Master Electrician: The highest electrician license: can design systems, pull permits, and supervise other electricians. Typical pay $95k.
Journeyman Electrician: Installs and repairs wiring, panels, lighting, and power systems in homes and buildings. Typical pay $62k.
Industrial Electrician: Keeps the electrical systems and machines in factories and plants running. Typical pay $70k.
Data Center Electrician: Builds and maintains the massive power systems that keep data centers running 24/7. Typical pay $85k.
Instrumentation & Controls Technician: Installs and calibrates the sensors and controls that run refineries, power plants, and factories. Typical pay $72k.
PLC / Automation Technician: Programs and fixes the small industrial computers that run assembly lines and robots. Typical pay $68k.
Railroad Signal Technician: Maintains the signals, crossing gates, and switches that keep trains from colliding. Typical pay $80k.
Theatrical / Stage Electrician: Hangs, wires, and runs the lights for concerts, theaters, and TV studios. Typical pay $65k.
Sign Electrician: Builds, installs, and repairs lit signs and billboards. Typical pay $56k.
Standby Generator Technician: Installs and services backup generators for homes, hospitals, data centers and cell towers. Typical pay $62k.
Electrical Testing Technician: Tests and calibrates the big switchgear, transformers and protective relays in data centers, factories and substations. Typical pay $82k.
Sports Field Lighting Technician: Installs, aims and repairs the giant light banks over ballparks, football stadiums and high school fields. Typical pay $62k.
Scoreboard & LED Video Display Technician: Installs and fixes the huge LED scoreboards and video walls in arenas, stadiums, malls and Times Square–style billboards. Typical pay $58k.
Starter: fastest way in
Residential Wireman: Wires new houses and apartments, a common first specialty for electricians. Typical pay $48k.
Electrical Apprentice: Learns the trade on the job under a journeyman while getting paid and taking classes at night. Typical pay $45k.
Electrician Helper: Assists electricians by carrying materials, digging trenches, and prepping work areas. Typical pay $40k.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.