What Is a Journeyman Electrician in Carlsbad, NM?

Are you interested in a career as an electrician in Carlsbad, NM? You’ll need to go through some initial training and then spend some time as a journeyman electrician before you can become a master electrician. But what exactly is a journeyman electrician?

A journeyman electrician is someone who is only partially through the training process required to become a master electrician. Like a master electrician, they will install and repair wiring and electrical systems, inspecting circuit breakers, wiring and transformers. They need to be familiar with building codes that have to do with electricity, and must be able to read blueprints to ensure the systems are correctly installed.

Some electricians go to technical school for their training, and others learn through apprenticeships. Either way, you can expect four years’ worth of training or apprenticeship as well as significant on-the-job training before you can call yourself an electrician. Licenses and certifications are required in most states, but the specific requirements can vary from place to place.

It is an attractive field for many people interested in contract types of work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 592,230 electricians employed in the United States in 2015, and job opportunities are expected to grow by 14 percent through 2024.

Tasks of a journeyman electrician

Journeyman electricians have enough experience and training to work by themselves, but they do not have the additional licensure that grants them master electrician status. They are capable of working in residential, commercial and industrial buildings, and can work with fixtures, control systems and electrical wires. However, they usually are not involved in designing a building’s electrical system—this is a job reserved for a master electrician.

This means journeyman electricians can expect to do a lot of installation and repair work, as well as inspections and tests of electrical systems. They also supervise apprentices who are just starting out in the trade, providing them with some much-needed guidance as they work through their own educational journeys in the field.

Prerequisites

As we previously stated, journeyman electricians will need to go through a four-year apprenticeship program, after which they qualify for licensure and journeyman worker status. These programs are usually sponsored by unions and industry organizations, though some technical schools and local community colleges also offer apprenticeship programs of their own. The classroom portion of the program usually features about 600 hours of instruction in electrical theory, codes, blueprint readings and safety training. There are also 8,000 hours of on-the-job training required before licensure.

Licensure or certification is required in most states. You might be required to pass an exam about the National Electrical Code, electrical theory and other local codes and ordinances.

For more information about what makes someone a journeyman electrician and what you need to do to become an electrician in Carlsbad, NM, we encourage you to contact JB Electric LLC today and we will be happy to answer any questions you have for our team about the electrical field.

Categorised in: Careers