Taking Charge - YOUR JOB As a Construction Electrician

Thank an Electrician Today

If you fired up your computer, switched on a light, or simply got a cold drink out of the refrigerator, chances are there's a construction electrician on the market that you borrowed from thanks. Construction electricians come in charge of installing the conduits and wiring that bring electricity into buildings, offices, and residential structures.  Continue reading  are also in charge of installing signal communication systems, alarms, along with other electrical equipment had a need to create a structure livable.

What's the Job Like?

Although construction electricians usually work inside on construction sites, where they're responsible for installing the electrical hardware of a building or worksite, they may occasionally have to work outside in sun and rain. Construction electricians usually begin work shortly after the structure is framed, as their job requires threading metal electrical conduit (a type of pipe that protects the building wiring) through the walls and floors of the building. Because the conduit goes in, they also link electrical plugs, switches along with other electrical management hardware to it, threading wires through the conduit, and connecting it to these power points. Construction electricians use screwdrivers, pliers, and other hand tools, and also electrical test meters to check voltages and pipe benders and hacksaws to cut and bend the conduits they install.

Construction electricians are more than simply pipe fitters and wire cutters. They must also discover how to browse the blueprints that describe the locations of where electrical wiring runs in a building. They need to know about all local and state building codes and the specifications for several types of residential and commercial electrical hardware. They also need to know the very best methods to prevent short circuits or other electrical dangers that could appear in the wiring of a structure.

Since construction electricians sometimes work outside, they may be exposed to wind, rain and other inclement weather. Working conditions require standing many hours on ladders, work platforms, or in cramped workspaces. Construction electricians must be careful in order to avoid dangerous shocks and injuries from the high voltage equipment they need to install. In the case of factory or commercial construction, they could suffer from extremely powerful transformers, switch systems, and circuit breakers handling hundreds of watts of electricity.

Qualifications

While many construction electricians learn their trade as apprentices to senior electricians, others learn the ropes through formal training programs available through community colleges and vocational schools. These programs typically need a senior high school diploma or GED equivalent. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association both offer four-year programs, along with assigning apprenticeships between locations and providing work programs that bring experienced electricians and apprentices together.

Under these formal programs, apprentices are expected to understand 144 class hours each year, in addition to four years of on-the-job training under a senior electrician. Classes include training in wiring layout, electronics, blueprint reading, mathematics and electrical theory and applications.

Salaries

The median salary for a construction electrician is $20.33 an hour, with some variation predicated on location and experience. In general, since these positions are often union-affiliated, salaries are pretty much equal across a geographical area.

Employment Outlook

About two thirds of the 659,000 electricians working in the United States are used in the construction field or related jobs. With the expansion of computers, smart houses along with other sophisticated electronic systems, the projected dependence on skilled construction electricians is expected to be excellent through the next decade, although recent downturns in the housing construction market may have a cooling effect on this growth. However, job growth is likely to hold equal with the national average through 2014.

Where to find Work

Although some construction electricians enter the field by working as helpers under a senior electrician at a local job site, the simplest way to start a lifetime career being an electrician is though one of the many apprenticeship programs offered by way of a union or the National Electrical Contractors Association. Because so many construction electricians are also union members, they are often referred by the union for jobs in an area area.

Potential for Advancement

The potential for skilled construction to advance is usually quite good, with experienced electricians frequently upgrading to management jobs as estimators, superintendents, and job site supervisors. Out of this point, they may opt to start their very own contracting businesses or work as consultants, handling electrical bids for other contractors. Many senior electricians have the ability to parlay their experience into related fields, such as for example factory, aircraft construction, or shipbuilding electrician roles.

Conclusion

If you're looking to take charge of one's future (pun intended), you won't have to look further than a career as a construction electrician. A vital area of the construction industry in both residential and commercial areas, this is one job that will be in demand so long as people need lights, air-con, and electrical outlets in the spaces they reside in.