What is a rig electrician and how to become one

Key steps to become a rig electrician

1. Explore rig electrician education requirements

   Most common rig electrician degrees

   Associate

   29.4 %

   High School Diploma

   22.2 %

   Bachelor's

   21.4 %

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2. Start to develop specific rig electrician skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Electrical Equipment	9.35%
   PLC	8.53%
   VFD	8.04%
   Electrical Safety	6.29%
   VAC	6.25%

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3. Complete relevant rig electrician training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New rig electricians 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 a rig electrician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real rig electrician resumes.

4. Obtain the necessary licensing

   Becoming a licensed rig electrician usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed rig electrician in most of states. 25 states require rig electricians 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

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5. Research rig electrician duties and responsibilities

   • Relay control logic motor control systems PLC control systems, use of PLC software.
   • Repair main rig power D399 caterpillar engines.
   • Used computer to run diagnostics on caterpillar motors.
   • Maintain electrical components on all EMD main engines.

6. Prepare your rig electrician resume

   When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your rig electrician resume.

   You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a rig electrician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

   Choose from 10+ customizable rig electrician resume templates

   Build a professional rig electrician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your rig electrician resume.
   

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7. Apply for rig electrician jobs

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

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