Occupation

Helpers--Electricians

Human Advantage 63%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Low Risk
2.8 / 10

This occupation requires complex human judgment, social interaction, and creative problem-solving that are difficult to automate.

Help electricians by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.

Also Known As: Apprentice, Automotive Electrician Helper (Auto Electrician Helper), E and I Apprentice (Electrical and Instrumentation Apprentice), E and I Apprentice (Electrician and Instrumentation Apprentice), Electrical Apprentice, Electrical Assistant, Electrical Helper, Electrical Sign Wirer Helper +13 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Strip insulation from wire ends, using wire stripping pliers, and attach wires to terminals for subsequent soldering.
  2. Trace out short circuits in wiring, using test meter.
  3. Measure, cut, and bend wire and conduit, using measuring instruments and hand tools.
  4. Examine electrical units for loose connections and broken insulation and tighten connections, using hand tools.
  5. Maintain tools, vehicles, and equipment and keep parts and supplies in order.
  6. Drill holes and pull or push wiring through openings, using hand and power tools.
  7. Clean work area and wash parts.
  8. Perform semi-skilled and unskilled laboring duties related to the installation, maintenance and repair of a wide variety of electrical systems and equipment.
  9. Thread conduit ends, connect couplings, and fabricate and secure conduit support brackets, using hand tools.
  10. Disassemble defective electrical equipment, replace defective or worn parts, and reassemble equipment, using hand tools.
  11. Construct controllers and panels, using power drills, drill presses, taps, saws, and punches.
  12. Transport tools, materials, equipment, and supplies to work site by hand, handtruck, or heavy, motorized truck.
  13. String transmission lines or cables through ducts or conduits, under the ground, through equipment, or to towers.
  14. Install copper-clad ground rods, using a manual post driver.
  15. Dig trenches or holes for installation of conduit or supports.
  16. Raise, lower, or position equipment, tools, and materials, using hoist, hand line, or block and tackle.
  17. Bolt component parts together to form tower assemblies, using hand tools.
  18. Erect electrical system components and barricades, and rig scaffolds, hoists, and shoring.

Supplemental Tasks (7)

  1. Trim trees and clear undergrowth along right-of-way.
  2. Requisition materials, using warehouse requisition or release forms.
  3. Solder electrical connections, using soldering iron.
  4. Paint a variety of objects related to electrical functions.
  5. Break up concrete, using airhammer, to facilitate installation, construction, or repair of equipment.
  6. Operate heavy equipment, such as backhoes.
  7. Operate cutting torches and welding equipment, while working with conduit and metal components to construct devices associated with electrical functions.

Education & Training

Job Zone 2 Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Experience: Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
71%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
13%
Less than a High School Diploma
11%
Some College Courses
3%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
1%
Bachelor's Degree
1%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software

Software (5)

  • Computer-aided drafting or design software
  • Recordkeeping software
  • Report generation software

Tools & Equipment (135)

  • Adjustable widemouth pliers
  • Adjustable wrenches
  • Air compressors
  • Air spades
  • Airhammers
  • Ammeters
  • Automatic wire strippers
  • Awls
  • Backhoes
  • Bear claw wire threaders
  • Block and tackle equipment
  • Bucket trucks
  • Bulldozers
  • Cabinet tip screwdrivers
  • Cable cutters
  • Cable gripping gloves
  • Cable labeling machines
  • Cable lacing needles
  • Cable reels
  • Cable splicing knives
  • Cable tie guns
  • Capacitance testers
  • Circle cutters
  • Circuit test meters
  • Compaction tampers
  • Conduit deburring tools
  • Conduit locknut and reaming pliers
  • Continuity testers
  • Cordless drills
  • Crescent wrenches
  • Current clamps
  • Cutting torches
  • Desktop computers
  • Diagonal cutting pliers
  • Digital multimeters
  • Double-end can socket wrenches
  • Drill presses
  • Dump trucks
  • Electric impact drivers
  • Electric manlifts
  • Electricians' knives
  • Electricians' snips
  • Excavators
  • Extension lamp extractors
  • External snap ring pliers
  • Fish tape pullers
  • Fuse pullers
  • Gas leak detection devices
  • Generators
  • Ground fault circuit interrupter GFCI testers
  • Growlers
  • Hacksaws
  • Hammers
  • Hand operated indentors
  • Handtrucks
  • Heat guns
  • Heavy duty crimping tools
  • Hex key sets
  • Hoist trucks
  • Hoists
  • Horizontal boring tools
  • Hydraulic conduit benders
  • Inductance testers
  • Infrared scanners
  • Insulated bolt cutters
  • Insulated cable cutters
  • Insulated knives
  • Insulated nutdrivers
  • Insulated pliers
  • Insulated screwdrivers
  • Insulated socket sets
  • Insulated wrenches
  • Internal snap ring pliers
  • Jackhammers
  • Ladders
  • Levels
  • Lighted magnet pickups
  • Line trucks
  • Lineman's pliers
  • Long nose pliers
  • Loop PSC testers
  • Magnetic locators
  • Manual conduit benders
  • Megohmmeters
  • Metal locators
  • Multimeters
  • Nibbler cutting tools
  • Non-contact voltage sensors
  • Notebook computers
  • Nut drivers
  • Ohmmeters
  • Personal computers
  • Phase rotation meters
  • Phillips head screwdrivers
  • Picks
  • Pipe threaders
  • Plumb bobs
  • Pneumatic compacting equipment
  • Polyvinyl chloride PVC cutters
  • Post drivers
  • Power cable cutters
  • Power conduit benders
  • Power drills
  • Punchdown tools
  • Punches
  • Ratcheting cable cutters
  • Residual current device RCD testers
  • Resistance bridges
  • Respirators
  • Saws
  • Scaffolding
  • Screw-holding screwdrivers
  • Screwdrivers
  • Shears
  • Side cutting pliers
  • Soldering irons
  • Strap wrenches
  • Tape measures
  • Tapered reamers
  • Telescoping lighted pickups
  • Threading die hand tool
  • Threading taps
  • Tongue and groove pliers
  • Transfer impedance meters
  • Trenchers
  • Two way radios
  • Utility knives
  • Voltage meters
  • Welders
  • Welding hoods
  • Wire crimpers
  • Wire cutters
  • Wire pullers
  • Wire stripping pliers
  • Wire wrap guns

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Skilled Trades Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 2
Helpers--Electricians You are here

Resume Builder

Select key tasks to generate action-oriented resume bullets for Helpers--Electricians positions.

Related Occupations

Show all 20 related occupations

Real Talk

Hear from real Helpers--Electricianss about their work: