How to Become an Electrician in New York

New York is an expensive place to live, and that means you need a great job to support yourself while living there.

And what better job than one in the electrical industry?

Electricians are extremely in demand in the state of New York, and many of them make upwards of $70,000 a year.

If that sounds good to you and you’d like to learn more about becoming an electrician in New York, stay tuned.

Electrician Job Duties and Skills In New York

Here is a list of some of the job duties and skills electricians in New York need to have:

• Be able to assemble, install, test, and maintain electrical equipment
• Be able to diagnose malfunctioning systems as well as locate the cause of a breakdown, plus be able to correct the problem once you find it
• Be able to inspect any electrical equipment you use to ensure it meets coding compliance
• Be able to repair or replace wiring, equipment, and fixtures using hand tools and power tools as needed
• Have good communication
• Have good customer service
• Think critically
• Adapt to new situations easily

And even more.

How to Become an Electrician In New York

Step One – Meet Requirements

You must be 21 years or older to get your electrical license in New York.

You also have to have at least a high school diploma or a GED.

Make sure to reach these requirements or you will not be able to get your electrical license.

Step Two – Get Your Classroom Hours

You must have completed 800 classroom hours before you can qualify to apply for your electrical license in New York.

Be sure to do this or you will not be able to successfully apply for your license.

Step Three – Complete Your Training

You’ll also need 10,500 hours of practical work experience to become an electrician in New York.

There are several ways you can go about getting this experience.

You can attend a community college or go to a technical or vocational school.

You can also go through an apprenticeship.

Step Four – Apply For Your License

Lastly, you’ll need to apply for your electrical license.

The exam consists of multiple-choice questions, and you must get 70% or higher to pass.

Once you’ve passed the exam, you’ll be licensed!

Training Programs for Electricians In New York

Apex Technical School

Apex Technical School offers The Electrical & Advanced Electrical program, which teaches students the National Electric Code and provides an introduction to electrical classes in electrical safety, blueprints, residential wiring, breakers and fuses, grounding, bonding, splicing, currents, and outlets.

Students in this program spend half their time learning electrical theory in the classroom and the other half of their time applying the theories they’ve learned in the shop.

Overall, students gain about 900 hours of entry-level, electrician-skill training.

NYC Carpenters Training Center

The NYC Carpenters Training Center is a very successful and well-established trade school that provides apprentices with on-the-job training for at least 1300 hours per year.

Apprentices who get accepted into the NYCDCC Training Center must attend at least 144 hours of related classroom instruction.

This instruction can include:

• Health and safety instruction
• Blueprint reading
• Drywall Installation
• Concrete forms
• House framing
• Welding
• Floor covering
• Steam turbine generator installation and maintenance 

And so on.

School for Cooperative Technical Education

Coop Tech allows students to learn from industry professionals and leaders in four different electrical fields:

• Solar
• Residential
• Commercial
• Industrial

These classes all teach different things and touch on different topics.

However, no matter which class students opt to take, they will learn the associated trade’s math, electrical theory, and the safety measurements required to succeed as an electrical apprentice.

Berk Trade & Business School

Berk Trade and Business School is a private institution where students can learn all about the electrical trade.

With classes and courses that teach the basic knowledge and skillset needed to thrive in the electrical industry, Berk Trade and Business School is a great option who wants to get a foot in the door.

Here you can build connections while pursuing your education and look forward to entering the industry with good recommendations and all the skills you’ll need to get started.

Berk states that “Our faculty and staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals by ensuring the time you spend with us will be the most invaluable and rewarding experience of your life.”

Electrician Salaries In New York

One of the biggest perks of becoming an electrician, aside from helping people, is the salary.

One thing to know is that an electrician’s salary is going to depend on a large variety of factors, such as:

• What kind of work experience do they have?
• How much knowledge do they have?
• How much expertise do they have?
• What specialization do they want to pursue?
• What is their location?

You can see a table down below that shows the average salary of an electrician depending on which city in New York they reside in!

Annual Salary Range: Annual Salary by Location:

Location	Avg. Annual Salary
New York	$76,681
Yonkers	$75,223
Mount Vernon	$75,190
New Rochelle	$74,408
Albany	$66,226
Schenectady	$66,065
Syracuse	$64,904
Rochester	$64,333
Buffalo	$63,715
Utica	$63,537

Regional Salary in New York

* Salary information based on the May 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Electricians, OCC Code 47-2111, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is becoming an electrician in New York hard?

It may take more time and dedication than it does in other states.

In New York, it takes more classroom hours and work experience to become an electrician than it does in most other states.

Do electricians need to be licensed in NY?

Not in rural upstate New York.

However, other jurisdictions may require an electrical license.

Can homeowner do electrical work in NY?

Yes.

In most areas in New York, anyone can do electrical work, especially in their own place of residence.

Electrician Info by State