Looking for an electrician in Baltimore County, Maryland? There are a lot of them. However, do you know the difference between an electrician and an electrical technician? Read on to learn more.
Defining an Electrician
An electrician is someone who is licensed and has completed an apprentice program. The apprentice program is a hands-on training program during which an apprentice works with a master electrician to learn the trade. The apprenticeship takes about four years to complete. It includes 144 hours of classroom instruction and 2,000 hours of on-the-job training. After a year, a person can start working with a journeyman electrician, but he or she is not licensed yet. Once the program is completed, an exam is taken for a license as a journeyman. The requirements for a journeyman’s license vary from state to state. Once the test is past, a license is achieved, and a new electrician can work on unsupervised, complex projects.
After working as a journeyman under a master electrician for several years, an electrician can go for a master’s license. This requires experience in various electrical systems, as well as taking the state’s Master Electrician Certification course and passing the master licensing exam. Master electricians don’t just install electrical systems, they also help create concepts for electrical projects, as well as assign duties to the electricians under them.
Electrical Technician
Electrical technicians, on the other hand, work in buildings or factories. They build or repair electrical systems and usually work under the supervision of electrical engineers, potentially on a production team. Technicians also calibrate and maintain equipment, as well as read design plans and recommend design improvements.
As far as training, most electrical technicians either receive a certificate in the field or an associate degree in the field. There are no licensing requirements because a certificate or degree is usually enough to qualify them for the job. As electrical technicians work on equipment and existing systems, they usually don’t work with electricians.
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