Career Change? Here Are Some of the Highest Paid Electrician Jobs Out There

Posted January 7, 2021 by in Career

“I can get a good doctor in a minute and a half. Getting a really good electrician – that’s hard.”

  • Charles Murray 

The increasing importance of electricians in society cannot be overemphasized, and that’s why there is a staple for their accelerated demand. It’s not only their profession, but they do all technical things with utter professionalism, which requires years of hands on experience and learning. Probably, that’s why they are hard to find and replace. 

The thought of becoming or entering into a profession like electrician makes everyone relate it to low paid jobs. But that’s merely a myth. Instead you can make a handsome amount of money by being an electrician and that too in spite of the fact that electrician training is relatively cheap.

This stream may be extremely risky but at the same time have an impeccable scope of progressing every day, every minute. For a job that has high risk and determination demanded all the time, it has to be a well-paid profession, right? Well, it all depends on you, as an electrician, how you utilize your skills and propel your career forward. There are numerous job profiles and streams waiting for you with a lot of challenges, all you need is to get trained to tackle them and step towards a prosperous career. 

We understand it takes time to get into a profession and then adopt it for life, but be wise, attain certifications, get licensed, and you are all set to proceed. So, if you have made a wise decision of proceeding with your career in the electronics industry, here is a string of some of the highly paid electricians who make a handsome amount of money and justify their hard work well. 

Highest Paid Electricians

  1. Substation Electricians – Despite being concerned about being a part of a risky job profile, substation electricians are doing an amazing job in this field by earning high pay. As per the statistics from May 2019, a substation electrician’s average salary is somewhere around $55,286 per year in the United States. If we look for a substation electrician’s maximum and minimum salary package, it is $69,000 and $41,000, respectively. If you are someone who does not prefer to work in an oil rig, this can be the best job profile waiting for you. 
  1. Oil Rig Electrician – The world knows about the high whooping rates of crude oil, which is often referred to as ‘black gold.’ Experts from electricianschooledu.org suggest becoming an electrician in an oil rig as there are high possibilities of better high ranks and pays. Some of the most common positions available in an oil rig include – chief electrician, normal electrician, or technician. The oil rig businesses may come with a degree of challenges, but at the same time, the high pays justify everything. Here, the general electrician or level 1 electrician gets $63,000 to $65,000 per year. A technician may make $74,000 at a minimum in a year. And on the other hand, a chief electrician makes somewhere between $83,000 to $87,500 per year. 
  1. Industrial Electrician – Residential areas may not feel the need to hire an electrician all the time, but a business does. Big industries or factories require a full-time electrician who can fix minor to major electrical problems in emergency situations. Therefore, they get quality paychecks ranging between $53,210 to $75,000 per annum. In a high majority of cases, the industrial or commercial electricians are required to deal with the heat system of the building. An electrician with this skill and experience can help him earn more as it is considered as a major milestone in this profession. 
  1. Residential Electricians – As the designation itself is quite self-explanatory that these professionals are appointed to handle electrical flaws and installations at the residential areas. Generally, a residential electrician is called during the home construction to fix and unearth the entire electrical system in the home. Right from fixing the sockets at a desirable spot to ensuring a safe electrical power supply in all the rooms, there are a lot of roles and responsibilities of a residential electrician.  

Besides these, there are other electricians who get paid the best including – commercial electricians, construction and maintenance electricians, etc. From the work culture to the packages, everything differs for all designations listed above. An electrician can almost tenfold the service packages and earnings by attaining a license. 


No matter what electrician sub-domain you choose to settle for, constant progress and learning in your field can take you to paramount heights of success.

Besides this, look for licenses, degrees, and required certifications to stand out in this domain and build a successful career for yourself. Here, the above-mentioned list may help you make a wise decision.