Electrician Schools in California

Electricians are professionals with extensive knowledge of how electrical systems and components work. Before acquiring such expertise, an electrician must have attended and graduated from a training program.

Of course, a handful of alternatives exist for those who want to avoid attending formal training programs. Below, we look at everything you need to know to start a successful career as an electrician in California.

We discuss the basic educational requirements, the licensure and certification requirements, and the potential salary to look forward to.

How to Become an Electrician in California

The following are the steps involved in becoming an electrician in California.

Step 1: Fulfill the Basic Requirements

Any aspiring electrician in California must begin with an electrician education program. As we’ll see below, there are alternatives to these programs. But one common thing to all of them is to ask that candidates possess a high school diploma or GED.

Step 2: Enroll in a Training Program

Aspiring electricians in California usually choose between a vocational/technical school or an apprenticeship program.

• Technical Schools - Technical School programs are essential for acquiring a solid combination of classroom training and hands-on practices for aspiring electricians. Below we list a few of California’s most notable technical schools for future electricians to consider.
• Apprenticeships - Apprenticeship programs may be organized by unions or even non-union organizations and companies. These programs usually emphasize hands-on training and are known to offer mentorship that extends even after the program is complete.

For an apprenticeship program to be valid, it must be approved by the state’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.

While technically, those who have completed training programs can obtain a license and start working. Some often acquire even more real-world experience by working as assistants for a while before starting their careers.

Top Electrician Schools in California

Explore Electrician Schools by City:

• Electrician Schools in Los Angeles

Licensure and Certification Requirements

Electricians in California must be licensed before they can practice professionally. They must first register as electrical trainees with the State of California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement to do so. Registration for licensure incurs a $25 application fee.

After graduating from their training programs, electricians must acquire work experience and apply for the general or residential electrician license. The state body in charge of licensing electricians in California is the State of California Department of Industrial Relations.

General or residential electricians can then receive an Electrical Contractor license from the California Contractors State License Board, which they can use to take on more significant contracts.

Salary and Job Outlook

As mentioned earlier, California is one of the highest-paying states for electricians in the country. An average electrician in California earns around $71,593 every year. Those in the top 10% of salary earners in the field take home an average of $111,662 yearly, while those in the bottom 10% still earn at least $45,902 annually.

Among some factors that can influence how much you will earn as an electrician in California is your specific location within the state, experience level, certification level, and particular industry of employment, among others.

Sorting strictly by location, Martinez (with an annual average salary of $97,702) is the highest-paying city for electricians in California, followed by San Jose ($83,024), Lemoore ($78,696), Sacramento ($77,050), and San Diego $71,285.

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