[0:00]How long does it take to become an electrician in the trades in 2026? So you want to know how long it takes to become an electrician? Here's the truth. The answer's going to piss some people off, because it's not what you think, and it's definitely not what your guidance counselor told you. Before we get started, smash that like button and subscribe. All right, let's get into it. Here's the deal. Most people think becoming an electrician takes forever. Like you're going to be poor and struggling for years. Wrong. You can start making money in weeks, real money. But to become a licensed electrician, that's where the timeline gets interesting and honestly, kind of beautiful. Look, I'm 50 years old. I've been in the trades my whole adult life. Started as a sheet metal apprentice, spent five years learning the ropes, then three years as a journeyman, then six years as a foreman, running crews. Then I said screw it and started my own Hvac business. That was 16 years ago. 30 years total in the Hvac. So I know a thing or two about timelines in the trades, and I know when people are feeding you bull crap. Here's what they don't tell you. The timeline depends on your path, and there are three main paths. Path one, the Union apprenticeship, four to five years. Classroom plus on the job training. You're earning while you're learning. Starting around 18 to 25 an hour, moving up to 35 to 45 plus by year five. Path two, non-union apprenticeship, also four to five years, through an independent electrical contractors or programs like the ABC, Associated builders and contractors. Similar structure, slightly different pay scales, depending on your market. Path three, trade school then apprenticeship, six months to two years at a trade school. Learn the basics, get your foot in the door, then you still do an apprenticeship, but you might shave off some time. No matter which path you're looking at, minimum four years to getting your journeyman license. But here's the thing people miss. You're making good money the entire time. This isn't college where you're broke, eating ramen and drowning in debt. This is getting paid to learn, a skill that'll make you six figures. Big difference. Hey everyone, if you're having some trouble deciding what trade career to choose, check out course careers. Talk to Cora. This is Course Careers' new AI career counselor. Cora will help you decide if HVAC, plumbing, electrical, construction project managing, construction estimating, architectural drafting, or supply chain coordinator fits your goals. And then you can start the free inter course it suggests. Just like students across multiple industries have used to break into high-paying careers fast without any experience or college degree. The inter course will show you exactly what the job is like day-to-day and teach you how to get hired within four to 12 weeks. I'll leave the link in my description and pin in the comments below, free to check out. All right, back to the timeline. Let's talk about what actually happens during those four to five years. Year one, you're the rookie. You're pulling wire, learning to read blueprints, understanding electrical theory, making around 18 to 25 an hour, depending on your market. You're in school one or two nights a week. The rest of the time, you're on the job site learning from journeyman who've been doing this for decades. Year two, you're getting confident. You're installing outlets, switches, fixtures, you understand circuits, you're troubleshooting basic problems. Your pay bumps up to maybe 22 to $30 an hour. Year three, you're actually good now. You can wire entire rooms without supervision. You're working with conduit, panels, more complex systems. Pay's climbing to 26 to 35 an hour. Year four, you're damn near a journeyman. You're doing advanced work, industrial systems, motor controls, maybe even some automation. You're making 30 to 40 plus an hour. And then you take your journeyman exam. You pass and trust me, you will pass if you've been paying attention. Now you're licensed. Now you're making 40 to 60 plus an hour depending on where you live. Now, the real game begins. But here's where it gets really interesting. Most electricians stop at journeyman. And that's fine. You can make 80 to 120k plus a year as a journeyman and live the great life. But if you want the big money, if you want to build real wealth, you got to think like a contractor. After you get your journeyman license, you work for a few more years. You get your master's electrician license. That's another one to two years depending on your state. You learn the business side, how to bid jobs, how to manage people, how to deal with customers who think they know more than you because they watch a YouTube video. Yeah, those people exist. Then you get your contractor's license, you start your own business. And now, now you're not making 60 an hour, you're charging 100 to 200 plus an hour for your services. You're bidding 20K, 50K, 100K plus jobs. And I'm not going to lie to you, running a business is hard. Payroll, insurance, taxes, difficult customers, late nights, early mornings. But you know what else it is? Freedom. I've been running my own HVAC business for 16 years. I set my own schedule. I choose my clients. I make more in a month than I used to make in six months as a journeyman. Is it for everyone? Hell no. But if you got the drive, if you're willing to put in the work, the contractor's path is where you build real wealth in the trades. We're talking 150 to 300K plus a year if you're good. And I know plenty of electrical contractors clearing 500K plus. That's not a typo. Now, let's talk about what you actually need to succeed as an electrician. And I'm not talking about the obvious stuff like, yeah, you need to understand electricity, duh. I'm talking about the skills nobody mentions. Problem solving. Every day you're going to face something new. A circuit that doesn't make sense, a panel that's wired like a drunk spider built it. A customer who swears the problem is X, when it's actually Y, you got to think on your feet. Physical stamina. You're crawling in addicts in July when it's 130 degrees. You're in crawl spaces with spiders the size of your fist. You're standing on ladders for hours. You're carrying heavy equipment. This isn't a desk job. Your body's going to work. Communication skills, surprise, you got to talk to people, customers, inspectors, other trades, your crew. If you can't explain why something needs to be done, you're going to struggle. Attention to detail, one wrong wire and someone could die. One missed connection and you could start a fire. This job requires focus. You can't half ass electrical work. And here's the big one, continuous learning. Electrical code changes every three years. Technology is always evolving. Solar systems, EV chargers, smart home automation, battery backup systems. If you're not learning, you're dying. The electricians that make the big money, they're the ones who never stop learning. Hey, quick break here. Uh, if you're interested in a free course on uh getting into the trades, then uh click this link below. Let me tell you something that should get you excited. The job outlook for electricians is stupid good. Like ridiculously good. The Bureau of Labor statistics say we need 80,000 plus new electricians every year for the next decade. Every year. You know how many we're training? Not enough, not even close. Which means if you're getting into the trade right now, you're walking into a market where you have the power. You can pick your jobs, you can negotiate your pay, you can work wherever you want. California, Texas, Florida, Colorado. Doesn't matter. Everyone needs electricians, and with all the push for renewable energy, solar installations, EV infrastructure, smart buildings, the demand is only going to increase. We're talking about a trade that's literally essential to the modern life. Every building, every home, every business, they all need electrical work. AI can't do this job, robots can't do this job. This is a career that's humanproof, and that's worth something in 2026. So back to the original question. How long does it take to become an electrician? Here's the real answer. To start making money, two to 12 weeks, if you get into an apprenticeship or helper position right away. To become a journeyman, four to five years. To become a master electrician, six to eight years total. To become a contractor, eight to 10 plus years total. But here's what matters. You're earning good money the entire journey. Year one apprentice, you're making more than most college graduates. Year five journeyman, you're making more than most people with master's degrees. 10 years in as a contractor, you're making more than most doctors without the debt. The timeline isn't the enemy. The timeline is your friend, because every year you're getting better. Every year you're earning more. Every year you're building a skill that can't be outsourced or automated. Compare that to college. Four years, 100K plus in debt. Graduate with a degree in something you're not even sure you want to do. Then spend years trying to get a job that might pay 50K if you're lucky. The math doesn't math. Look, I got to be honest with you. It's not all sunshine and six figure paychecks. The first few years, they're hard. Your body's going to hurt. You're going to be exhausted. You're going to have days where you question everything. I remember my first year in sheet metal. I came home covered in sweat and insulation. Every muscle aching. wondering if I made a huge mistake. Some days I was in addicts that felt like ovens. Some days I was outside in the freezing cold. Some days I dealt with four men who made me want to quit. But you know what? I showed up. The next day, and the next, and the next, and eventually, it got easier. My body adapted. My skills improved. My paycheck grew. The trades aren't for quitters, but if you can push through, if you can embrace the suck, you'll build a life most people only dream about. Here's what nobody tells you about being an electrician. The lifestyle is actually really good. Yeah, you work hard, but most electricians work Monday through Friday. Weekends off, holidays off, unless you're doing emergency calls, and then you're charging double or triple. You're done at 3:30 or 4:30 most days. Compare that to Corporate America where you're answering emails at 10:00 p.m. and working weekends for free. And here's the kicker. You can travel with this skill. I know electricians who work six months in Alaska, making bank, then spending six months traveling. I know electricians who do contract work, following big construction projects around the country. The license you earn in one state typically transfers pretty easily to another. Your skills are portable. That's freedom, man. Real freedom. Look, I can't tell you if becoming an electrician is right for you. Only you can figure that out. But I can tell you this, if you're willing to put in four to five years of focused work, if you're willing to learn continuously, if you're willing to get your hands dirty, you can build a career that pays you well, gives you freedom and provides real security. In 2026, with all the uncertainties in the world, that's worth something. Actually, it's worth everything. The timeline might seem long when you're starting out. Four years feels like forever when you're 20. But you know what? Those four years are going to pass anyway. You can spend them going into debt for a degree, or you can spend them earning money while you learn a skill that'll pay you for life. 10 years from now, you could be running your own electrical contracting business, making 500K plus a year, working on your own terms. Or you could still be trying to figure out what to do with that college degree. The choice is yours, but the opportunity is right there. All you got to do is take the first step. If this video helped you, smash that like button. If you want more unfiltered trade career advice, subscribe and hit that notification bell. I'm out here every week, giving you the real truth about the trades. No BS, no sugar coating, just honest talk from someone who lived it. All right, one more thing before I go. Why did the electrician get shocked when he told his wife he was coming home early? Because he was too amped up.

[15:32]Peace out.