💡 Why it matters: Every new building needs wiring, and every old one needs repairs. A trained, honest electrician is always in demand and can build a strong business.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦700k – ₦1.8M
- Mid-career
- ₦2M – ₦5M
- Senior
- ₦5M – ₦14M
≈ ₦167k – ₦417k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Install wires, sockets and lights
- Fit distribution boards and safety switches
- Find and fix electrical faults
- Read building plans and drawings
- Check work follows safety rules
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Hands-on skill
- Safety awareness
- Problem solving
- Attention to detail
- Customer care
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Apprenticeship with a master electrician
- NABTEB or trade test certification, then registration as an electrical contractor
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Apprenticeship with an electrical firm (about 3 to 4 years)
- Full-time college course, then work experience
🇺🇸 United States
- Apprenticeship through a union or an employer (typically 3 to 5 years, varies by trade)
- Entry-level job with on-the-job training
🇨🇦 Canada
- Apprenticeship: classroom blocks plus paid on-the-job hours (varies by province)
- Pre-apprenticeship or trades college program, then apprenticeship
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Physics and Maths at school
- 2Join a technical college or find an apprenticeship
- 3Do trade tests and gain a recognised certificate
- 4Learn from experienced electricians on real sites
- 5Become a contractor or supervisor and train others
⏰ A day in the life
You arrive at a new flat and carefully run cable inside the walls following the plan. After testing each circuit, you spot a loose connection at a socket in the kitchen, fix it, and sign off the job.