Working as an electrician is a career that many people consider after graduating from high school. With this type of job, you benefit from several advantages that you cannot get from other jobs. You get to work with your hands, make a decent wage and get started quicker than with other careers.

No College Required

When learning about becoming an electrician, you will notice that you do not have to go to college to start working. The process of becoming an electrician involves going through an apprenticeship program instead. This means that you get to learn from a trained professional on the job as well as in a classroom. You actually get to work while you are learning also. Since you are working while learning, you also get to earn money while you are training. While the pay is not as good as what you will receive once you are an electrician, it is still better than nothing. This program can take about four years to complete.

Earnings

One of the primary advantages of becoming an electrician is the pay. Electricians make a solid wage when compared with other professions. This is especially attractive when you consider that you do not have to go to college to get to this point. Many electricians make more than college graduates in other fields. As of 2008, electricians made $24 per hour on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many electricians also have the opportunity to work overtime hours when they are working on a big job. This can increase your earnings substantially.

Consistent Work

When you are trained as an electrician, there will never be a shortage of jobs for you to work on. Working as an electrician is considered to be a recession-proof job. Even when the economy is performing poorly, people still need electricity. Electricity has become a necessity in society and, when you do not have it, you basically have to hire an electrician. While some people do the work on their own, most hire an electrician because of the danger involved. If you are willing to look around, you should always find work.

Working Conditions

When working as an electrician, you can also work on your own schedule. Many electricians are self-employed and take only the jobs that they choose. On the job, you work out in the field. You are not in a cramped office or stuck inside all day. Many times, you work on construction sites or in customers' finished houses. The working conditions are generally tolerable, and you will get some different scenery almost every day.