Becoming an electrician is a great choice for anyone who wants stable work, a livable wage, and the opportunity to grow within your career field.
It may seem like an intimidating career path to pursue, but it’s not as difficult as it may seem!
With a little hard work and dedication, you can make it happen.
Just keep reading this article to find out how!
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Electrician Job Duties and Skills In South Carolina
As an electrician in South Carolina, you may need to have the following skills:
- The ability to work from ladders or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
- Be able to plan the layout and installation of electrical wiring, equipment, or other fixtures based on job specifications and local codes.
- Ability to assemble, install, test, or maintain electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, or fixtures using hand tools or power tools.
- Ability to test electrical systems or continuity of circuits in electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures, using testing devices, such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, etc. to ensure compatibility and safety of the system.
- Ability to use a wide variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.
- Have great customer service, critical thinking, problem-solving, and management skills
- Have basic computer, math, and other skills.
It takes a wide variety of skills to become a good electrician, but as long as you’re willing to learn, you can do it!
How to Become an Electrician In South Carolina
Are you unsure of how to go about entering the electrical industry?
Read the steps down below to find out how!
Make Sure to Meet All Requirements
If you want to be able to get an electrical license in South Carolina, you have to have a high school diploma or a GED.
You have to have a valid driver’s license, too.
Before you apply to take the licensing exam, make sure you’ve met these basic requirements!
Complete All the Essential Classroom Hours
You must have completed a two-year associate degree from a qualified trade school before you can apply for your electrical license in South Carolina.
Be sure to do this or you will not be able to obtain your license.
Successfully Finish Your Training
You have to make sure to gain at least 4,000 hours of hands-on work experience, or else you won’t be eligible to receive an electrical license in South Carolina.
You can gain all the required hours by completing an apprenticeship program or while attending a technical or vocational school, or community college.
Apply For Your License
Once you’ve met all these requirements, you can apply for your electrical license!
To do this, you need to take and pass the electrical exam.
This exam includes 130 questions and you must score 70% or higher to pass.
Training Programs for Electricians In South Carolina
Charleston Electrical Training Alliance
The CETA Apprenticeship Program is a four-year apprenticeship that provides both on-the-job training and classroom instruction.
The program promises to help students learn and master a wide variety of tasks that will guide them along their journey to begin a career as an electrician.
Some things that students taking this program can expect to learn include:
- Job management
- Necessary shop work preparation and layout
- Electrical and control systems in industrial buildings and equipment including transformers, motors, power quality systems, and essential electrical systems.
- Electrical and communication systems in public, commercial, school, and hospital buildings, including transformers, building automation systems, communication and signaling services, and life safety systems and emergency services.
Plus, way more!
Greenville Technical College 
Greenville Technical College offers Construction & Electrical Training that will provide students with the specialized skills needed to become entry-level carpenters or electricians in the residential and commercial construction sectors.
There are tons of available courses, from The Electrician Technician Residential and Light Commercial program to The SC Journeyman’s Licensing Exam Review course and even the ABC Carolinas Chapter Upstate Electrical Apprenticeship.
All of them guarantee to teach students at least the basics of electrical knowledge.
Midlands Technical College
Midlands Technical College’s Maintenance Electrical Technician program offers on-campus, online, and hybrid classes, and teaches students how to repair motors, transformers, generators, and more.
The program also teaches general electrical safety, industrial sensor technology, and how to read blueprints.
After completing the program, students can choose to further their education by earning an associate degree in Electronics Engineering Technology.
They can also opt to earn a certificate in Electronic & Computer Fundamentals instead.
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Charleston Electrical Training Alliance | 7281 Cross Park Dr, North Charleston, SC 29418 |
| Greenville Technical College | 506 S Pleasantburg Dr, Greenville, SC |
| Midlands Technical College | 151 Powell Rd, Columbia, SC 29203 |
Electrician Salaries In South Carolina
Electricians are in high demand in South Carolina.
This means that electricians in S.C have the potential to make a huge amount of money!
Some electricians residing in the state can make upward of $75,000 a year.
Check below to see the average amount that an electrician will make in South Carolina by city.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Rock Hill | $64,235 |
| Mount Pleasant | $61,974 |
| Charleston | $61,974 |
| North Charleston | $61,974 |
| Greenville | $61,664 |
| Spartanburg | $61,338 |
| Hilton Head Island | $60,926 |
| Columbia | $60,473 |
| Florence | $58,825 |
| Sumter | $58,355 |
Regional Salary in South Carolina
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 1,600 | $56,260 | $27.05 | $73,870 | $37,190 |
| Columbia, SC | 1,120 | $58,160 | $27.96 | $72,990 | $37,270 |
| Florence, SC | 240 | $51,920 | $24.96 | $70,460 | $38,130 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC | 1,650 | $54,160 | $26.04 | $74,430 | $37,770 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC | 240 | $54,620 | $26.26 | $77,720 | $36,480 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 540 | $49,490 | $23.79 | $64,550 | $35,630 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 400 | $59,430 | $28.57 | $78,580 | $39,350 |
| Sumter, SC | 90 | $54,340 | $26.13 | $66,510 | $36,750 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does South Carolina allow a trade school to substitute for hands-on experience?
No.
In South Carolina, you must work as an electrician under a licensed electrician to gain work experience and obtain your electrical license.
South Carolina does not allow trade school or college to substitute for the necessary work experience.
Can a homeowner do electrical work in South Carolina?
Even homeowners must obtain an electrical permit in order to do electrical work in their homes while residing in South Carolina.
Does South Carolina have a electrician union?
Yes. South Carolina has the IBEW Local Union.
Electrician Info by State
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