5 answers
camari
Student
Laurel, Maryland
1
Question
Asked
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why is being an electrition a good trade
why is being an electrition a good trade?
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5 answers
Mike S.
Technical Writer
23
Answers
San Jose, California
Updated
Mike’s Answer
Hi Camari,
I assume because you asked the question that you have an interest in being an electrician.
The best career for you is one that you end up liking. Having said that, there are a lot of external factors that also affect how you like your work. There have been times when I was happy and times when I was not so happy with my work. When I was not as happy, it was usually due to assignments I did not like or team members who were more difficult to work with. But I can say in truth that I like the profession that I selected.
Overall, your work results will tend to be best in a job that you enjoy.
An “electrician” usually refers to a person who works in construction. On the other hand, an electrical engineer usually refers to a person who helps design the electrical aspects of a city, factory, or home. So, electrical engineering would require a college degree. To be an electrician, attending trade school will be a good choice.
The best career for you depends you your interests and your skills (natural and developed).
If there are career guidance counselors at your school, these people can be a big help to you in deciding the best path for your career.
If you do not have access to a career guidance counselor, then adults in your life whom you trust can be a big help. It is also a good idea to try and connect with someone who is already doing the work you are interested in doing. That can be a big help to you.
I wish you the best of luck in all that you do.
- Mike
For choosing careers there are a lot of sites that can help with that also. Here is one of my favorites: https://www.careeronestop.org/
I assume because you asked the question that you have an interest in being an electrician.
The best career for you is one that you end up liking. Having said that, there are a lot of external factors that also affect how you like your work. There have been times when I was happy and times when I was not so happy with my work. When I was not as happy, it was usually due to assignments I did not like or team members who were more difficult to work with. But I can say in truth that I like the profession that I selected.
Overall, your work results will tend to be best in a job that you enjoy.
An “electrician” usually refers to a person who works in construction. On the other hand, an electrical engineer usually refers to a person who helps design the electrical aspects of a city, factory, or home. So, electrical engineering would require a college degree. To be an electrician, attending trade school will be a good choice.
The best career for you depends you your interests and your skills (natural and developed).
If there are career guidance counselors at your school, these people can be a big help to you in deciding the best path for your career.
If you do not have access to a career guidance counselor, then adults in your life whom you trust can be a big help. It is also a good idea to try and connect with someone who is already doing the work you are interested in doing. That can be a big help to you.
I wish you the best of luck in all that you do.
- Mike
Mike recommends the following next steps:
Rohit Kothary
5
Answers
Shelton, Connecticut
Updated
Rohit’s Answer
If you don't want to go to a 4-year college, I fully support you going to a vocational or trade school. We need more people with those skills, and the jobs pay well once you finish training. Follow what interests you the most.
David Allen
Consultant
84
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
David’s Answer
Being an electrician is a great trade because it offers strong job security, good pay, and opportunities for advancement without requiring a traditional college degree. As nearly every home, business, and facility relies on electrical systems, the demand for skilled electricians remains high and continues to grow with advancements in technology, renewable energy, and smart home systems. Apprenticeships allow you to earn while you learn, making it possible to build a career without student debt. Over time, electricians can move up in their field, become licensed masters, specialize in areas like industrial automation or solar installations, and even start their own businesses.
The work itself is hands-on, engaging, and often varies from day to day, which appeals to those who don’t want a desk job. Electricians solve real-world problems, work in diverse settings, and use both physical and mental skills to complete tasks safely and efficiently. Additionally, it's a portable skill — electricians are needed in every region, providing the flexibility to work almost anywhere. For people who enjoy practical problem-solving and steady, rewarding work, becoming an electrician is a smart and sustainable career choice.
The work itself is hands-on, engaging, and often varies from day to day, which appeals to those who don’t want a desk job. Electricians solve real-world problems, work in diverse settings, and use both physical and mental skills to complete tasks safely and efficiently. Additionally, it's a portable skill — electricians are needed in every region, providing the flexibility to work almost anywhere. For people who enjoy practical problem-solving and steady, rewarding work, becoming an electrician is a smart and sustainable career choice.
Richard A. (Tony) Eckel
49
Answers
Updated
Richard A. (Tony)’s Answer
Camari,
There are many reasons to like and dislike the electrical trade.
The most telling is that electrical power is by far the most pervasive technology in the world today, whether a small solar installation in a remote wilderness to power generation and distribution - it is everywhere. This means general mobility and job security in <most> cases because you would have skills that stretch from initial construction in residential and commercial areas to maintenance and repair from the most sophisticated nuclear power plants to the most backwoods places in the world on which to base your income. Doesn't mean you will like or enjoy it, but you will be able to earn a living.
Which brings us to the other side of the coin - it can be dirty and dangerous work. Think about crawling around some of the creepiest places on the planet (in a leaky crawlspace!) trying to repair a line, or in a tunnel where you have to drill holes in asbestos riddled concreate, or underwater at a drilling rig, or climbing a very tall tower to replace an insulator or remove a bird's remains shorting our a transformer. The power involved in even small wiring can kill, so you have to be ever vigilant. Sometimes, the workplace can be a far distance to travel, and you have to maintain your own tools which can be very expensive (but you also get to belt on the coolest tool-pouches in the world!). It can be both exciting and dull in ways that will test your survival and mental skills daily; Not for the faint of heart.
But - if you have the tenacity and basic talents to learn the work and be good at it, you will be respected by all (Except plumbers; but that is just professional rivalry) as a "wizard" almost everywhere you go in the world (Unless you're missing a finger from an arc flashover!).
So if you're focused on a trade, it is one of the better ones to pursue (I am a little biased having been an aircraft electrician in the navy), especially if you're both willing to work and looking for a stable career that takes you almost anyplace you want to go.
Tony
There are many reasons to like and dislike the electrical trade.
The most telling is that electrical power is by far the most pervasive technology in the world today, whether a small solar installation in a remote wilderness to power generation and distribution - it is everywhere. This means general mobility and job security in <most> cases because you would have skills that stretch from initial construction in residential and commercial areas to maintenance and repair from the most sophisticated nuclear power plants to the most backwoods places in the world on which to base your income. Doesn't mean you will like or enjoy it, but you will be able to earn a living.
Which brings us to the other side of the coin - it can be dirty and dangerous work. Think about crawling around some of the creepiest places on the planet (in a leaky crawlspace!) trying to repair a line, or in a tunnel where you have to drill holes in asbestos riddled concreate, or underwater at a drilling rig, or climbing a very tall tower to replace an insulator or remove a bird's remains shorting our a transformer. The power involved in even small wiring can kill, so you have to be ever vigilant. Sometimes, the workplace can be a far distance to travel, and you have to maintain your own tools which can be very expensive (but you also get to belt on the coolest tool-pouches in the world!). It can be both exciting and dull in ways that will test your survival and mental skills daily; Not for the faint of heart.
But - if you have the tenacity and basic talents to learn the work and be good at it, you will be respected by all (Except plumbers; but that is just professional rivalry) as a "wizard" almost everywhere you go in the world (Unless you're missing a finger from an arc flashover!).
So if you're focused on a trade, it is one of the better ones to pursue (I am a little biased having been an aircraft electrician in the navy), especially if you're both willing to work and looking for a stable career that takes you almost anyplace you want to go.
Tony
Philip Gauthier
Nuclear Plant Work Week Manager
19
Answers
Prairieville, Louisiana
Updated
Philip’s Answer
My Father once told me "A good Electrician will never go hungry and will always have a job."
He wasn't wrong, but I would add one more sentence to that statement... "A Great Hardworking Electrician will find prosperity and happiness"
Just look around. There is electricity almost everywhere you look. Those wires and outlets have to be put there by an Electrician (Residential/Commercial Construction). The poles and transformers that send that electricity to your house have to be maintained by an
Electrician (Linemen). The powerplants that create that electricity have to be run and fixed by an Electrician (Plant Electrical Maintenance Tech). Not to mention all of those electrical systems have to be designed by an Electrician (Electrical Engineer).
I followed my father's footsteps into the world of electricity, and I haven't had a single regret. I have worked in Nuclear Power since 2011 and now I coordinate entire teams of electricians that make VERY good money and work for a company with amazing benefits. But it's not just in nuclear either... I have met very wealthy entrepreneurs (Master electricians) who have started their own electrical/contracting companies and make tons of money working in residential. I have one friend who left the Navy and went on to become an Electrical Engineer for NASA (Satellites he helped design are now in space).
Thats the nice part of the world of electricity. There are thousands of options and all you have to do is discover one that interests you.
So yes, I would say that being an electrician is a very good trade.
He wasn't wrong, but I would add one more sentence to that statement... "A Great Hardworking Electrician will find prosperity and happiness"
Just look around. There is electricity almost everywhere you look. Those wires and outlets have to be put there by an Electrician (Residential/Commercial Construction). The poles and transformers that send that electricity to your house have to be maintained by an
Electrician (Linemen). The powerplants that create that electricity have to be run and fixed by an Electrician (Plant Electrical Maintenance Tech). Not to mention all of those electrical systems have to be designed by an Electrician (Electrical Engineer).
I followed my father's footsteps into the world of electricity, and I haven't had a single regret. I have worked in Nuclear Power since 2011 and now I coordinate entire teams of electricians that make VERY good money and work for a company with amazing benefits. But it's not just in nuclear either... I have met very wealthy entrepreneurs (Master electricians) who have started their own electrical/contracting companies and make tons of money working in residential. I have one friend who left the Navy and went on to become an Electrical Engineer for NASA (Satellites he helped design are now in space).
Thats the nice part of the world of electricity. There are thousands of options and all you have to do is discover one that interests you.
So yes, I would say that being an electrician is a very good trade.