Everyone relies on electricity, but most don’t give it much thought. That’s until something stops working. When that happens, the conversation often turns to who is actually responsible forhelping with the problems. Is it an electrician? An electrical engineer? The distinction isn’t obvious if you aren’t used to this field.
Both careers exist within the same technical space, but they serve very different purposes. They have various kinds of training and different expectations at the actual job. For students who choose a career its significant to understand electrician vs electrical engineer.
Two different professions, one system
Electrical engineers and electricians work on the same systems, but at different stages of a project. Electrical engineers design how an electrical system functions. Their work is msotly completed before construction begins.
Electricians step in once those plans need to be put into practice. They install electrical systems and handle ongoing maintenance. Their work takes place on-site, under real operating conditions. This is the core distinction between the engineer and electrician roles. Engineers do the planning, while electricians focus on installation and repair.
In practice, the work is not always separated. Engineers need to consider how systems perform once installed, and electricians make adjustments when what they have on hand differs from the original plans. For more info about each one of these careers and statistics on jobs, the BLS website has a breakdown of all.
Education and training
Electrician training
Electricians follow a vocational route built around real experience.
- Trade school
- Apprenticeship
- Supervised on-the-job training
- State or local licensing exams
Electrician apprenticeships let them earn while learning, and after gaining teh necessary number of supervised work hours, they can take their licensing exam, the requirement to work legally. Training lasts between 4 and 5 years to complete. For oversight and standards for apprenticeships across the country, check out the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Program website.
Electricians can choose to continue their education and get additional certifications. For example, there is commercial electrical work, which involves more complex systems and can lead to higher pay. Another option is industrial electrical work, where they deal with heavy machinery, control systems, and high-voltage equipment. You will need training in motor controls, programmable logic controllers, and industrial safety standards.
There are also opportunities in renewable energy and energy-efficient systems, so many electricians train in solar panel installation or electric vehicle charging systems.
Electrical engineering education
To become an electrical engineer, you will need a more academic path. Most positions require a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a closely related field from an accredited university. The courses focus on mathematics, physics, circuit theory, and system analysis, so it’s more recommended towards people who prefer the theoretical part of electrical work. You will gain a deep understanding of how electrical systems behave under different conditions. Most roles require:
- A bachelor’s degree in engineering
- Ezperise in math, physics, and circuit theory
- Laboratory work and design projects
- Internships
Some engineers go on to earn graduate degrees, especially if they specialize in fields based on research. During their training, compared to electricians, the emphasis is less on physical installation and more on understanding systems at a conceptual level. To become a Professional Engineer (PE), you need additional exams and verified work experience.
Timeline
Because engineers usually work with more complex systems and approve public infrastructures, the training is also longer and more extensive. A bachelor’s degree takes four years to complete, followed by 2 years of masters degree. To reach PE licensure eligibility, electrical engineers need to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and gain about four years of supervised work experience.
To this, add 3 to 5 more years if you are planning to also get a doctorate’s degree. The exact timeline depends on specialization and whether you plan to study full-time or part-time, but most electrical engineers usually also work after college to gain the necessary number of hours of experience.
Find more information on this process available through the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.
Daily work and environment
The daily work of electricians and engineers revolves around similar things, but couldn’t be any more different. Electricians are always on-site, working with tools, getting their hands dirty, and climbing on ladders or putting themselves into tight spaces. Their schedules aren’t fixed, and their work depends on project timelines. When unexpected issues come up that need immediate attention, electricians are ready to step in and help.
An electrician’s work is very complex and can also become more niche, depending on what specialization you want to take. Read more about the types of electricians that are most common in the U.S. and what the jobs require in our article here.
If you prefer a more structured workday, becoming an electrical engineer is probably a better choice. Their time is spent indoors, and even if they need to be on site sometimes for checking, you can find engineers at their desks, designing, analyzing, testing, and documenting systems. They work under the threat of the deadlines as well, but the work is a lot less physically demanding.
Career growth and earnings
Taking everything into consideration, from degrees to time spent learning, electrical engineers earn higher median salaries than electricians, especially if they move into specialized technical niches.
But electricians with a lot of experience are not far behind. In parts of the country where construction is booming, like bigger cities, or where they need specialized electrical work, electricians are very well compensated, even more than traditional engineers.
The average annual wage for electricians is around $60,000 per year. With experience and more niche jobs, the highest 10% can earn over $100,000 a year.
Engineers, on the other hand, can easily win up to $110,000 pe year, and top roles reach above $150,000 in some industries or better locations.
Final Thoughts
In the end, not one profession is better, but they differ, and one may be better for you. Electricians focus on real-world application, they work with their hands, and are the first people call when something goes wrong. Electrical engineers focus on design and system development, and are the minds behind how systems are conceived. Both are essential to modern infrastructure and often work together on the same projects.
