Industrial Electrician Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for an industrial electrician job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an industrial electrician. Feel free to use our industrial electrician job description template to produce your own industrial electrician job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an industrial electrician.
Who is an Industrial Electrician?
An industrial electrician is an electrician that oversees electrical controls, wiring, and Jobsite tools at an industrial facility. They work for a variety of employers, such as steel manufacturing facilities, electrical companies, and part makers. Industrial electricians might work for one business either as full-time employees or as independent contractors. They typically manage a 40-hour workweek. Industrial electricians’ timetables do, however, occasionally change.
They might also put in unforeseen overtime on the weekends and in the evenings. They might collaborate in small groups, alone, or with other industrial electricians. Industrial electricians frequently report to a supervising manager or a plant manager, which necessitates that they are accommodating and cordial concerning work commitments, schedules, and interactions with coworkers. One would need to be familiar with the distinctions between a lineman and a wireman to comprehend where an industrial electrician falls within the larger categories of electricians. The two primary kinds of electricians are wiremen who install, maintain, and repair electrical circuits in buildings, premises, and machinery, and electrical linemen who work on power supply lines. Industrial electricians are categorized as wiremen rather than electrical linemen as a result.
What is an Industrial Electrician known for?
The task of an industrial electrician is to maintain the smooth operation of the plant’s machinery. This is done by installing, testing, diagnosing, and repairing any electrical components that might not meet company or industry requirements. They also translate machine specs and blueprint material for other department members. Industrial electricians ensure that all mechanical parts and wiring adhere to local building codes and are up to date. They do the following tasks in particular:
- Handling of new Electrical Systems: Industrial electricians construct electrical systems in industrial or production plants and then maintain those systems. They undertake tests to ensure that the new machine is prepared to operate at peak efficiency and to identify any issues it might encounter in the future. They should be able to install these systems as well as describe how each system works to anyone who could use the machine or need knowledge about it, such as a manager, coworker, or intern.
- Repairing of Electrical Systems: Industrial technicians maintain all installed or pre-existing machines and systems at their plants. They must comprehend the larger concerns that underlie common difficulties to do this. They frequently fix equipment with hydraulic and electrical problems, and they can determine what parts they need and how long it will take them to repair a particular machine.
They might also need to discuss the cause of a machine’s malfunction as well as the necessary steps and associated costs. Industrial electricians sometimes operate with the equipment they did not install themselves, so they must be adaptable and informed about all things mechanical to handle any difficulties that may arise.
- Maintaining of Records and Repairing of Logs: Maintaining logs or reports for all equipment repairs and maintenance is a crucial part of an industrial electrician’s job. The purpose of this responsibility is to provide managers with information in a timely and correct manner. Managers need to know when a machine was upgraded, why, and documentation that the electrician fixed it.
An industrial electrician’s profession requires document management, which can vary in complexity depending on whether the electrician works for a firm or not. Contract industrial electricians might require additional document management abilities to operate constantly for several contracts.
Industrial Electrician Job Description
What is an industrial electrician job description? an industrial electrician job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of an industrial electrician in an organization. Below are the industrial electrician job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an industrial electrician job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of an industrial electrician include the following:
- Create, design, and plan new electrical systems for use in industrial buildings.
- Keep up with changes in industrial safety and electrical system standards.
- Carry out electrical wiring diagrams and technical drawings.
- Monitor the repair of appliances, switches, lights, and wall outlets for the safety of people.
- Carry out general electrical repairs, upkeep, and installations.
- Control the repair of circuit breakers, fuse boards, and Tripp switches.
- Install electrical parts such as lighting.
- Carry out electrical repairs and fault investigation.
- Perform electrical installation and system inspection and testing.
- Examine how to interpret plans and specifications.
- Carry out conduits, wiring, and fixtures installation, maintenance, and repair.
- Conduct electronic testing and inspections.
- Perform maintenance on high-voltage systems, motors, and generators.
- Perform electrical work on pumps, industrial lighting systems, and environmental regulating systems.
- Work with automation controllers and programmable logic.
Qualifications
- Possession of a High School Education: A prospective industrial electrician must finish high school to be qualified for training. This is done to ensure that individuals fulfill some prerequisite knowledge requirements before training.
- Physical Agility: An industrial electrician must have a certain amount of physical strength because their work includes moving, fixing, and maintaining machinery. Where mechanical components or pieces of a machine need repair, industrial electricians may have to crawl, climb, or somehow deftly get there.
- Ability to Manage Stress: Industrial electricians frequently perform their duties in hectic or noisy settings. Any prospective industrial electrician must therefore be able to work, function, and communicate in a setting that could be stressful.
- Understanding of Electrical troubleshooting: Industrial technicians must be familiar with various troubleshooting techniques since they must diagnose a wide range of mechanical issues. They might have to adjust to unforeseen circumstances or difficulties that call for them to use their intuition to find a solution.
- Successful Completion of an Apprenticeship Program: You normally need to complete a certain amount of specialized training before becoming an industrial electrician.
Essential Skills
- Physical Strength: Industrial maintenance requires experts to conduct their tasks from the tallest roofs, ladders, and smallest crawl spaces, which makes it physically difficult to work. It is a common task to lift and move large devices and appliances. Maintenance engineers frequently work outside in sweltering heat or icy cold due to the long, unpredictable hours required by their jobs. A list of physical qualifications is always included in job postings for industrial technicians today. Organizations looking to hire maintenance professionals include industrial technicians in Illinois and library inspectors in Connecticut. These employers want applicants who are at the top of their physical game. The best technicians are therefore those that maintain their bodies in top physical shape with an emphasis on balance, endurance, and stamina.
- Problem Solving Skills: An industrial technician’s workday is filled with problems that need to be solved. They are accountable for more than just locating the problem; they must also determine its origin, come up with a solution, and put it into practice—often in a very short amount of time. A good industrial technician should be able to remain composed under pressure: They must remain calm and confident in the face of a never-ending list of electrical, mechanical, and structural problems. A truly qualified industrial mechanic will be able to prioritize the most crucial duties while also making sure that smaller or more insignificant problems don’t go neglected.
Here is an illustration of a successful approach to problem-solving that a genuinely excellent industrial specialist might use: When asked to troubleshoot an electrical system that isn’t working, experts start by looking into frequent trouble spots like breakers or surge protectors. They check the entire system to make sure their solution hasn’t revealed any additional issues after determining the source and addressing the fundamental problem.
- Effective Communication Skills: Industrial technicians require outstanding written and verbal communication skills to efficiently organize and implement their plans and procedures because the majority of industrial operations involve several personnel and departments. The capacity to keep in touch with several departments at once and persuade management and staff that the approaches you wish to use can boost industrial efficiency is necessary for successfully carrying out the function. Higher productivity is often the outcome of effective relationship management with everyone involved in the development and manufacturing processes.
- Project planning: Industrial technicians must manage people and equipment in a way that guarantees projects are finished on schedule and to standards, thus they must have strong project-planning skills. Industrial technicians must identify the ideal staffing and technological mix for each project without using up too many or too few of the company’s resources. This entails setting up rigid schedules for the operation of the machinery as well as scheduling employees according to their knowledge and availability.
- Quality management: Industrial technicians’ primary responsibility is to increase process efficiency, thus they must first be able to recognize the areas that can be made more effective. As a result, they must oversee quality-control operations and constantly monitor the development and manufacturing processes for any subpar components. They must maintain good working relationships with suppliers and guarantee that all raw materials meet a set of quality criteria as part of the quality control process.
- Critical thinking skills: Industrial electricians frequently have to apply logic and reasoning to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of any solution that is suggested. They are also better able to handle complicated issues and put solutions into action that make the best use of the resources available to the organization. They must exercise critical judgment while choosing which course of action to take in light of the constrained time and resources at their disposal.
- Management Skills: An industrial technician’s duties include overseeing both staff and resources. They must choose the most qualified workers for each job, inspire them to uphold strict professional standards, and manage their work. When it comes to resource management, they must make sure that all tools, infrastructure, and raw materials are available and being used properly.
- Versatility: The list of things that are deemed to be a “maintenance technician’s realm” includes electrical wiring, plumbing, HVAC systems, ventilation, heating and cooling, and a building’s external support structure, and that’s only scraping the surface. It makes sense that adaptability is one of the skills a skilled industrial technician has to have. A building maintenance technician may be requested to repair a wiring issue, check the windows for adequate weatherstripping, and check the toilets to ensure good flushing all within the course of a single workday. The tech must be able to switch tasks swiftly and effectively, never allowing themselves to get bogged down or overly obsessed with one problem. The expression “jack of all crafts” is sometimes followed by “master of none,” however for an industrial technician, “master of all” would also be a more realistic description.
- Keen Attention to Details: An industrial technician must be able to recognize each tiny component that keeps an HVAC system functioning properly and comprehend the inner workings of an electrical circuit. Finding little faults inside a much larger overall necessitates a keen eye. Industrial technicians who lack attention to detail will soon find themselves ignoring issues with the systems they are asked to examine and fix. Ignoring little faults can cause them to grow into much bigger problems, which makes an industrial technician’s job much more difficult and frustrating.
How to Become an Industrial Electrician
- Obtain Your High School Diploma: To work as an industrial electrician, you must have a high school diploma or the equivalent.
- Complete your Training Program: After graduating from high school, some industrial electricians enroll in a technical school training program. Basic electrical knowledge and circuitry are two topics included in typical programs for this field.
- Take Part in an apprenticeship: People must have finished an apprenticeship program to qualify for many industrial electrician jobs. Industrial electricians learn their craft and the unique abilities required to pursue this career in this program. Students must complete a minimum of 144 hours of technical training and 2,000 hours of on-the-job training every year to graduate from an apprenticeship program, which can last four to five years.
- Obtain your License: Industrial electricians must obtain a journeyman electrician license in many states. To obtain a license, you must complete an apprenticeship and pass a test.
Where to Work as an Industrial Electrician
- Parts Manufacturing Firms
- Electrical firms
- Steel production plants.
- Manufacturing plants
- Factories
- Research centers for the sciences
- Smelters
- Platforms and refineries for gas and oil
- Shipyards
- Power stations
- Construction sites for industrial structures
Industrial Electrician Salary Scale
The average annual wage for industrial electricians in the United States is $56,900, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Industrial electrician employment is predicted to increase by 8% over the next eight years, which is a significantly higher rate than the national average. In the UK, a technician makes an average pay of £28,000 per year or £14.36 per hour. The starting salary for entry-level jobs is £24,135 per year, while the average yearly salary for experienced workers is £37,500.