- Environment Primarily outdoor work
- Education High school diploma
- Average salary $87,000 to $98,000
Career profile
Industrial electricians install, maintain, test, troubleshoot and repair industrial electrical equipment such as industrial controls, transmitters in low and medium voltage systems. They plan and lay out electrical systems based on technical specifications and drawings. They also interact with equipment operators to detect faulty equipment issues and with clients to plan electrical layout systems.
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In this occupation activities may include:
- Applying safe electrical practices
- Inspecting components of industrial equipment for accurate assembly and installation or for defects, such as loose connections or frayed wires
- Maintaining, repairing and installing switchgear, transformers, switchboard meters, regulators and reactors, motor starters, contactors and other electrical components
- Repairing or adjusting equipment, machines or defective components and replacing worn parts, such as gaskets or seals in watertight electrical equipment
- Examining, replacing or repairing electrical wiring, receptacles, switch boxes, conduits, feeders, fiber-optic and coaxial cable assemblies, lighting fixtures and other electrical components
- Consulting with customers, supervisors or engineers to plan the layout of equipment or to resolve problems in system operation or maintenance
Education
- A high school diploma is typically required, along with completion of a four- or five-year industrial electrician apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship program includes required technical training through an approved technical school.
Certifications
- Standard and emergency first aid
- Construction Safety Training System (CSTS)
- Confined Space entry
- H2S Alive®
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Fall protection
- Respiratory fit testing
- Aerial lift training
- Traffic control
- Arc flash training
Licensing
- Trade certification for Industrial Electricians is compulsory in Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Manitoba and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, British Columbia and the Yukon.
- British Columbia and many other provinces and territories distinguish between Industrial Electricians and Electricians. To work as an industrial electrician, typically a person must be a registered apprentice, a provincially-certified journeyperson, or hold a valid recognized credential. Individuals possessing a valid recognized credential in Alberta are eligible to receive a Blue Seal business credential after completing the necessary requirements.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified Industrial Electricians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Additional Requirements
- In Alberta, a valid Master Electrician Identification Number is required in order to pull electrical work permits. Alberta-certified electricians may apply to the Alberta Safety Codes Council to become Master Electricians following three years of certification
- Marine safety certification is required to work in offshore environments
- Travel likely required
- Shiftwork/variable work hours
- Primarily outdoor work
- Physical work
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Work away from home/in camps
You have the ability to follow diagrams of circuits and wiring, and use hand and diagnostic tools in testing and fixing equipment.
- Active listening
- Critical thinking
- Public safety and security
- Installation
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Building and construction
- Computers and electronics
- Quality control analysis
- Equipment maintenance
- Equipment selection
