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The differences between plant electricians and apprentices electrician 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 electrician. Additionally, a plant electrician has an average salary of $62,953, which is higher than the $38,799 average annual salary of an apprentice electrician.
The top three skills for a plant electrician include PLC, electrical equipment and hand tools. The most important skills for an apprentice electrician are hand tools, run conduit, and EMT.
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 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.
Plant electricians and apprentices electrician have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Electrician | Apprentice Electrician | |
| Average salary | $62,953 | $38,799 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $83,000 | Between $28,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Ford Motor | Dell |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Construction |
There are a few differences between a plant electrician and an apprentice electrician in terms of educational background:
| Plant Electrician | Apprentice Electrician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between plant electricians' and apprentices electrician' demographics:
| Plant Electrician | Apprentice Electrician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1% | Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7% |
| 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, 6.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.8% Asian, 2.1% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |