Construction and extraction
Electrician helper
Help electricians by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.
Median pay
$42,670
Growth to 2035
+1%
little or no change
Openings a year
6,100
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Electrician helper
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Electrician helper: 2% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Strip insulation from wire ends, using wire stripping pliers, and attach wires to terminals for subsequent soldering.
- Trace out short circuits in wiring, using test meter.
- Measure, cut, and bend wire and conduit, using measuring instruments and hand tools.
- Examine electrical units for loose connections and broken insulation and tighten connections, using hand tools.
- Maintain tools, vehicles, and equipment and keep parts and supplies in order.
- Drill holes and pull or push wiring through openings, using hand and power tools.
- Clean work area and wash parts.
- Perform semi-skilled and unskilled laboring duties related to the installation, maintenance and repair of a wide variety of electrical systems and equipment.
Also called: Apprentice · E and I Apprentice (Electrical and Instrumentation Apprentice) · E and I Apprentice (Electrician and Instrumentation Apprentice) · Electrical Apprentice · Electrical Helper · Electrician Apprentice · Electrician Helper · Electrician's Helper
Outlook and AI
Helpers--electricians held 65,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 65,400 by 2035 (+1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Occupational substitution - share decreases as construction laborers are increasingly assigned helpers tasks because they can support various trades, including electricians.
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