What does a licensed electrician do?
A licensed electrician is responsible for operating electrical equipment and installing power systems to establishments, private households, and other industrial and commercial areas. Licensed electricians assemble complex wiring and electrical cables, requiring them to have an excellent analysis of mechanical schematics and blueprints. They conduct regular maintenance and inspection to ensure the safety and stability of the systems to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. A licensed electrician must have excellent mechanical and organizational skills, especially in following strict protocols and safety procedures during operations.
Licensed electrician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real licensed electrician resumes:
- Remove, analyze, identify issue install properly working pressure transducers, effectively accomplishing priorities to go underway.
- Trouble shoot any electrical problems, install VFD's and PLC's for the oil field.
- Comply with all local codes, NEC, safety procedures, OSHA, EPA, waste handling rules, job specs.
- Maintain OSHA certifications for all large projects.
- Install EMT for all roof top units.
- Install EMT for all power to each floor.
- Install motors, controls and troubleshooting of HVAC systems.
- Heat pumps, furnaces, HVAC troubleshooting with gas and electric products.
- Wire ASCO switches and panic stations, install power poles, floor molding and florescent lighting.
- Carry out all installation of cable and electrical lines, tamper-proof systems, switches, fuses, relays, and disconnects.
- Ensure daily operations follow all safety standard operating procedures and OSHA policies while maintaining a clean and efficient work environment.
- Fit solid PVC and galvanize conduit systems that include all types of bends and directional changes.
- Install conduit systems including PVC, rigid, IMC, stainless, and PVC coat conduits.
- Disassemble, inspect and repair fuel-injection pumps, injectors, turbo chargers, blowers, alternators, generators and starters.
- Wire heating, and A/C units, and all outside electricity.
Licensed electrician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Licensed Electricians are proficient in Electrical Equipment, Ladders, and NEC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Color vision, Communication skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Licensed Electricians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Electrical Equipment, 14%
Performed preventative maintenance and installation on a variety of electrical equipment incidental to commercial Federal buildings as well in residential buildings.
- Ladders, 14%
Performed daily inspections with proper documentation on electrical tools, ladders and on motorized equipment.
- NEC, 10%
service calculations, voltage drops, circuit layouts, wire & conduit sizing with NEC compliance.
- Hand Tools, 9%
Utilize test equipment and hand tools to locate cause of a breakdown and problem correction.
- Electrical Issues, 4%
Demonstrated excellence in safety and compliance, troubleshooting electrical issues and finding solutions, consistently checking and correcting any electrical issues.
- PLC, 4%
Constructed, wired electrical panels for material handling production machinery, debugged PLC logic, and troubleshot electrical/electronic controls and circuits.
Most licensed electricians use their skills in "electrical equipment," "ladders," and "nec" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential licensed electrician responsibilities here:
Color vision. One of the key soft skills for a licensed electrician to have is color vision. You can see how this relates to what licensed electricians do because "electricians must identify electrical wires by color." Additionally, a licensed electrician resume shows how licensed electricians use color vision: "installed fire alarm and hvac control systems with little or no supervision. "
Physical strength. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of licensed electricians is physical strength. This skill is critical to many everyday licensed electrician duties, as "electricians need to be strong enough to move heavy components, which may weigh up to 50 pounds." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provided industrial electrical maintenance, maintaining physical plant and equipment. "
Troubleshooting skills. licensed electrician responsibilities often require "troubleshooting skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "electricians find, diagnose, and repair problems." This resume example shows what licensed electricians do with troubleshooting skills on a typical day: "perform maintenance, installations, and troubleshooting of residential, commercial and industrial electrical systems in both new and existing systems. "
The three companies that hire the most licensed electricians are:
- Mr. Electric55 licensed electricians jobs
- TPI25 licensed electricians jobs
- State Bar of Michigan8 licensed electricians jobs
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Licensed electrician vs. Apprentice
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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between licensed electricians and apprentice. For instance, licensed electrician responsibilities require skills such as "ladders," "hand tools," "roofing," and "electrical issues." Whereas a apprentice is skilled in "pet," "customer service," "basic math," and "apprenticeship." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Apprentices earn the highest salaries when working in the transportation industry, with an average yearly salary of $44,876. On the other hand, licensed electricians are paid more in the utilities industry with an average salary of $89,544.apprentices tend to reach similar levels of education than licensed electricians. In fact, apprentices are 1.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Licensed electrician vs. Wireman
Sometimes called electrician apprentices, electrical apprentices assist the electricians in maintaining, repairing, and operating the electrical systems. Typically, they work in huge construction sites and facilities on their power distribution, lighting systems, and cables. These apprentices assist electricians in the installation of electrical systems. They have to be equipped with skills and knowledge in electrical equipment, installation, and safety regulations. It is also expected from them to become motivated team players and be well-organized.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that licensed electrician responsibilities requires skills like "ladders," "roofing," "electrical issues," and "osha." But a wireman might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "work ethic," "electrical conduit," "transformers," and "safety standards."
Wiremen earn similar levels of education than licensed electricians in general. They're 4.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Licensed electrician vs. Electrical apprentice
A low voltage technician is responsible for monitoring and installing low-voltage cables and systems for electronic equipment and communication devices. Low voltage technicians analyze blueprints and schematics to connect the cables safely and accurately. They also conduct repairs for defective components and faulty wirings, recommending solutions and low-cost materials with high quality according to the customers' needs and budget limitations. A low voltage technician must have excellent electrical and organizational skills, especially in performing duties with utmost adherence to safety guidelines and procedures to prevent hazards and operational delays.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, licensed electricians are more likely to have skills like "electrical equipment," "ladders," "nec," and "roofing." But a electrical apprentice is more likely to have skills like "run conduit," "receptacles," "defective electrical equipment," and "install conduit."
Electrical apprentices earn the best pay in the construction industry, where they command an average salary of $46,514. Licensed electricians earn the highest pay from the utilities industry, with an average salary of $89,544.electrical apprentices typically earn similar educational levels compared to licensed electricians. Specifically, they're 3.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Licensed electrician vs. Low voltage technician
Even though a few skill sets overlap between licensed electricians and low voltage technicians, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a licensed electrician might have more use for skills like "electrical equipment," "nec," "roofing," and "electrical issues." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of low voltage technicians require skills like "cctv," "patch panels," "structured cabling," and "cat6. "
Low voltage technicians enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $46,465. For comparison, licensed electricians earn the highest salary in the utilities industry.In general, low voltage technicians hold similar degree levels compared to licensed electricians. Low voltage technicians are 4.0% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of licensed electrician
Updated January 8, 2025











