Should You Pursue Residential or Commercial Electrician Jobs?

There are two main areas of the electrical trade that new electricians can choose to enter: commercial or residential. Each area carries with it special skills and requirements. So the skills you choose to build will shape your path and your future.

In many ways, these fields are similar. Each type of electrician relies on foundational skills of the trade and uses the basics of the job to perform their daily duties. Each type of electrician also is skilled in electrical coding and able to complete jobs within a given budget.

However, residential and commercial electrical jobs are also different. Residential electricians train for projects in living spaces like homes and apartments. Residential systems are designed to provide increased protection from electrical shock, which means sheath insulation completely covering residential wiring. Systems in residences are meant to be accessed in a way convenient to electricians, but still be out of reach from those inhabiting the dwelling. Most of that wiring is run through conduits or ceiling rafters, which accomplishes both of those goals.

Commercial electricians install and maintain electrical systems in places of business. Office buildings, manufacturing plants, retail stores, energy production and chemical plants are examples of these systems. Commercial systems have specific requirements in terms of wiring and voltage. Commercial systems require more power, greater efficiency, and longer lasting equipment.

Those differences are important, and typically electricians specialize in one area or the other depending on their own interests and abilities. Making the decision on which of these specializations to pursue is a personal decision, one that lies within personal preferences. As you develop as an electrician you can decide which path is right for you. Or, perhaps, you will simply try them both at different points of your career.

The great news is that Orleans Tech helps students train to become residential and commercial electricians. It also offers the options of daytime or evening classes, as well as part-time and full-time training programs.

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