Wives of electricians

amother

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 12:13 am

didnt rly know where to post this..

my dh is interested in going to trade school to become an electrician.
were in our 20's.

any wives of electricians on this forum who can share a bit of the "behind the scenes" ?
is there a need for more electricians? is it a demanding job? may I ask what the salary is like?
I heard trade school is 2 years plus a mandatory 4 years apprenticeship to get certified?

amother

Copper

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 12:18 am

Do it
My DH should've done it years ago.
Tremendous need and there will always be.
The only thing to keep in mind is to make good money as an electrician you also have to have a business mind to build up a business. But even if not can do well.

amother

Brown

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 12:45 am

amother [ Copper ] wrote:

My DH is in a similar field and I totally agree.
Trade school is good!

Is your DH skilled at fixing things? If he's a natural, then for sure go for it. It's good to do it while young because it does take a long time.

Licensing depends on where you live (I'm in CA so it may be different here.)

However, upon being licensed - they sky's the limit. He can charge his own prices and depending on how good he is, he can charge at the upper end of the normal range and make a lot of money. People always need a good electrician that is professional and honest. They will pay for it.

amother

Orange

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 12:50 am

You have to have a business mind and know how to deal with customers to make them happy.
Hours and how hard depend on if you work for your self or for someone else.
If he is going to actually be doing the work on his own then it’s pretty labor intensive.
It can get harder as you get older.

amother

Honeydew

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 12:53 am

Depends where you’re located. Some areas give you a very hard time with licensing. He’ll definitely have to work a while for someone else first. Not just for licensing requirements, but to learn the ins and outs of the trade.

Honestly I’m not sure why anyone thinks you make a lot of money in this field - although I’m sure it depends on your location (and on whether or not contractors pay you for your work before going on their tenth luxurious vacation, but that’s a vent for another time).

If your husband is handy, honest, and works skillfully, he’ll do well at it.

amother

Hotpink

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 1:24 am

I would say he should talk to people already in the field and get a temporary job as an assistant.
That’s what my husband did and he quickly realized it wasn’t for him. He couldn’t handle the years he would need to work at low salary and at set times while he was working toward his license.
He ended up becoming a general handyman instead, which in our state doesn’t require training.
I know one of his friends is a contractor.
he also considered plumbing and hvac but nixed both for the same issue of schooling (also it’s apparently harder to get starting jobs in those fields, at least around here).

amother

Teal

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 2:06 am

If you don’t have connections you ll work for losers who don’t want to pay. During a pandemic , to install a light is not essential. To fix a clogged sink is essential. Tell him to become a plumber.
Signed,
Wife of master electrician with 25 plus years of experience.

amother

Pumpkin

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 6:35 am

If you can afford the years he has to work under someone elses license where the money is less it is an excellent income and in very high demand once fully self employed.

amother

Gray

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 7:07 am

I'm an engineer.

Many of my coworkers are tradesmen (all union)--which is a must where I live.

With the current costs of college tuition (much more than when I went--even at a state school), I am encouraging my son to go to work/get an associates/certificate.

He can get some good skills and make money and then decide if he wants a 4 year engineering degree.

He will make good money as a union electrician or a plumber, but I do think the current steamfitter crowd (plumbers) where I am, while made up of some really good guys, has a higher percentage of ex cons than the electricians who are more straight laced.

But, really it depends on one's inclination/interest whether he wants to the go the electrician or plumber route.

amother

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 10:03 am

amother [ Brown ] wrote:

Yes bh hes very handy. He was actually a handyman in eretz yisroel. We're living in the states now. I looked into trade school for him and its about 7k.

He is a great people's person, a very hard worker, and very ehrlich

amother

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 10:04 am

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

He would eventually like to get a union job as an electrician but I assume its extremely competitive and difficult?

Rappel

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 10:06 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Then you are a very fortunate woman Smile