A career as an electrician is appealing in most places, but Georgia is one of the best states to become a professional. Apart from the fact that electricians in Georgia receive an impressive annual average salary and have an easy pathway to start their own business, the job projection in Georgia is also very high, growing at a 9% rate yearly, according to the BLS.
As an aspiring electrician in Georgia, your journey begins with proper training to qualify for licensure and employment. Below, we look at the critical steps before providing a list of some of the most notable training programs and salary projections.
How to Become an Electrician in Georgia
Below is an optimal path to begin a career as an electrician in Georgia.
Make sure you qualify for training.
The critical step in any journey to becoming an electrician in Georgia is obtaining training from an appropriate institution. But before candidates can even get to this point, they must ensure they have the requirements to secure admission into a program. This involves having at least a high school diploma or GED and being 16 years old.
Choose your training route.
To become an electrician in Georgia, you must fulfill classroom and supervised work experience requirements. Below are the locations where you can receive such training.
Formal academic programs
Applying for an electrical technology program will help aspiring electricians in Georgia gain a certificate or even a degree. This will also help them fulfill the classroom requirements to secure a license once they complete their training.
One of the benefits of attending a formal academic program is that the certificate or degree obtained here goes a long way in seeing candidates apart and helping them secure employment.
That said, while most formal academic programs try to teach students as many practical aspects of the job as possible, it is advisable to complement such programs with additional on-the-job training programs to fulfill the work experience requirements.
Apprenticeship programs
Apprenticeship training programs for future electricians in Georgia are the best way to receive on-the-job training and hands-on instructions while fulfilling the work experience requirement needed for licensure at the same time.
There are several apprenticeship programs for electricians in Georgia organized by trade unions and other trade associations.
Of course, other apprenticeship programs are organized by companies, schools, or other non-union organizations.
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Licensure & Certification Requirements
After completing the classroom and real-world experience requirements, obtaining a license is the next step to becoming a professional electrician in Georgia. The board in charge of licensing electricians in Georgia is the Construction Industry Licensing Board, which itself is a subset of the office of the Secretary of State.
Even though it is common in other states for electricians to start as journeyman electricians before moving their way up, in Georgia, graduates of training programs and apprenticeships may apply to become Licensed Electrical Contractors whenever they feel like it.
The only caveat is that they must have obtained 180 hours of classroom instruction and 8000 hours of work experience supervised by licensed electricians in the state.
Top Electrician Schools in Georgia
Below are some prominent electrician schools in Georgia for interested individuals to consider.
Savannah Technical College
Savannah Technical College is one of the premier destinations for quality electrician training in Georgia. The program includes 54 semester hours of training and 4 terms.
Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Georgia Piedmont Technical College offers aspiring electricians the opportunity to earn an associate degree. This electrical technology program comprises 62 credit hours and several undergraduate topics.
Along with individuals training at the undergraduate level, practicing electricians who wish to improve themselves may also apply for the school’s continuing education program.
Albany Technical College
Lastly, aspiring electricians in Georgia may also consider Albany Technical College’s certificate in electrical technology program. Before they graduate, they would have received all the skills they’ll need to secure employment and even consider certification.
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Salary and Career Outlook
As an aspiring electrician in Georgia, you can look forward to earning an annual salary practically in line with the national average. This figure of $54,845 was obtained in a survey of 1,000 electricians in the state.
The survey also found that those who earned the most in the state make up to $87,672 in annual average salary, while those who earned the least still take home an average yearly salary of $34,309.
Calhoun was found to be the highest-paying city for electricians in Georgia, with an annual average salary of $66,124. Electricians in Alpharetta followed with an average yearly salary of $62,620.
Valdosta, Macon, and Marietta complete the five highest-paying cities with annual average salaries of $58,414, $57,537, and $57,383.
Electricians in Atlanta and Augusta earned annual average salaries of $56,177 and $53,834 respectively.
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