Albany Technical College

Nature of the Work

Electricians install and maintain all of the electrical and power systems for our homes, businesses, and factories. They install and maintain the wiring and control equipment through which electricity flows. They also install and maintain electrical equipment and machines in factories and a wide range of other businesses.

Employment

Electricians held about 694,900 jobs in 2008. About 65 percent of wage and salary workers were employed by electrical contracting firms, and the remainder worked as electricians in a variety of other industries. In addition, about 9 percent of electricians were self-employed.

Job Outlook

Employment of electricians should increase 12 percent between 2008 and 2018, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

As the population grows, electricians will be needed to wire new homes, restaurants, schools, and other structures that will be built to accommodate the growing population. In addition, older buildings will require improvements to their electrical systems to meet modern codes and accommodate higher electricity consumption due to the greater use of electronic equipment in houses and workplaces.

Earnings

In May 2008, median hourly wages of wage and salary electricians were $22.32.The middle 50 percent earned between $17.00 and $29.88.The lowest 10 percent earned less than $13.54, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $38.18.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Pharmacy Technicians and Aides, on the Internet at http://www.bls. gov/oco/ocos206.htm.