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Skilled Trades

Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay

Inspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.

Median salary (BLS)

$103,020

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$66k – $130k

Job outlook

+6% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $70,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree (trade/license)

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay

    Entry / Junior

    $65,730

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay

    Established

    $103,020

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay

    Senior

    $116,470

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Inspect and test equipment and circuits to identify malfunctions or defects, using wiring diagrams and testing devices such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, or ammeters.
  • •Prepare and maintain records detailing tests, repairs, and maintenance.
  • •Consult manuals, schematics, wiring diagrams, and engineering personnel to troubleshoot and solve equipment problems and to determine optimum equipment functioning.
  • •Analyze test data to diagnose malfunctions, to determine performance characteristics of systems, or to evaluate effects of system modifications.
  • •Open and close switches to isolate defective relays, performing adjustments or repairs.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.