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The differences between plant 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 a plant electrician and an apprentice. Additionally, a plant electrician has an average salary of $62,953, which is higher than the $37,107 average annual salary of an apprentice.
The top three skills for a plant electrician include PLC, electrical equipment and hand tools. The most important skills for an apprentice are PET, customer service, and basic math.
Plant electricians are electrical professionals who are responsible for maintaining equipment used in production or to generate electricity in industrial plants and factories. These electricians are required to maintain electrical equipment while providing routine repairs on their electrical components to ensure proper performance. They must inspect the electrical systems and equipment throughout the plant to identify hazards and defects. Plant electricians must also implement maintenance programs that are used to test equipment and diagnose an isolated system malfunction.
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.
Plant electricians and apprentices have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Electrician | Apprentice | |
| Average salary | $62,953 | $37,107 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $83,000 | Between $26,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Worcester, MA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Ford Motor | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a plant electrician and an apprentice in terms of educational background:
| Plant Electrician | Apprentice | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between plant electricians' and apprentices' demographics:
| Plant Electrician | Apprentice | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 2.3% White, 65.4% 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% |