Electrician Schools in Michigan

In preparing for a career as an electrician in Michigan, interested candidates are expected to meet some basic requirements to be well-placed for the necessary training. During their training, they are also expected to make a few key decisions, ranging from the training arrangement they prefer to choose an actual program to enroll in.

Further, they are expected to consider possible licensure and certification. These steps are important because they help candidates start their electrician careers in Michigan on the proper foot and ensure career longevity.

Interested individuals will be glad to know that we have carefully outlined and detailed these steps below.

How to Become an Electrician in Michigan

The following are the steps to starting a career as an electrician in Michigan.

Prepare for Training

In Michigan, anyone looking to become an electrician must gain enough work experience and receive classroom training. However, candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to make securing admission into these training destinations easier.

A strong knowledge of basic mathematics, physics, and algebra is also helpful.

Classroom Training

Acquiring classroom training is important for an aspiring electrician anywhere. This step ensures that candidates receive enough theoretical knowledge to understand the principles behind what they will do when they secure employment.

Luckily, Michigan’s community colleges and technical schools offer excellent classroom training for aspiring electricians, and some of these destinations also offer hands-on training.

We will look at a few examples in an upcoming section.

Hands-On Training

Candidates who want to receive extensive hands-on training may consider attending an apprenticeship program. In this regard, they have two options: union apprenticeships (organized by trade unions) and non-union apprenticeships (organized by professional organizations, trade associations, and private employers).

Combination

In Michigan, aspiring electricians are advised to pursue classroom and hands-on training. They may do this, for instance, by attending an apprenticeship program where both forms of trading are provided or by spending some time in an academic program before securing an “on-the-job” learning position.

Explore trades with similar paths:

• Become an auto mechanic in Michigan

Licensure & Certification Requirements

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has an electrical division responsible for issuing licenses for electricians in the state. Those who live in cities and counties without local governing agencies for electricians are expected to receive their license from LARA.

Those who live in cities with a local government agency for electrical licenses are expected to receive the license issued by their local governing bodies. Examples of these are the cities of Detroit and Grand Rapids.

The requirements to obtain a journeyman license in Michigan usually involve 8,000 hours of trade work experience and 576 hours of classroom training.

Candidates must also pay a registration fee and submit an official application to receive their license. The licensing fee in most cities is typically around $40.

Licensing renewal should also be carried out every year with a renewal fee of $40.

Top Electrician Schools in Michigan

Candidates can consider any schools below for their foundational training as aspiring electricians in Michigan.

Explore electrician schools in Michigan by city:

• Electrician schools in Detroit

Salary & Career Outlook

In Michigan, the average salary that most electricians take home at the end of the year is around $63,070. However, only some people fall into this middle bracket.

Those in the top bracket among the highest-paid 10% take home an annual average salary of $86,606. In comparison, those in the lower bracket among the bottom 10% earn an average salary of around $45,930 yearly.

Electricians in Michigan may earn more annual salaries by gaining more experience on the job or by working in some cities known to have relatively higher averages. For instance, while electricians in Saint Joseph are the highest-paid in the state with an annual average salary of $81,018, electricians in Holland and Detroit come second and third with annual average salaries of $70,207 and $68,343, respectively.

With respectable annual average salaries of $66,283 and $63,222, respectively, Warren and Grand Rapids are among the state’s top five locations.