Electrician Classes in Michigan (Top Schools)

Job Outlook

In Michigan, electrician jobs will increase by 20% in the period between 2012 and 2022, according to the US Department of Labor.

As an electrician in the State of Michigan, expect to be paid $48,430 per year, though the salary can reach $55,186 annually.

By contrast, these salaries are a bit higher than at the national level, with the median one being $47,951 per year, and the highest being $54,640 per year.

Becoming an Electrician

The electrician licenses are issued by The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes.

• Become an apprentice
• Pass the journeyman exam
• Get a master electrician license
• Become an electrical contractor

Become an apprentice

Although most of the certifications are released by The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, there are also licensing entities in Detroit and Grand Rapids who issue certifications in their respective regions.

To become a journeyman, you need 8,000 hours and 4 years of apprenticeship and 576 hours of electrical education.

However, in Grand Rapids, those who have a BS in Electrical Engineering can deduct one year of experience.

Those who have a diploma in other technical jobs can deduct 6 months from the education requirements.

You can get your training requirements in several ways: by joining a union or non-union program, get into a vocational school, or contact an electric company.

You can find more info about the available programs by checking out websites like MASCI, the Michigan Educators Apprenticeship, and Training Association (MEATA) among others.

You will need 576 hours of related technical instruction, and at least 144 education hours every year.

You must also have 8000 hours of related technical instruction, be hired by an electrical contractor and attend an approved training course.

To become an apprentice, you need:

• To be 18 years old
• High school diploma or GED, unless you are at least 16 years old and enroll in a program from miroad2work.org
• Live in Michigan
• Live in Grand Rapids or Detroit if you apply in any of these cities
• Pass a drug test
• Get a criminal background check
• Driver’s license

The classes you will be taken include:

• Basic HVAC
• Blueprint reading
• Branch circuit distribution
• Electrical theory
• Electrical grounding
• Fire alarm systems
• Industry orientation (Michigan laws and rules)
• Material identification
• Mathematics
• Motor controls
• Motors
• National Electrical Code
• OSHA/Safety Awareness
• Overcurrent protection
• Programmable controllers
• Transformers

Apprentice Registration

In Detroit:

• Fill in the City of Detroit Apprentice Registration form with your employer
• Obtain a passport-sized picture, training program, and employment proof, a driver’s license copy
• Submit the paperwork along with a $15 registration fee to the Electrical Inspection Division Board of Electrical Examiners in Detroit.
• After getting your Apprentice Registration, make sure to renew it once a year.

In Grand Rapids:

• Fill in the City Apprentice Registration form with your employer
• Submit it along with a $10 registration fee to City of Grand Rapids Design & Development Services Dept. Building Inspections Office/Electrical Trade
• After getting your Apprentice Registration, make sure to renew it once a year

In other parts of Michigan:

• Fill in the Application for Electrical Apprentice or Fire Alarm Specialty Technician Apprentice form with your employer
• Submit it along with a $15 registration fee to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Bureau of Construction Codes/Electrical Division
• After getting your Apprentice Registration, make sure to renew it once a year

You don’t need to pay the registering fee if you have military experience.

The Department of Labor will issue a credential that will allow you to get a journeyman certification.

Pass the journeyman exam

In Detroit:

As a journeyman, you will be able to install and repair electrical devices.

In order to apply, you need:

• Be 20 years old
• Live in Detroit
• An Electrical Apprentice Registration form
• Proof of a work experience totaling 8,000 hours and 4 years (576 hours) of RTI

Fill in the Application for Journeyman Electrician’s License twice.

Send 2 passport-sized pictures of yourself, a copy of your driver’s license, and legalized proof of experience to the Electrical Division.

After paying the $55 exam registration fee, you can set up a time to take it.

The journeyman exam lasts for 2.5 hours, has 80 multiple choice questions and allows the use of the State Electrical Code, 2011 National Electrical Code, and Public Act 217.

The exam topics are:

• Fundamentals and Practical Electricity- 25%
• Part 8 Rules- 12.5%
• National Electrical Code- 62.5%

You need to get a score of 75% in the exam, after which you will be issued a license that costs $45 and requires annual renewal.

Grand Rapids

• Be 20 years old
• Live in Grand Rapids
• A filled-in Electrical Journey Exam Application
• Proof of a work experience totaling 8,000 hours, or a BS in Electrical Engineering plus 6000 hours of experience, or an electrical technology diploma plus 7000 hours of experience
• Pay a $25 fee
• Apply 15 days before the test

The exam has a duration of 3 hours and allows the use of the National Electrical Code.

After passing the test, you can apply for your certification and pay a $25 fee.

Your license needs to be renewed every year before December 31st.

Requirements to get a State of Michigan Journeyman Electrician License:

• Be 20 years old
• Live in Michigan but not Detroit or Grand Rapids
• A filled-in Electrical Journey Exam Application
• Proof of work experience totaling 8,000 hours over 4 years and legalized letter from your employer

The exam is held in Holt, Southfield, Grand Rapids, Gaylord, and Marquette.

The test costs $10, has 80 questions, and lasts for 2.5 hours.

You are allowed to use the National Electrical Code, 1956 PA 217, and the Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8 in this testing.

Some of the topics covered are: electrical administrative act, current electrical code rules, grounding and bonding, overcurrent protection, wiring methods and installations, boxes and cabinets, feeders, services, motors and motor controls, load calculations, special occupancies, appliances, lighting, box and raceway fill, power limited circuits, and electrical theory.

The license costs $40 and you need a 75% score to pass the exam.

You will need to renew your certification each year and pay a $40 fee.

Before renewal, you must take 15 extra education hours on the National Electrical Code.

Get a master electrician license

As a master electrician, you will be able to supervise electrical work being done.

To fit the requirements, you must:

• Be 22 years of age
• Live in Detroit
• Work as a journeyman for 2 years
• Have 12,000 hours of work experience over 6 years

Send 2 filled in Master Electrician License forms, a copy of your driver’s license, 2 passport-sized pictures, and proof of 12,000 hours of experience under a master electrician.

The exam costs $73, lasts for 3 hours, and has 75 questions covering:

• Public Act 217/Part 8 Rules- 20%
• National Electrical Code – 40%
• Calculation Problems – 20%
• Electrical Theory and Concepts – 20%

The license costs $55 and needs to be renewed annually.

Get a master electrician license in Grand Rapids:

• Live in Grand Rapids
• Work as a journeyman for 2 years
• Have 12,000 hours of work experience over 6 years
• Pay a $25 fee

If you pass the testing, you need to pay a $50 fee for your license to be issued.

This license has to be renewed every year.

Get a master electrician license in the State of Michigan:

• Be 22 years of age
• Live in Michigan, but not Detroit or Grand Rapids
• Work as a journeyman for 2 years
• Have 12,000 hours of work experience over 6 years
• Send the Application for Master Electrician Examination

The exam lasts for 3 hours, has 75 questions, is an open book and requires a $100 fee.

A 75% score is required to pass, and you can only take the exam twice.

The fee for the license is $50, and it needs a yearly renewal.

Become an electrical contractor

To become an electrical contractor and run your own business, you need to fill in the Application for Electrical Contractor Examination.

You will need to pay a $100 fee to attend the exam, which lasts for 1.5 hours and has 40 questions.

The passing score for this exam is 75%.

To get an electrical contractor license, you need to send a copy of your driver’s license and your master electrician license, along with a $25 fee.

The exam costs $55, lasts for 1.5 hours and has 40 questions.

The topics are:

• Electrical Code Rules- 20 percent
• Electrical Administrative Board Rules- 20 percent
• Electrical Administrative Act 217 of 1956- 20 percent
• Act 230 of 1972- 25 percent
• Act 497 of 1980- Construction Lien Act – 15 percent

After you pass the exam, your license will be issued by the Electrical Division for $55.

If you are a master electrician in Grands Rapids, you need to send a form and a $25 fee.

The test has 40 questions and requires a 75% passing score.

After that, you have to send the Application for City Electrical Contractor License along with a $100 fee and a copy of your master electrician certification.

The certification needs an annual renewal for which you will pay $100.

Electrician Schools by City

• Ann Arbor
• Detroit
• Grand Rapids