Electrician major
Electrician: courses, careers, and where to study
Electrician programs train you to install, maintain, and repair the wiring, controls, and power systems in homes, businesses, and industrial sites, working safely to electrical code.
An Electrician program is a skilled-trades pathway focused on the hands-on installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of electrical systems. Coursework covers residential, commercial, and industrial wiring; DC and AC theory; reading blueprints and electrical drawings; conduit bending and raceway layout; sizing conductors and overcurrent protection; and wiring distribution panels, motors, controls, and household and industrial appliances. Students learn to interpret and apply the National Electrical Code, use meters and testers for troubleshooting and inspection, and estimate jobs. Where Electrical Engineering centers on the physics and math behind circuit and power design, and Electrical Engineering Technology emphasizes building and testing electronic hardware alongside engineers, the Electrician field concentrates on installing and servicing code-compliant wiring and equipment in real buildings under field conditions.
Many electricians enter through a registered apprenticeship that pairs paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction, often after a certificate or associate program, and most states require an examination to become a licensed journeyman and later a master electrician. Licensing rules, exam content, and continuing-education requirements vary by state and locality, so verify the specifics with your state licensing board. Common settings include construction, building maintenance, utilities, and self-employment as a contractor; specialties range from low-voltage and controls to renewable and industrial work. A program is a foundation rather than a guarantee, hiring and pay differ by region and specialty, and ongoing code updates and safety training are part of the work. Some graduates later move into estimating, inspection, or supervision.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of electricians, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $62,350 and projects employment to grow about 9.5% from 2024 to 2034; a high school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Electrician maps to CIP 46.0302, Electrician, within the CONSTRUCTION TRADES family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to install, operate, maintain, and repair electric apparatus and systems such as residential, commercial, and industrial electric-power wiring; and DC and AC motors, controls, and electrical distribution panels. Includes instruction in the principles of electronics and electrical systems, wiring, power transmission, safety, industrial and household appliances, job estimation, electrical testing and inspection, and applicable codes and standards.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Electrician is awarded as
Of the 17,528 Electrician credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate83%14,588
- Associate17%2,940
This is one of the fields where the answer genuinely depends on where you study: across the 32 states reporting it, certificates run from 50% of credentials in the 10th-percentile state to 100% in the 90th. Check the mix in your state before assuming which credential a program leads to. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Residential, commercial, and industrial wiring methods and installation practices
- DC and AC electrical theory, including voltage, current, resistance, and power
- Reading electrical blueprints, schematics, and one-line diagrams
- Applying the National Electrical Code to layout, conductor sizing, and overcurrent protection
- Wiring and servicing distribution panels, transformers, and branch circuits
- Installing and troubleshooting motors, motor controls, and electrical equipment
- Conduit bending, raceway, and cable installation using hand and power tools
- Electrical testing, inspection, and troubleshooting with meters and diagnostic tools
- Job estimating, safety procedures, lockout/tagout, and arc-flash awareness
Typical careers
- Electrician
- Apprentice electrician
- Journeyman electrician
- Master electrician
- Electrical contractor
- Maintenance electrician
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 electricians median $62,350).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Electrician, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $62,350 | 81,000 | +9.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $78,690 | 74,400 | +5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | $59,300 | 9,400 | +10.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Signal and Track Switch Repairers | $83,600 | 800 | +1.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 4 of these 4 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Electrician does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Electrician major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Electrician program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Electrician department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Electrician program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Electrician credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeKY · 556
- City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley CollegeIL · 535
- Ivy Tech Community CollegeIN · 527
- Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeKY · 527
- Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeKY · 494
- Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeKY · 494
- Somerset Community CollegeKY · 379
- Gateway Community and Technical CollegeKY · 319
- SOWELA Technical Community CollegeLA · 309
- Southern California Institute of TechnologyCA · 273
- Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose ParkIL · 265
- Big Sandy Community and Technical CollegeKY · 259
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Electrician credentials were awarded
20 states have a distinct enough set of Electrician colleges to be worth its own page.
Related majors
Electrical Engineering Technology
Electrical Engineering Technology is a hands-on, applied major in building, testing, and maintaining electrical and electronic systems for students who prefer real hardware over heavy theory.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering applies physics and math to circuits, power, and electronics, suiting students who want to design the hardware and systems behind modern technology.
HVAC Technology
HVAC Technology trains you to install, service, and repair heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems, blending applied mechanics, electrical work, and hands-on diagnostics.
Mechatronics
Mechatronics integrates mechanical parts, electronics, sensors, and control software so students learn to build, test, and maintain automated systems like robots and production lines.
Construction Management
Construction Management blends building science, project planning, and business to prepare graduates to plan, budget, and oversee construction projects from groundbreaking to handover.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Electrician degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Construction & Extraction careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Installation & Repair careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Electrician degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Electrician path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.