled in plc, hand tools, and electrical systems.

There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, an electrician technician responsibilities require skills like "preventive maintenance," "electrical schematics," "hmi," and "production equipment." Meanwhile a typical commercial and industrial electrician has skills in areas such as "run conduit," "work ethic," "cable cutters," and "nec." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

Commercial and industrial electricians really shine in the construction industry with an average salary of $48,295. Whereas electrician technicians tend to make the most money in the energy industry with an average salary of $61,264.

On average, commercial and industrial electricians reach similar levels of education than electrician technicians. Commercial and industrial electricians are 0.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Maintenance Electrician?

A maintenance electrician is responsible for monitoring the electrical systems of a building, inspecting the wiring and cables for any malfunctions, and perform preventive maintenance as needed to ensure its safety and efficiency. Maintenance electricians upgrade electrical network systems for optimal performance and replacing faulty wiring, as well as installing new equipment in the building as the management advises. They also analyze schematics and blueprints for electrical line placements and running diagnostic tests to identify possible defects for immediate resolution. A maintenance electrician must have excellent knowledge of the electrical industry, especially on recording maintenance reports and solutions.

Next up, we have the maintenance electrician profession to look over. This career brings along a higher average salary when compared to an electrician technician annual salary. In fact, maintenance electricians salary difference is $4,299 higher than the salary of electrician technicians per year.

While the salary may be different for these job positions, there is one similarity and that's a few of the skills needed to perform certain duties. We used info from lots of resumes to find that both electrician technicians and maintenance electricians are known to have skills such as "plc," "hand tools," and "electrical systems. "

But both careers also use different skills, according to real electrician technician resumes. While electrician technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "preventive maintenance," "capacitors," "pc," and "support equipment," some maintenance electricians use skills like "preventative maintenance," "allen-bradley," "ladder logic," and "programmable logic controllers."

It's been discovered that maintenance electricians earn higher salaries compared to electrician technicians, but we wanted to find out where maintenance electricians earned the most pay. The answer? The automotive industry. The average salary in the industry is $70,114. Additionally, electrician technicians earn the highest paychecks in the energy with an average salary of $61,264.

When it comes to the differences in education between the two professions, maintenance electricians tend to reach similar levels of education than electrician technicians. In fact, they're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How an Apprentice Electrician Compares

An Apprentice Electrician is responsible for conducting electrical repairs and faults under the supervision and guidelines of a Master Electrician. The duties of an Apprentice will vary while still under training; however, it will mostly revolve around assisting the Master Electrician or carrying out given tasks. Furthermore, an Apprentice Electrician may be responsible for clearing out sites, carrying or loading materials, procuring required supplies, understanding and interpreting various types of blueprints, handling wiring systems, and coordinating with multiple workers, even including the clients.

The apprentice electrician profession generally makes a lower amount of money when compared to the average salary of electrician technicians. The difference in salaries is apprentices electrician making $19,014 lower than electrician technicians.

While looking through the resumes of several electrician technicians and apprentices electrician we discovered that both professions have similar skills. These similarities include skills such as "plc," "hand tools," and "electrical systems," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from electrician technicians resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "preventive maintenance," "electrical equipment," "electrical schematics," and "electrical troubleshooting." But a apprentice electrician might have skills like "run conduit," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "power drills."

Additionally, apprentices electrician earn a higher salary in the construction industry compared to other industries. In this industry, they receive an average salary of $42,387. Additionally, electrician technicians earn an average salary of $61,264 in the energy industry.

When it comes to education, apprentices electrician tend to earn similar education levels than electrician technicians. In fact, they're 1.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of an Industrial Electrician

An Industrial Electrician installs, maintains, and repairs electrical systems in industrial facilities. They are usually part of a construction team to put in and check new equipment and systems.

The fourth career we look at typically earns higher pay than electrician technicians. On average, industrial electricians earn a difference of $4,720 higher per year.

While their salaries may vary, electrician technicians and industrial electricians both use similar skills to perform their jobs. Resumes from both professions include skills like "plc," "hand tools," and "preventive maintenance. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an electrician technician might have more use for skills like "electrical systems," "control systems," "mechanical equipment," and "mechanical maintenance." Meanwhile, some industrial electricians might include skills like "transformers," "allen-bradley," "work ethic," and "vac" on their resume.

In general, industrial electricians make a higher salary in the automotive industry with an average of $69,749. The highest electrician technician annual salary stems from the energy industry.

In general, industrial electricians reach similar levels of education when compared to electrician technicians resumes. Industrial electricians are 0.1% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated October 2, 2020