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Job Outlook
The New York State Department of Labor expects a 23% rise in demand for electricians between 2014 and 2024.
As an electrician in the State of New York, expect to be paid $51,451 per year, though the salary can reach $58,629 annually.
By contrast, these salaries are higher than at the national level, with the median one being $47,951 per year, and the highest being $54,640 per year.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Electricians in New York
City Name | Salary |
---|---|
New York | $58,020 |
Buffalo | $45,856 |
Rochester | $47,581 |
Yonkers | $55,271 |
Syracuse | $47,471 |
Albany | $49,020 |
New Rochelle | $54,782 |
Mount Vernon | $55,247 |
Schenectady | $48,542 |
Utica | $45,918 |
Becoming an Electrician
In the State of New York, counties and cities are responsible for issuing licenses to electricians because there is no state-wide regulation in place.
Steps:
- Earn work experience through an apprenticeship
- Pass the exam to get your license
- Get your license as a master electrician or as an electrical contractor
Start Your Apprenticeship
The first thing to know is that in some New York cities, there is no journeyman license, and the apprentices there will directly get their master electrician license.
In this guide, we’ll guide you through the process of getting your certification in New York City.
Here are other major jurisdictions you might be interested in:
In The City That Never Sleeps, you can either get a license as a Master Electrician or Special Electrician License.
The New York City Department of Buildings accepts candidates that meet just one of the following requirements:
- Graduated a vocational, industrial, trade school, or apprenticeship program in electrical technology with at least 5.5 years of hands-on experience; OR
- Attend classes at any school above, use half of the program’s duration towards the 7.5 years of experience; OR
- Completed a college-level course in electrical or mechanical engineering or has a Bachelor’s of Science in that field, and uses half the school time towards the 7.5 years of experience needed; OR
- Accumulate 7.5 years of experience in the decade prior to applying for the license – at least 10,500 hours must be electrical work supervised by a licensed electrician; OR
- Have a Master of Science diploma and earn 3,500 hours of field experience doing electrical work while supervised by a licensed electrician; OR
- Have a Bachelor of Science diploma and earn 4,900 hours of field experience doing electrical work while supervised by a licensed electrician
Technical School Programs
These schools allow you to earn an Associate in Applied Science in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Technology diploma, and thus reducing the experience required for the license.
While in school you’ll receive both classroom education and lab-based training, and in some cases help in finding an internship.
Expect to study the following:
- Safety and Health Awareness
- Blueprint Reading and Sketching
- Basic Mathematics and Trade Math
- Trade Electrical Theory
- Tools and Equipment
- National Electrical Code
- New York Electrical Code
- Motor Control and Distributed Control
- Intelligent Wiring Systems
- Low Voltage Systems
- Lighting Controls and Energy Efficiency
- Project Layout and Planning
- Thinwall Conduit Raceway Systems
- Rigid Conduit Raceway Systems
- Installing Services, Switchboards and Panels
- Floor Duct Installation
- Installing Sound and Communication Systems
- Installing Fiber Optic and Tele/Data Cable
- Welding/Exothermic Welding and Brazing, Mechanical Fastening
- Motor Control Center Installation
- Installing, Splicing and Terminating Wires and Cables
- Cable Tray Installation
- Lighting System Installation
- Testing and Troubleshooting Feeders, Motors, and Branch Circuits
- Fire Alarm and Security System Installation
- Motor Installation
If you find an internship, expect to transition to full-time apprentice upon finishing your school education.
42 Electrician Schools in New York
School Name | Address |
---|---|
Adult Career and Continuing Education Services — BOCES | 41 O’Connor Road Fairport, NY 14450 |
Alfred State College — Tech College | 10 Upper College Drive Alfred, NY 14802 |
Broome-Tioga — BOCES | 435 Glenwood Rd. Binghamton, NY |
Career and Technical Education Center — BOCES | 3589 Big Ridge Road Spencerport, NY 14559 |
Champlain Valley BOCES — Mineville | 3092 Plank Road Mineville, NY 12956 |
Champlain Valley BOCES — Plattsburgh | 1585 Military Turnpike Extension Plattsburgh, NY 12901 |
Clinton Community College | 136 Clinton Point Drive Plattsburgh, NY 12901 |
Delaware / Chenango / Madison / Otsego BOCES — Chenango Campus | 6678 County Road 32 Norwich, NY 13815 |
Dutchess BOCES | 5 BOCES Road Poughkeepsie, NY |
Dutchess Community | 53 Pendell Rd. Poughkeepsie, NY |
Fulton-Montgomery Community College | 2805 State Highway 67 Johnstown, NY 12095 |
Hudson Valley Community College | 80 Vandenburgh Avenue Troy, NY 12180 |
Irvin E. Henry Education Campus — OCM BOCES | 6820 Thompson Road Syracuse, NY 13211 |
JATC of Binghamton | 24 Emma Street Binghamton, NY 13905 |
JATC of Central New York | 4566 Waterhouse Road Clay, NY 13041 |
JATC of Local 139 in Elmira | 508 College Avenue Elmira, NY 14901 |
JATC of Local 106 and Jamestown | 322 James Avenue Jamestown, NY 14701 |
JATC of Local Union #41 | 3546 California Road Orchard Park, NY 14127 |
JATC of the Hudson Valley | 67 Commerce Drive South Harriman, NY 10926 |
JATC of Geneva and Local 840 | 1401 Routes 5 and 20 Geneva, NY 14456 |
JATC of Ithaca | 134 Cecil A. Malone Drive Ithaca, NY 14850 |
JATC of Nassau and Suffolk Counties | 370 Motor Parkway Hauppauge, NY 11788 |
JATC of Niagara County | 8803 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls, NY 14304 |
JATC of Rochester | 470 West Metro Park Rochester, NY 14623 |
JATC of Watertown | 25001 Water Street Watertown, NY 13601 |
JATC of Westchester and Fairfield | 200 Bloomingdale Road White Plains, NY 10605 |
Jefferson County BOCES — Charles H. Bohlen Technical Center | 20104 NYS Route 3 Watertown, NY 13601 |
Joseph M. Barry Career and Technical Education Center — BOCES | 1196 Prospect Avenue Westbury, NY 11590 |
Lewis County BOCES — Howard G. Sackett Technical Center | 5836 State Route 12 Glenfield, NY 13343 |
Madison-Oneida — BOCES | 4937 Spring Road Verona, NY 13478 |
New York City College of Technology | 300 Jay Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 |
Onondaga Community College | 4585 West Seneca Turnpike Syracuse, NY 13215 |
Orange-Ulster BOCES | Goshen (Amy Bull Crist) Campus 53 Gibson Road Goshen, NY, 10924 |
Orleans / Niagara BOCES | 4232 Shelby Basin Road Medina, New York 14103 |
Potter Career & Technical Center — BOCES | 705 Potter Road West Seneca, NY 14224 |
Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES | 200 BOCES Drive Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 |
Questar III BOCES | 10 Empire State Boulevard Castleton, New York 12033 |
Rockland BOCES | 65 Parrott Road West Nyack, NY 10994 |
State University of New York (SUNY) at Delhi | 454 Delhi Drive Delhi, NY |
State University of New York (SUNY) at Canton | 34 Cornell Dr. Canton, NY |
The Tri-City Training Program | 428 Old Niskayuna Road Latham, NY 12110 |
Wilson Technological Center — Adult Education Office | 17 Westminster Avenue Dix Hills, NY 11746 |
Apprenticeship Programs
These can be found by browsing the site of the New York State Department of Labor.
You’ll be able to find apprenticeships programs offered by both unions and non-union organizations.
Get Your License
In New York City, you can get one of 2 types of electrician certificates:
- Special: Allowed to work on specific buildings and lots, such as hospitals, schools, hotels, and are mostly city employees
- Master: allowed to bid on any work, and perform electrical work as a contractor
Requirements for the special electrician license:
- Be older than 21
- Submit the Background Investigation Questionnaire and, if needed, the Supplemental Investigation Questionnaire as well
- Have at least 10,500 hours of experience installing, altering, repairing wiring of appliances, including lights, heating, and power in/on edifices, while being supervised by a special or master electrician
- Provide proof of your experience
- Pass the examination – written and practical
The exam covers:
- The NYC Electrical Code
- The National Electrical Code
- Applicable Rules and Regulations
Keep in mind that you must apply for both exams, separately and you can take the practical one only if you score over 70% on the written one.
Your license must be renewed yearly, after completing 8 hours of continued education, by attending one of these approved courses.
Become a Master Electrician
Residents of New York City who finished their apprenticeship are eligible to become master electricians.
If the above applies to you, this license allows you to hire other electricians and bid on jobs as a contractor.
Requirements:
- Have $1 million as general liability insurance
- Also, have Worker’s Compensation and Disability Insurance
- If applicable, have project insurance as well
You also have to meet the requirements described earlier for the special electrician license.
Just like above, you’ll have to sit through 2 exams, after you applied for each of them, and you can only take the practical one if you scored at least 70% on the written one.
To renew your license, you have to prove 8 hours of continued education and you do this every year.