How To Become An Industrial Electrician: What It Is and Career Path

What is an industrial electrician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Ronald Widdoss

An industrial electrician installs, repairs, and maintains electrical systems and equipment in industrial settings. They work with large machinery, motors, generators, and complex electrical systems. An industrial electrician ensures the proper and safe function of electrical components. This includes troubleshooting problems, interpreting schematics, installing new equipment, and maintaining systems. They also enforce safety regulations and building codes. Industrial electricians require knowledge of electrical systems, safety procedures, and the ability to work in a high-stress environment.

What general advice would you give to an Industrial Electrician?

Ronald Widdoss

Be a sponge. Learn all you can and prove to your employer you can be taught and that your up for the challenge.

ScoreIndustrial ElectricianUS Average

Salary

4.9

Avg. Salary $62,533

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.6

Growth Rate 7%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.86%

Asian 2.25%

Black or African American 8.52%

Hispanic or Latino 18.99%

Unknown 4.27%

White 65.11%

Gender

female 3.36%

male 96.64%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress Level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.8

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.5

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an Industrial Electrician?

Pros

Good earning potential
Job stability
Opportunities for advancement
High demand for electricians
Opportunities for overtime pay

Cons

Physically demanding work
Risk of injury or electrocution
Exposure to hazardous materials
Potential for stress and pressure to meet deadlines
Potential for job site travel or relocation

Key steps to become an industrial electrician

Explore industrial electrician education requirements

Most common industrial electrician degrees

Associate

42.5 %

High School Diploma

19.1 %

Bachelor's

17.1 %

Start to develop specific industrial electrician skills

Skills	Percentages
Electrical Equipment	8.31%
Hand Tools	7.62%
Ac	4.21%
Dc	4.21%
Test Equipment	3.62%

Complete relevant industrial electrician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New industrial electricians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an industrial electrician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real industrial electrician resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed industrial electrician usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed industrial electrician in most of states. 25 states require industrial electricians to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License Url
Alabama	-	State exam required	Licensed Journeyman Electrician
Alaska	-	State exam required	Electrical Worker
Arkansas	-	Third-party exam required	Journeyman Electrician
Colorado	-	State exam required	Journeyman Electrician
Hawaii	Degree required	State exam required	Electrician

Gain additional industrial electrician certifications

Industrial electrician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific industrial electrician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for industrial electricians include Industrial Electronics (IND) and Electrical Technician Certification.

More About Certifications

Research industrial electrician duties and responsibilities

Lead team to retrofit outdate piece of CNC machinery to allow usage for production personnel on a new design part.
Install electrical services ranging from 480 volts ac to 24 volts dc.
Include the installation of EMT and rigid conduit for branch circuits, fire alarm systems and motor control circuits.
Job responsibilities include running conduit wiring transformers and terminating PLC cabinets.

Prepare your industrial electrician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your industrial electrician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an industrial electrician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Industrial Electrician Resume templates

Build a professional Industrial Electrician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Industrial Electrician resume.

Apply for industrial electrician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an industrial electrician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do industrial electricians rate their job?

5/5

Based On 2 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Industrial Electrician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023

Cons

Bending pipe,cause it cost me money if the measurements is off

Pros

Thinking about the job while working the job

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2022

Pros

Is to keep lights burning to satisfy customers

Cons

The customers siting on the dark

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros

Nothing? Its the worst job on site and you have to put up with working with uneducated divs. And thats just the management.

Cons

Retarded trades who think they are special. They don't realise to be an electrician requires superior brain power, something they can only dream about. Hence the continual flapping of their gums trying to make us believe their dull useless lives are interesting.

What is an industrial electrician and how to become one

What general advice would you give to an Industrial Electrician?

What are the pros and cons of being an Industrial Electrician?

Industrial Electrician career paths

Key steps to become an industrial electrician

Explore industrial electrician education requirements

Most common industrial electrician degrees

Start to develop specific industrial electrician skills

Complete relevant industrial electrician training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional industrial electrician certifications

Research industrial electrician duties and responsibilities

Prepare your industrial electrician resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Industrial Electrician Resume templates

Apply for industrial electrician jobs

How Did You Land Your First Industrial Electrician Job

Average industrial electrician salary

How do industrial electricians rate their job?

Industrial Electrician reviews

Industrial Electrician jobs by state