Electrician Classes in South Carolina (Top Schools)

O*Net reported that South Carolina will have a 13% employment growth for electricians from 2020 to 2030.

This is equivalent to an average of 1,300 job openings every year.

With such a good job outlook, you can expect the salary you’ll potentially receive to be higher as well.

So if you’re an aspiring electrician, here’s how you can become an electrician in South Carolina.

Potential Salary

As of May 2021, South Carolina electricians have the following salary information per the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Mean Wage:

• Annually – $49,030
• Hourly – $23.57

How to Become an Electrician in South Carolina

South Carolina leaves it up to its local-level licensing boards to oversee the regulation of electrician licenses.

However, the Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC) issues voluntary journeyman and master electrician certifications through its Mechanical Trades Certification Program.

Although useful, note that MASC’s trade certifications only certify your skill level.

It’s not a license to legally perform electrical work anywhere in the state.

For now, let’s take a look at how you can obtain MASC’s journeyman and master electrician certification.

Obtaining MASC Trade Certification

MASC offers the following electrical certifications:

• Journeyman electrician
• Journeyman residential electrician
• Master electrician
• Master residential electrician

Qualifications

To qualify, you must meet these requirements:

For journey-level

• Currently holds an SC journeyman certification card or license issued by your local-level licensing board; OR,
• At least 2 years (4,000 hours) of experience under the supervision of a certified/licensed journeyman or master electrician
  • Can credit up to 1 year of experience if you completed a 2-year electrical education from an accredited technical school

For master-level

• Currently holds an SC master certification card or license issued by your local-level licensing board; OR,
• At least 4 years (8,000 hours) of experience as a certified journeyman, of which 2 years shall be under the supervision of a certified/licensed master electrician; OR,
• At least 10 years of trade experience, which will waive the journeyman requirement

License Application

To apply, you must submit the following:

• Completed application form
• Application fee – $35
• Letter on company letterhead from past and current employers documenting your work experience
• Copy of certification card(s) or license(s) issued by your SC local-level licensing board or out-of-state, if applicable

Exam Details

MASC has contracted with Prov, Inc. to help administer the exams.

Here are the exam details:

• Exam fee – $100 each
• Exam content – based on the NEC 2020
• No. of questions and duration
  • Journeyman electrician – 70 questions in 3 hours
  • Journeyman residential electrician – 65 questions in 3 hours
  • Master electrician – 100 questions in 4 hours
  • Master residential electrician – 65 questions in 3 hours
• Passing score – 70%

License Renewal

Your MASC certification will have the following validity:

• Journeyman – one year
• Master – two years

MASC will send a notification email with instructions on how you can renew the certification.

Renewal fees are as follows:

• Journeyman – $20
• Master – $50

How to Become an Independent Electrical Contractor in South Carolina

The SC Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR) oversees the administration of the regulations of electrical contractors.

They give the following Boards the power to issue the license:

• Contractor’s Licensing Board (CLB) – issues Mechanical Electrical Contractor license which enables you to perform commercial work for projects worth more than $5,000
• Residential Builders Commission (RBC) – issues Residential Specialty Contractor Electrical license which enables you to perform residential work for projects worth more than $500

Note: Your local-level licensing board may have additional electrical contractor license requirements. So make sure to check with them to avoid processing unnecessary requirements.

Obtaining a Mechanical Electrical Contractor License

Qualifications

To qualify, your qualifying party must have…

• At least 2 years of work or supervisory experience within the last 5 years prior to application
• Successfully passed the required exams

If you’re an entity, you must’ve registered your business with the Secretary of State.

License Application

To apply, you must submit the following:

• Completed and notarized license application
• Applicable license fee
• Copy of exam results
• Proof of work experience of the qualifying party
• Affidavit of lawful presence in the US of the qualifying party, with their SS card and valid ID
• Financial statement or surety bond
• Copy of certificate of business registration, if applicable

Exam Details

CLB has contracted with PSI to help administer the exams.

Here are the exam details:

• Exams to take
  • SC Business management and law exam – 50 questions in 125 minutes
  • Trade exam – you can choose to take either of the following:
    • SC Electrician exam – 80 questions in 5 hours
    • NASCLA exam for electrical contractors – 100 questions in 270 minutes
• Exam fee
  • SC exams – $75 each
  • NASCLA exam – $116
• Passing score – 70% for SC exams; 75% for NASCLA exam

License Renewal

Your license will remain valid until October 31 of every odd-numbered year.

To renew, you must complete the online renewal application and pay the applicable renewal fee.

Obtaining a Residential Specialty Contractor Electrical License

Qualifications

To qualify, you must meet these requirements:

• At least 1 year of experience in the last 5 years prior to application
• Successfully pass the required exams

License Application

To apply, you must submit the following:

• Completed and notarized license application
• Application fee – $135
• Applicable license fee
• Proof of work experience in the trade
• Affidavit of experience from past and current employers, with copies of their W2s and/or 1099s
• Original $10,000 surety bond certificate if taking projects worth more than $5,000
• Affidavit of lawful presence in the US, with your SS card and valid ID
• Official statewide background check with your written explanation, if applicable
• Copy of certificate of business registration, if applicable

Exam Details

RBC has contracted with PSI to help administer the exam.

Here are the exam details:

• Exams to take
  • SC Business management and law exam – 50 questions in 120 minutes
  • Trade exam – you can choose to take either of the following:
    • SC Residential electrical exam – 60 questions in 180 minutes
    • NASCLA exam for residential electrical contractor – 100 questions in 270 minutes
• Exam fee
  • One exam portion – $75 each
  • Two exam portions – $90
  • NASCLA exam – $116
• Passing score
  • Business and law – 68%
  • SC residential electrical exam – 73.3%
  • NASCLA exam – 70%

License Renewal

Your license will remain valid until June 30 of every odd-numbered year.

To renew, you must complete the online renewal application and pay the applicable renewal fee.

Electrical Training Programs and Schools in South Carolina

As an aspiring electrician, you need proper trade education and training, which you can acquire from the following:

Technical College

Attending a technical college ensures you’ll have the fundamental knowledge and skills in the electrical trade.

Through classroom and hands-on instruction, you’ll learn key aspects such as:

• Wiring protection devices
• Electrical boxes, receptacles, and switches
• Wiring a residence
• Installing lighting, ceiling fans, and appliances
• Commercial wiring & installation
• Electrical theory
• National Electrical Code
• First aid/Safety/OSHA
• Blueprint reading
• AC/DC currents
• Motors and transformers
• Welding
• Electrical basics and tools
• Project layout and planning
• Installing, splicing, and terminating wires and cables
• Testing and troubleshooting feeders, motors, and branch circuits
• Installing instrumentation and process control systems
• Safety awareness

Apprenticeship Programs

Applying to an apprenticeship program sponsored by unions and non-unions enables you to receive real-world on-the-job training.

In addition, you can earn an income while learning about the trade, which is an attractive incentive in itself.

If you want to apply, unions and non-union sponsors will generally require the following qualifications:

• Must be at least 18 years old
• Holds a high school diploma or GED equivalent
• Passing grade in high school algebra
• Has a current valid driver’s license
• Pass the general aptitude test and physical exam

The table below lists some of the schools and associations offering approved electrical programs.

Electrician Schools by City

• Charleston1 Schools

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