Best Electrician Certification Programs

A certificate program is not a degree program. It consists of approximately 30 credit hours of coursework as well as hands-on experience with electrical work, such as during an apprenticeship. Many jobs, such as electricians, line installers, line repairers, electronics technicians, or quality control inspectors, require only a certificate, but others, such as an electrical engineer, require a degree.

Associate degrees in electrical technology consist of approximately 60 credit hours of coursework, though, depending on the institution, much of the first year of electrical courses can be transferred from the certificate program. A bachelor's degree in electrical engineering consists of approximately 120 hours of coursework, and many of the first-year courses, depending on the degree program, can also be transferred from an electrician certificate.

As part of earning an electrician certificate, students will complete a year's worth of electrical coursework. These courses can sometimes be transferred to an associate or bachelor's degree program. However, a certificate on its own is significantly less costly and takes less time than completing a degree program. Because of this, similar to becoming a plumber, it is a helpful option for those who want to go into the workforce quickly or are unsure how many years they can be in school.

After obtaining a certificate and working as an apprentice, one can become an electrician or work with electrical technology and expect to earn a median salary of at least $50,000 a year. However, they must work as an assistant to an electrical engineer if they wish to work designing and testing electrical technology. Alternatively, if their finances and schedule allow for it, they could obtain a degree and work as an electrical engineer themselves, as many of the courses, skills, and knowledge are transferable.

Those trained in electrical work can pursue careers in many different sectors, including assisting in electrical design and performing electrical work in residential, commercial, and industrial contexts. While the job title of "electrician" is perhaps the most common, there are alternative careers for electricians that involve the skills and knowledge gained in an electrician certificate program, such as construction work, repair work, or even quality assurance and control, ensuring electrical instruments work to specifications. For a specialized electrician, the average salary is $25 an hour, but as electricians gain more experience and seniority, they can earn over $30 an hour.

Electricians

Electricians work at installing, repairing, maintaining, and troubleshooting electrical systems, wiring, and equipment, including lighting and communication systems. Jobs for electricians are predicted to grow must faster than average, according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS), and electricians receive a median annual wage of $56,900. One can become a journeyman electrician or fulfill the requirements to become a professional electrician.

Line Installers and Repairers

Line installers and repairers work with electrical power systems and cables, such as telecommunications cables, fiber optics, and other high-voltage electrical cables, and are among one of the options for power transmission installation. Their jobs can be physically demanding and involve working with high voltage at great heights. According to the BLS, power-line installers and repairers earn a median annual wage of $75,030, while telecommunications-line installers and repairers earn a median annual wage of $58,870.

Electronics Engineering Technicians

Electronics engineering technicians work with electrical engineers and designers to assist in the design, development, and testing processes of electronic equipment. They can find work in utilities industries, research laboratories, engineering services, manufacturing settings, and with the federal government. Electronics engineering technicians earn a median wage of $67,550, according to the BLS.

If students wish to continue their electrical education after obtaining an electrician certificate, at approximately 30 credit hours, they have the option to transfer courses and knowledge to degree programs such as an electrician associate degree, at approximately 60 credit hours, or an electrical engineering bachelor of science, at approximately 120 credit hours. If the two institutions are in agreement, general education courses are often transferable. Additionally, the basic courses in circuitry, wiring, motors, and controls can sometimes transfer to cover the requirements for introductory courses in those same subjects, typically those in the first year of a degree program. A student can then go on to take more advanced courses, such as Advanced Programming in an associate degree, or Power Systems Analysis in a bachelor's degree.

Within an electrician certificate program, students take approximately 30 credit hours of courses covering the basic skills and knowledge of electronics needed for students to become electricians. This includes basic knowledge of power-distribution methods, solid-state electronic devices, electrical code, programmable controllers, electric motors and digital circuitry and skills in installation, circuit analysis, electrical repair, basic programming, troubleshooting, and construction. Most of these courses have opportunities to use electrical or wiring laboratories to practice the hands-on skills essential for electrical work. There are also required apprenticeship hours, some, but not all, of which can be fulfilled with elective coursework.

Wiring Courses

Wiring courses teach the skills necessary in residential, commercial, and industrial wiring, including knowledge of blueprints, lighting fixtures, panel boards, branch circuit design, metering facilities, motors, controllers, switches, and signal systems. These courses have elements of theory, including vocabulary, physics formulas and calculations, methods, and exams, as well as practice, including wiring projects in a laboratory setting.

Circuitry Courses

Circuitry courses teach fundamental concepts of circuits, particularly alternating-current (AC) circuits. Students learn about resistance, power, inductance, Ohm's Law, capacitance, series and parallel circuits, basic electrical measurements, resonance, and other theories of electricity and circuits. They gain skills in constructing, operating, and troubleshooting circuits consisting of resistors, switches, fuses, capacitors, inductors, batteries, alternators, and transformers.

A technical certificate in electrical technology consists of 30 credit hours of coursework. These can be taken in as few as two semesters; many programs offer this option to both high school students and high school graduates. Other electrical programs can take two or three years, depending on the program. However, most programs are designed to be completed within one year. These programs can be structured as half-day programs for high school students, programs with evening classes for working students, and full-day programs for full-time students. A potential electrical student should consider how quickly they are able to earn their certificate, when they would like to start working in the field, and how coursework can fit into their schedule and lifestyle on their timeline.

There are a variety of considerations when selecting an electrician certificate program. In general, a student should consider the quality of courses offered and the outcomes for students obtaining their certificates at a particular institution. However, most of the considerations are personal to each student. For high school students participating in a half-day or evening program, it's advantageous to choose a school that's geographically close to both their high school and their home, as well as select one that will allow them to obtain their certificate without incurring tuition costs, if possible. Working students, too, are wise to consider the location of the school relative to their home and workplace as well as how classes will fit into their work schedule.

Students selecting an electrician certificate program should also consider their long-term professional goals. If they are considering transferring to an associate degree program or bachelor's degree program, they should research which schools have agreements allowing for the transfer of courses from a certificate program into a degree program. If they have particular career goals, they should look at the available classes, laboratory resources, and apprenticeship opportunities to ensure that they are receiving an education that will prepare them well for their particular career.

Many electrician certificate programs have options for multiple kinds of students: high-school students, recent high school graduates, and adults coming back to school. Because of this, many programs will not require high-school graduation to get into the program. However, some programs do require additional materials for high school students' or non-graduates' applications, such as a letter of recommendation or list of references.

Regardless of an applicant's educational status, all programs will require transcripts to be submitted from a potential student's most recent educational institution. There are also particular aptitudes and skills required for the certificate program, so some institutions will require an entrance exam to be taken. Often, the application requires particular scores on the exam in the subjects of math, reading, and science. Potential students must submit all of this material along with their application, which may also require an application fee.

The tuition cost of an electrician certificate program varies by institution, but tends to be about $5,000, approximately $150 per credit hour for the 30 credit hours in the program. Some programs waive this cost for local high school students. All students, whether or not they are paying tuition, must buy their own materials, such as work shirts, safety glasses, shop supplies and textbooks. They must also pay fees to rent tools and work in the laboratory. The estimated total cost of tools and books is $900 for the entirety of an electrician certificate program.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Resources for Electrician Certificate Programs

Any student with potential needs-based considerations should first fill out the Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for grants and other financial aid. Though many scholarships are designed for those in degree programs, some scholarships are available for students in certificate programs. For example, the Finish Line Grant covers certificate students who are within 15 credits of graduation, approximately halfway through the program. In the case of an unforeseen emergency, there are funds such as the Harriet Myer Student Emergency Fund and Veteran Student EmergencyFund to cover some costs of a certificate program for students.