Also known as
- Apprentice Electrician
- Construction Electrician
- Construction Electrician Apprentice
- Domestic and Rural Electrician
Your duties | Work conditions | Essential Skills | Apprenticeship | Certification | Where to study | Salary ranges | Building your career | Job prospects
Do you have good communication and reading skills? Are you in good shape and good with your hands? Do you have a knack for math and working with mechanical things? Do you enjoy using tools, figuring out plans and solving problems? Do you get along well with others? Then Electrician could be the career for you!
What the work is like
Electricians lay out, assemble, install, test, troubleshoot and repair electrical wiring, fixtures, control devices and related equipment in all types of buildings and other structures.
They are employed by electrical contractors and building maintenance departments, or they may be self-employed.
Electricians work in all four construction sectors: New Home Building and Renovation, Heavy Industrial, Institutional and Commercial, and Civil Engineering. To learn more about the construction sectors, check out Inside the industry.
Your duties
As an Electrician, your duties may include the following:
- installing and repairing lighting fixtures and equipment, including switches and circuit breakers
- connecting power to communications equipment, signalling devices and heating and cooling systems
- troubleshooting electronic systems and replacing faulty components
- conducting preventive maintenance programs
- reading and interpreting drawings and blueprints
Work conditions
The standard work week for electricians is 40 hours (8 hours a day, 5 days a week). As with many careers in construction, there are peak periods that will require you to work overtime. The number of additional hours you work each week depends on the construction sector and region you work in, and will vary from one job to the next.
As an Electrician, you may work indoors and outdoors, independently or with other construction professionals. If you work in renovation or maintenance, you may have to deal with customers.
The work can be physically demanding, and you may have to work at heights.
As with all careers in the construction industry, safety is the top priority. Electricians are trained to work safely and take special precautions to protect themselves from electrical shocks.
Essential Skills
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has identified nine Essential Skills that are necessary to succeed in the workplace. These skills provide the foundation for learning all other skills and apply to most construction careers. Best of all, you can learn and improve on these skills in school, on the job and during your everyday life.
The most important Essential Skills for electricians are the following:
- Document Use – reading and interpreting documents to extract information
- Problem Solving – coming up with solutions to challenges
- Computer Skills – working with computers to operate machinery or to input/extract information
Click here to learn more about Essential Skills.
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is one way of starting out in the construction industry. It involves both classroom studies and on-the-job training under the supervision of a certified Electrician, called a journeyperson.
As an apprentice, you earn while you learn and are paid by the hour while working on the job site. Wages start at about 40% of a journeyperson’s hourly rate and increase during your apprenticeship until you reach the full rate.
Entering an apprenticeship program
Requirements for electrician apprenticeship programs vary across Canada. In most provinces and territories, you must be at least 16 years old and have a Grade 12 education or equivalent to enter an electrician apprenticeship program. You may find it helpful to have courses in English, physics and math.
Some provinces and territories offer secondary school apprenticeship programs that allow high school students to work towards a career as an Electrician.
For more information, check out the Apprenticeship section.
Program length
Apprenticeship training programs for electricians vary across Canada, but generally involve four 12-month periods, including at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, four 8-week blocks of technical training and writing a final certificate exam.
Related work experience or completion of an electrical program at a college or technical institute can reduce the time required to complete your apprenticeship.
Certification
Certification is required in all provinces and territories. Certification tells employers and other workers that you are a skilled professional. It also helps you get jobs.
To be certified as an Electrician, you usually need to complete a four- to five-year apprenticeship program. Once you successfully complete the required on-the-job training, technical training and exams, you are awarded a journeyperson certificate.
As a certified Electrician you may attempt the Interprovincial Exam to qualify for the Interprovincial Standards’ Red Seal. With a Red Seal, you can work as an Electrician anywhere in Canada.
To keep your skills current, you have to keep up with new technological developments by reading and talking with other electricians, and by attending upgrading seminars.
Where to study in Canada
In addition to the Canadian schools listed below, many employer and labour organizations offer training. For more information, check out Related links.
Specialty programs
In addition to the schools listed above, Aboriginal Canadians, new Canadians and women can enrol in one of several specialty programs.
For Aboriginal Canadians, Northern College offers a Native Residential Construction Worker Apprenticeship Program and Red River College offers an introductory program called ACCESS.
For new Canadians with experience as electricians, NorQuest College offers a program called Transitions to Technical and Trades Careers.
For women, Lambton College, Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology and Red River College offer integrated programs.
Salary ranges
Electrician hourly wages vary depending on the contract, the company, collective agreements, and local and national economic conditions. Typical hourly wage ranges for electricians (based on national or regional averages) are as follows:
Junior apprentices
| Region | Typical hourly rate |
|
National average |
$15-$24 |
Based on national averages, junior apprentices can earn annual salaries ranging from $31,000 to $50,000 per year, not including overtime.
Journeypersons
| Region | Typical hourly rate |
|
National average |
$22-$29 |
Based on national averages, journeypersons can earn annual salaries ranging from $46,000 to $60,000 per year, not including overtime.
Highly experienced journeypersons
| Region | Typical hourly rate |
|
National average |
$28-$35 |
Based on national averages, highly experienced journeypersons can earn annual salaries ranging from $58,000 to $73,000 per year, not including overtime.
Construction work can involve overtime, so your total annual salary will vary depending on the number of overtime hours you work.
In addition to the hourly rate, many construction workers receive statutory holiday and vacation pay. Depending on the contract, you may also receive benefits such as group insurance for health, dental, and vision care, as well as retirement packages and training benefits up to 30% of your hourly rate. If you are self-employed, it is up to you to arrange your own benefits.
Building your career
With experience and additional training you can move into more senior positions such as Estimator or Electrical Inspector, or into supervisory roles such as foreman or superintendent. You can also become self-employed and start your own contracting business.
As with most careers in the construction industry, your skills are portable. If you want to move, you can take your skills with you.
Job prospects
Construction careers across Canada are booming! To learn about the forecast for electricians, check out Job prospects. There you’ll find information on their expected demand by province for the next nine years.
The Construction Sector Council accepts no responsibility or liability connected with the use or reproduction of the information contained on this website. It is provided “as is” and is intended for informational use only without warranty, express or implied.
