To become a commercial electrician is one of the most important jobs you could take on as a career. With a job role that entails either planning up electrical schematics or applying them as designed by the contractor, a commercial electrician is an invaluable element in the development of commercial spaces like stores, restaurants, and office buildings, particularly in the provision of needed power supply.
But like any other branches of the journeyman electrician, the overall role of a commercial electrician has both ups and downs. In this article, we take a look at some of the hardships that beset an electrician of this kind and why, despite the conundrum, it is still worth pursuing as a career.
See Also: Electrician Levels / Ranks
Pros of Being a Commercial Electrician
Becoming a commercial electrician is indeed a perky profession. Otherwise, not many people will consider it as a job worth undertaking. This subtopic lists all the benefits that come with choosing it as a career.
• The Path Towards the Journeyman Role is a Paid Learning Experience
I have already mentioned it many times and I will mention it again—when you choose the path of an electrician, expect that the “beaten path” is one paved with a lot of learning and decent pay. By this, I meant it specifically on the “apprenticeship” route towards becoming a journeyman electrician.
When many college or university students are putting themselves in much debt just to earn an undergraduate degree, the ability to learn the craft of an electrician-in-training while getting paid to do so is more than enough perk to choose it over any other profession. This suggests that apprentices, unlike students from other career path entirely, leave their training with money in their pocket, not debt to pay.
• The Task of a Commercial Electrician May Be Diverse, Not Routine
There are not many jobs out there that offers enough diversity in the nature of their work than the tasks given to a Commercial Electrician. This is much unlike other jobs which demands you to do the same thing over and over again which eventually becomes tedious, boring, and dull. When you are a Commercial Electrician, your work varies which might imply working on wiring one day and then moving on to do other technical stuff that complements your previous work, like a segmented project built from part to part.
Furthermore, as your role as a Commercial Electrician differs depending on the site, the environment itself adds to the dynamics of the job. This creates a new level of exposure to you and subsequently expands the range of your horizon.
See Also: Electrician Types
• Great Pay
It is no longer a secret that electricians are some of the most well-paid professionals out there in the market—and for a good reason. While there might be nuances to this notion, one thing is certain about—the yearly pay of an average Commercial Electrician beats the annual salary of the average workers in the United States.
For instance, in 2017 alone, the median annual national salary for electricians is recorded to be at $54,110. But that is only speaking of the “median average” as those in the top 10% of the pay scale garners to as much as $92,000 annually, according to Electrical Schooling.
From there, just imagine the potential increases in the average commercial electrician’s salary as they accrue work experiences across the years which would entitle them to a “master” status in just after two years of being a journeyman electrician. A master electrician nets bigger pay than a journeyman electrician.
• Open Possibility for Self-Employment
Although there is indeed a significant perk for becoming a member of a union, to sacrifice one’s individuality in consideration of the entire group—not to mention the idea of paying fees just to be in the team—is an idea that does not always bode well in many people. In fact, politics is rife in an organized group like the union which further adds to the dissatisfaction of some, if not many, of its members.
Intuitively, those who do hated the idea of being a union member, choose to go solo. While, by doing so, a non-union member is able to find employment in companies as a traditional employee; others who find confidence in being “their own boss” venture to self-employment and render services to clients personally.
In fact, those who attained the “master” status are themselves likely to just start their own company simply because, to become an entrepreneur in the electrician’s business, is very lucrative and beats the wage of even the most paid master electrician under someone else’s payroll.
See Also: Electrician Tools
Cons of Being a Commercial Electrician
Taking on the role of a Commercial Electrician is not always a happy experience. There are also situations, too, that hamper the joy of the role which includes the risk of the job.
• Getting into Apprenticeship Program is Difficult
Not everybody is cut out to become a Commercial Electrician and is the reason why there is a screening process involved in the application to any available apprenticeship program. Considering also the perks of becoming an apprentice, to get into its program has to be a not-so-easy process.
However, in some cases, your commitment is the key to you getting approved. If this insinuates anything, this means that you should at least prove your interest in the profession by doing the necessary small steps towards your exposure to the work of an electrician, such as by becoming an assistant to a bona fide electrician.
See Also: Electrician Safety Clothing
• Dealing with Electricity is Hazardous
It is not a secret that even the well-trained electrician is likely to commit a mistake in his job that he would have to pay with his life in the process. While some electrician roles are more predisposed to this idea than others, it is still a common factor to them all nonetheless.
When you deal with electricity, you are essentially dabbling in an environment that could warrant your life with the tidiest bit of mistake. But as inherent the notion of such danger is to the job; it is a notion that a Commercial Electrician has to deal with every single time.