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The differences between substation electricians and electrical journeymen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a substation electrician and an electrical journeyman. Additionally, a substation electrician has an average salary of $67,906, which is higher than the $61,940 average annual salary of an electrical journeyman.
The top three skills for a substation electrician include CDL, transformers and circuit breakers. The most important skills for an electrical journeyman are switches, hand tools, and EMT.
A Substation Electrician installs control panels and wiring systems, performs emergency repairs and regular maintenance on electrical substations delivering energy to the surrounding buildings and houses. The professionals work hand-in-hand with engineers and architects to create the substation's plan and layout. After completing the blueprints, the Substation Electricians can construct and install electrical equipment and wiring cabinets. Other duties performed may include testing, calibrating, and maintaining relays. They also operate various devices and troubleshoot transformers' issues and provide the right solutions.
Electrical journeymen have the primary responsibility of installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical equipment. They provide their services directly to customers, explaining the extent of the equipment damage and explaining the equipment's proper usage and correct cleaning. They can also train an apprentice who aspires to be a future electrician too. A journeyman may monitor supply count, record inventories, order missing, essential supplies, and make sure the supply is safe to use.
Substation electricians and electrical journeymen have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substation Electrician | Electrical Journeyman | |
| Average salary | $67,906 | $61,940 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $98,000 | Between $43,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Bellingham, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Constellation Energy Partners |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a substation electrician and an electrical journeyman in terms of educational background:
| Substation Electrician | Electrical Journeyman | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between substation electricians' and electrical journeymen' demographics:
| Substation Electrician | Electrical Journeyman | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5% | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 2.3% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 2.2% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |