Electrical License Requirements
Electrical license requirements will vary from state to state, so if you want to become a licensed electrician it will be helpful to do your training in the state where you plan on working. Although the process of performing the work will be very similar from one state to the next, you must be able to pass the testing / licensing requirements for the specific state. However, most states will have a very similar process, which we will discuss in this article.
To begin with, you must graduate high school. It is a good idea to focus on math classes, as this is the skill most used as an electrician.
The next step consists of a combination of classroom instruction and supervised work performed on jobsites. One advantage of the classroom portion is that your instruction will focus only on the electrical field. This is different from a traditional college education that will consist of many subjects that are unrelated to your actual chosen professional field. With electrical training, your only subject will be the electrical industry. You will find the classroom portion of your training easier if you have solid math skills.
You will also be performing about 8 thousand hours (about 4 years) of supervised work in an electrical apprenticeship. This offers another advantage over traditional higher education because you will be paid while you are working in your apprenticeship. This is an important step in obtaining your electrical license. A job in the electrical field is potentically very dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing, so it is important to have actual hands-on training supervised by an experienced professional.
Once you have completed your electrical apprenticeship, you will take the journeyman electrican exams. These are a series of tests intended to test your knowledge of the National Electrical Code, basic electrical theory, and the regulations for the specific state where you are taking the exam. The exams will be timed, and you must receive a minimum score (often set at 75%) to pass.
As you can see, electrical license requirements are extensive. However, there are a number of testing prep services that will make it easier for you to pass the exams. A few of these are:
- www.electrician2.com
- www.codeelectricprep.com
- www.electricalexamacademy.com
- www.electricanexampracticetests.com
Once you have completed the work requirements and passed the journeyman exam, then you will be considered a journeyman electrician. From there, you can offer your services as an electrician. If you want to continue building your career, you may want to become a master electrician, which generally requires two or more years’ work as a journeyman electrician and the passing of the master electrican exam, which will cover more advanced topics than the journeyman exam.
Ready to get started? Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) has training centers throughout the U.S. that will provide you the training you need as well as get you set up in an apprenticeship – everything you need to meet the electrical license requirements in your state. So get in touch with IEC today and get your career started off right!
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