Electrician Jobs in Chicago: What You Need to Get Hired in 2025
The scope of jobs for electricians is rising fast in Chicago. If you take systematic steps to enter this trade skill industry, you stand to gain significantly.
If you want a career overview of an electrician’s job, you must look at the high demand for qualified and experienced hands in America. Since the latest report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says that there would be a quantum jump in demand for jobs for electricians, you should choose this as a career in 2025.
If you have taken training, done an apprenticeship, and have a few years of work experience, you can get well-paid jobs in Chicago like:
- Industrial electricians in power plants
- Industrial electricians in factories
- Commercial electrician
- Residential electrician
- Auto Electrician
- Maintenance electrician
- Lineman and
Therefore, there are numerous opportunities in this field. You just have to stay determined and grab a job whenever you come across any such opportunity.
Requirements of Becoming an Electrician in Chicago
If you want to pursue an electrician career in Chicago in 2025, you need to fulfill certain requirements for the job. The hirers will evaluate your candidature based on your ability to fulfill these conditions.
To begin with, if you do not have a few years of experience, you can apply for an entry-level electrician’s job. For entry-level jobs, you must possess skills such as site survey, exposure to HVAC techniques, access control, and the ability to perform high-end tasks.
Having gained a few years of experience in Chicago as an entry-level electrician, you can go for regular jobs in companies and factories as an electrician.
How to Become an Electrician in Chicago?
A report issued by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the job outlook for electricians is promising. The report states that employment of electricians is projected to grow 11 percent from 2023 to 2033, which is significantly faster than the average growth rate for all occupations. About 80,200 openings for electricians are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
However, to become an electrician in Chicago, you must have completed an apprenticeship with 8,000 hours of service, in addition to the classroom education and instruction you have received.
You can become an electrician in Chicago if you can fulfill the following stipulations:
- Your minimum age should be 18 (years)
- You have obtained a high school diploma / GED
- Be physically fit
- Having passed the aptitude test and
- Having passed the algebra test
If you want to know about the steps to get an electrician license in Chicago, IL, you must complete 11 weeks of training at West Side Tech in Chicago. Additionally, you must complete it in conjunction with a third, fourth, and fifth-year program that spans approximately 1,200 hours of in-class and hands-on learning and training.
Since Illinois State does not issue a state electrician’s license, issuance of licenses falls on the city and county departments. Chicago does not issue electrical licenses to individuals but to businesses. In Chicago, one can perform electrical work only under the supervision of an electrical contractor licensed holder.
The license is issued to an authorized electrical contractor licensee, and you have to be an employee of such a licensee to function as an electrician in Chicago. Such a licensee can work as a Class I electrical worker. With your classroom education and completion of the apprenticeship program, you can join such an employer to work as an electrician.
Please note that most municipalities require you to work 8,000 hours or complete a 4-year apprenticeship program in the electrical field, which also involves classroom testing. Additionally, you need to fulfill the following conditions if you want to perform Class 1 electrical work:
- Have a license as a supervising electrician
- Currently enrolled in an electrician apprenticeship program recognized by the US Department of Labor (requiring the stipulated 8,000 hours of on-the-job training plus classroom instruction)
Therefore, you must go through a step-by-step process to qualify to become an electrician in Chicago. It is a very responsible job, and you may have to do tests, installations, diagnoses, and repairs.
One of the reasons electricians earn a good income is that they perform preventive maintenance, repair, and ensure total safety to prevent any hazards or industrial accidents. Project installation work is another very responsible job that electricians perform.
Conclusion
The city of Chicago is currently experiencing high demand for experienced electricians. You can easily understand this by the fact that out of the total 711,200 electricians employed all over America, only 15,610 are in Chicago and 21,050 in Illinois. This presents a highly desirable career opportunity for qualified and experienced electricians.