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Job Outlook
Electrician jobs will increase by 20% in the period between 2012 and 2022, as per the Massachusetts Office of Labor and Workforce Development.
As an electrician in the State of Massachusetts, expect to be paid $52 170 per year, though the salary can reach $59 448 annually.
By contrast, these salaries are a bit higher than at the national level, where the median one is $47,951 per year and the highest $54,640 per year.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Electricians in Massachusetts
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Boston | $54,544 |
| Worcester | $50,492 |
| Springfield | $50,108 |
| Lowell | $52,266 |
| Cambridge | $54,544 |
| Brockton | $51,931 |
| New Bedford | $50,540 |
| Fall River | $50,540 |
| Lynn | $54,544 |
| Quincy | $54,544 |
Becoming an Electrician
The electrician certifications are issued by The Board of State Examiners of Electricians.
If you feel this career is the right one for you, read below for information on how to become a licensed electrician.
- Become an apprentice
- Pass the journeyman exam
- Get a master electrician license
- Become an electrical contractor
Become an Apprentice
To get your journeyman license from the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, you need:
- 4 years and 8,000 hours of experience in electrical work
- 600 hours of classroom time
Vocational Schools
After completing a vocational school program, you can get a diploma or associate’s degree in Applied Science in Electrical Technology.
Some programs allow you to study while being an apprentice, and you must complete 150 hours of classroom education per year.
The programs mostly focus on practical training, and job placement is usually offered after you complete the program.
Some of the classes include:
- Electrical Theory
- Residential Electrical Wiring
- Commercial and Industrial Electrical Wiring
- Basic Math
- Basic Safety
- Introduction to Hand and Power Tools
- Basic Rigging
- Introduction to Electrical Blueprints
- National Electrical Code
- Conductors
- Fasteners and Anchors
- Hand Bending
- Electrical Test Equipment
- Boxes and Fittings
- Raceways
22 Electrician Schools in Massachusetts
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Bay Street Tech | 225 Turnpike Street Canton, MA |
| Ben Franklin Institute of Technology | 41 Berkeley Street Boston, MA |
| Bristol Community College | 777 Elsbree Street Fall River, MA 02720 |
| Bunker Hill Community College | 250 New Rutherford Avenue Boston, MA 02129 |
| IEC of New England | 1800 Silas Deane Highway Rocky Hill, CT 06067 |
| JATC of Boston | 194 Freeport Street Dorchester, MA 02122 |
| JATC of Brockton | 111 Rhode Island Road Lakeville, MA 02347 |
| JATC of Springfield | 185 Industry Avenue Springfield, MA 01104 |
| JATC of Worcester | 242 Mill Street Worcester, MA 01602 |
| Massasoit Community College | 1 Massasoit Boulevard Brockton, MA 02302 |
| Massachusetts Bay Community College — Wellesley Hills Campus | 50 Oakland Street Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 |
| Martin Electrical and Technical School | 130 Kerry Place Norwood, MA 02062 |
| Porter and Chester Institute of Canton | 5 Campanelli Circle Canton, MA 02021 |
| Porter and Chester of Chicopee | 134 Dulong Circle Chicopee, MA 01022 |
| Porter and Chester Institute of Woburn | 8 Presidential Way Woburn, MA 01801 |
| Porter and Chester Institute of Worcester | 220 Brooks Street Worcester, MA 01606 |
| Springfield Technical Community College | 1 Armory Street Springfield, MA 01102-9000 |
| The Peterson School of Vocational Training — Woburn Campus | 25 Montvale Ave. Woburn, MA |
| The Peterson School of Vocational Training — Worcester Campus | 486 Chandler Street Worcester, MA 01602 |
| The Peterson School of Vocational Training — Westwood Campus | 350 University Ave. Westwood, MA |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | 550 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115 |
| Worcester Electrician School | 1000 Washington St #710, Boston, MA 02118 |
Apprenticeship Programs
These programs are managed by The Massachusetts Division of Apprentice Standards/Division of Apprentice which ensures the trainee receives fair payment, classroom education, and training, although the Division doesn’t directly place trainees in positions.
In order to find an apprenticeship program, check out the Massachusetts Department of Career Services website.
In Massachusetts, labor union apprenticeships are also offered, but you must be a resident of that union’s jurisdiction.
As an apprentice, your salary will start off as 40% of that of a journeyman and it will increase by 5% to 10% each year.
To enroll in an apprentice program, you need:
- Be 18 years old
- High school diploma or GED
- Passing one year of algebra in high school
- Take a drug test
- Pass an aptitude test
- Driver’s license
Your apprenticeship will be on probation in the first year, during which it can be canceled.
The Department of Veterans Affairs can give you credit if you have military experience.
Filing Your Apprentice Agreement
In order to register as an apprentice with the Massachusetts Division of Apprentice Standards, you need to sign an Apprentice Agreement along with your sponsor.
You also need to pay a $25 fee and provide a passport-sized picture.
After registering, you will be given an apprentice card which you need to carry at all times during training.
Pass the journeyman exam
As a journeyman, you are allowed to install, fix and do maintenance work to all electrical devices.
To get your license, you need:
- 4 years and 8,000 hours of experience in electrical work
- 600 hours of classroom time
The exams are held by PSI Exam Centers in Auburn, Boston, Fall River, Lawrence, and Springfield.
The test is split into 2 parts, for which you have to pay a fee of $80, and $55, respectively.
Other fees include the $60 for the PSI form processing, and $31 Massachusetts license form processing.
Before you send your application, you also need to get your form legalized and request a Certificate of Completion from your sponsor.
The first part of the test has 80 questions, lasts for 3 hours, requires a 70% score in order to pass and is open book.
The subjects covered are:
- General Knowledge: 8 questions
- Services- 11 questions
- Grounding and Bonding- 7 questions
- Wiring Methods and Devices – 18 questions
- Motors- 4 questions
- Transformers- 1 question
- Low-Voltage Distribution- 2 questions
- Special Occupancies and Equipment – 5 questions
- Overcurrent Protection – 6 questions
- Lighting- 2 questions
- Alarm Systems – 6 questions
The manual used in this test is the National Electrical Code and NFPA 72- National Fire Code.
The second part of the test lasts for 60 minutes, has 30 questions and you need a 70% score to pass.
The topics are:
- Circuit Calculations (Ohm’s Law) – 5 items
- Electrical Schematics and Plans – 5 items
- Materials and Components – 6 items
- Troubleshooting and Testing – 6 items
- Massachusetts Amendments- 6 items
- Licensing Laws and Regulations – 2 items
You can bring the below manuals to the exam:
- Massachusetts Electrical Code, 527 CMR 12.00 State Amendments to NEC Board of Fire Prevention Regulations State of Massachusetts General Laws
- 237 CMR 12.00-23.00- Rules and Regulations of the Board of State Examiners of Electricians
- MGL Chapter 141, Supervision of Electricians
- National Electrical Code, National Fire Protection Association
Upon getting your license, you will need to pay a $104 fee.
The certification needs to be renewed at an interval of 3 years and costs $78.
Before renewal, you need to complete 21 hours of education, from which 15 must be on the subject of the Massachusetts Electrical Code.
If you already have a certification in New Hampshire, Maine, Oregon, Vermont or Washington, it will be recognized in Massachusetts once you fill in the Journeyman Electrician License by Reciprocity Application form.
Get a master electrician license
A master electrician is allowed to run an electric company.
To get the license, you must work as a journeyman for 12 months, and take 150 hours of electrical code classes.
To attend the exam, you need to pay a $276 fee and your paperwork.
You also need to fill in the Examination Application Form.
This test has 2 parts, 80 questions, lasts for 4 hours and you must get a 70% score in order to pass.
The topics are as follows:
- State-specific electrical requirements- 4 items
- General knowledge- 6 items
- Services- 11 items
- Grounding and bonding – 10 items
- Wiring methods and devices – 15 items
- Motors- 7 items
- Transformers – 1 item
- Low-voltage distribution- 2 items
- Special occupancies and equipment – 10 items
- Overcurrent protection- 6 items
- Lighting- 2 items
- Alarm systems- 6 items
The National Electrical Code, the NFPA 72- National Fire Alarm Code and the Massachusetts Electrical Code manuals are allowed in this exam.
Part 2 of the test is 2 hours long and has 50 questions on the topic of law and business.
The topics are as follows:
- Massachusetts licensing – 16 items
- Estimating and bidding – 4 items
- Lien law- 1 item
- Financial management- 3 items
- Tax laws- 3 items
- Labor laws- 3 items
- Project management- 3 items
- Contracts- 6 items
- Business organization – 2 items
- Risk management – 4 items
- Environmental and safety- 5 items
There are several manuals you can use in this exam, such as:
- The Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management- 9th ed.- National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies;
- 237 CMR 12-23 Rules and Regulation of the Board of State Examiners of Electricians, General Laws of Massachusetts- MGL Chapter 141;
- Massachusetts Inspection of Buildings;
- Massachusetts Lien Law- Liens on Buildings and Land;
- Massachusetts Overtime or Minimum Wage Law;
- Massachusetts Workers Compensation Law;
- Massachusetts State Unemployment Law; and Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Part 1926 (OSHA).
The fee for the master electrician exam is $155.
This license needs to be renewed once at 3 years and the fee totals $117.
Before you renew your license, you will have to finish 21 hours of class, from which 15 will cover the electrical code.
Become an electrical contractor
A Master Electrician can hire other electricians and run an electric business.
You can apply for this certification on the Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation site.
You can also check out The Office of Housing and Economic Development for info on how to start your own business.
Electrician Schools by City
