Electricians
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.
- O*NET-SOC code
47-2111.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$63,190
Employment, U.S.757,220
Median hourly wage$30.38
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $42,640 | $49,430 | $63,190 | $83,940 | $108,510 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 10,900 | $55,690 | 1.06 |
| Alaska | 1,870 | $89,440 | 1.18 |
| Arizona | 21,140 | $61,060 | 1.34 |
| Arkansas | 7,500 | $49,070 | 1.18 |
| California | 73,310 | $76,160 | 0.83 |
| Colorado | 17,010 | $62,230 | 1.22 |
| Connecticut | 7,710 | $77,540 | 0.93 |
| Delaware | 2,260 | $63,700 | 0.96 |
| District of Columbia | 2,440 | $78,970 | 0.71 |
| Florida | 49,700 | $57,250 | 1.03 |
| Georgia | 21,650 | $58,320 | 0.91 |
| Hawaii | 3,070 | $96,460 | 1.01 |
| Idaho | 5,690 | $63,000 | 1.36 |
| Illinois | 23,120 | $99,560 | 0.78 |
| Indiana | 19,020 | $68,490 | 1.22 |
| Iowa | 10,310 | $60,860 | 1.36 |
| Kansas | 6,350 | $65,860 | 0.91 |
| Kentucky | 11,030 | $59,720 | 1.13 |
| Louisiana | 10,550 | $61,540 | 1.12 |
| Maine | 3,780 | $75,380 | 1.21 |
| Maryland | 13,690 | $73,490 | 1.02 |
| Massachusetts | 17,810 | $79,420 | 1.01 |
| Michigan | 23,530 | $76,270 | 1.10 |
| Minnesota | 14,350 | $78,160 | 1.00 |
| Mississippi | 6,610 | $60,860 | 1.17 |
| Missouri | 12,780 | $65,410 | 0.89 |
| Montana | 2,750 | $76,760 | 1.10 |
| Nebraska | 6,440 | $60,820 | 1.29 |
| Nevada | 8,350 | $73,570 | 1.11 |
| New Hampshire | 3,330 | $62,840 | 1.00 |
| New Jersey | 13,520 | $77,250 | 0.65 |
| New Mexico | 5,020 | $58,390 | 1.18 |
| New York | 40,130 | $78,750 | 0.85 |
| North Carolina | 21,640 | $56,800 | 0.90 |
| North Dakota | 3,570 | $65,710 | 1.71 |
| Ohio | 28,950 | $64,700 | 1.07 |
| Oklahoma | 8,500 | $61,010 | 1.02 |
| Oregon | 10,590 | $101,310 | 1.11 |
| Pennsylvania | 22,730 | $67,600 | 0.77 |
| Rhode Island | 2,420 | $74,090 | 0.99 |
| South Carolina | 8,010 | $58,740 | 0.71 |
| South Dakota | 2,980 | $61,390 | 1.34 |
| Tennessee | 17,070 | $61,090 | 1.07 |
| Texas | 76,770 | $58,570 | 1.12 |
| Utah | 11,450 | $62,000 | 1.36 |
| Vermont | 1,270 | $63,430 | 0.86 |
| Virginia | 23,630 | $62,900 | 1.18 |
| Washington | 19,380 | $95,220 | 1.12 |
| West Virginia | 4,290 | $64,810 | 1.25 |
| Wisconsin | 14,310 | $76,540 | 1.00 |
| Wyoming | 2,960 | $76,120 | 2.16 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 3 | 0.962 |
| 2 | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | 1-2 | 0.958 |
| 3 | Weatherization Installers and Technicians | 1-2 | 0.955 |
| 4 | Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 1-2 | 0.954 |
| 5 | Mechanical Door Repairers | 1-2 | 0.951 |
| 6 | Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | 3 | 0.949 |
| 7 | Tile and Stone Setters | 1-2 | 0.946 |
| 8 | Sheet Metal Workers | 1-2 | 0.945 |
| 9 | Automotive Body and Related Repairers | 1-2 | 0.944 |
| 10 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | 3 | 0.944 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Electricians, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | Equipment Maintenance | 0.88 | 0.962 |
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | Equipment Maintenance | 1.00 | 0.944 |
| Ship Engineers | Operation and Control | 0.88 | 0.939 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | Equipment Maintenance | 0.88 | 0.938 |
| Solar Energy Installation Managers | Negotiation | 1.24 | 0.937 |
| Signal and Track Switch Repairers | Equipment Maintenance | 0.88 | 0.934 |
| Boilermakers | Operation and Control | 0.88 | 0.934 |
| Medical Equipment Repairers | Equipment Maintenance | 1.00 | 0.932 |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | Complex Problem Solving | 0.88 | 0.932 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Electricians, excluding software Electricians already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing and drafting software | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| Computerized maintenance management system CMMS | 5 of 20 | 7.7x |
| Job costing software | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| Quicken | 3 of 20 | 10.7x |
| Intuit QuickBooks | 3 of 20 | 1.6x |
| Salesforce software | 3 of 20 | 1.6x |
| 3 of 20 | 1.0x | |
| Microsoft Project | 3 of 20 | 0.7x |
| Email software | 3 of 20 | 0.5x |
| Microsoft Access | 4 of 20 | 0.5x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.75 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.25 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.38 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Building and Construction | 3.67 | 4.62 |
| Administration and Management | 3.58 | 3.66 |
| Mechanical | 3.42 | 3.41 |
| Mathematics | 3.40 | 3.63 |
| Design | 3.32 | 3.86 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.17 | 3.19 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.87 | 3.18 |
| Psychology | 2.68 | 3.36 |
| English Language | 2.64 | 2.56 |
| Production and Processing | 2.50 | 2.70 |
| Transportation | 2.50 | 2.44 |
| Telecommunications | 2.48 | 2.56 |
| Law and Government | 2.43 | 1.89 |
| Administrative | 2.33 | 2.35 |
| Physics | 2.27 | 2.80 |
| Education and Training | 2.21 | 2.77 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.18 | 1.57 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.11 | 1.93 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.07 | 2.12 |
| Computers and Electronics | 1.98 | 1.70 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.74 | 1.43 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.64 | 0.86 |
| Chemistry | 1.61 | 1.51 |
| Communications and Media | 1.54 | 1.45 |
| Geography | 1.47 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.45 | 0.97 |
| Foreign Language | 1.19 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.19 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.16 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.09 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.09 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.09 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.06 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Visualization | 3.38 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.38 | 3.88 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Far Vision | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Control Precision | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Number Facility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Depth Perception | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Memorization | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Originality | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Reaction Time | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Static Strength | 2.75 | 3.25 |
| Stamina | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.75 | 1.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Response Orientation | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.50 | 2.75 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.25 | 1.75 |
| Explosive Strength | 2.25 | 1.62 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Rate Control | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Sound Localization | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Night Vision | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.25 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Adobe Acrobat hot
- Autodesk AutoCAD hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- SAP software hot
- AVEVA InTouch HMI
- Construction Master Pro
- Craftsman CD Estimator
- Database software
- Electrosoft FlashWorks
- Elite Software E-Coord
- Elite Software Inpoint
- Elite Software Outpoint
- Elite Software Short
- Elite Software VDROP
- Insight Direct ServiceCEO
- Lighting calculation software
- One Mile Up Panel Planner
- Programmable logic controller PLC software
- Resolve Systems Service Management
- Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate
- Shafer Service Systems
- SmartDraw
- Socrates Contractor's Library
- SoftEmpire Electrical Calculations
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kokomo, IN | 730 | 4.20 | $91,290 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 740 | 2.89 | $104,510 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 2,010 | 2.61 | $62,440 |
| Odessa, TX | 1,030 | 2.61 | $57,110 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 2,000 | 2.52 | $61,380 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1,690 | 2.50 | $50,230 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 1,100 | 2.41 | $80,990 |
| Casper, WY | 450 | 2.31 | $69,640 |
| Cheyenne, WY | 530 | 2.26 | $74,590 |
| Greeley, CO | 1,240 | 2.13 | $63,290 |