How to Become an Electrician in Alabama

Understanding Alabama’s Electrical Contractor Licensing Path

Becoming an electrician can be a rewarding and exciting career with a lot of opportunity for growth. If you plan to work in Alabama, you will need to obtain your journeyman or electrical contractor’s license. The process to become a journeyman electrician takes four to five years and includes a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on experience. To become an electrical contractor, you must prove you have managerial experience after becoming a journeyman electrician.

Here, we’ll explore the salary and job outlook for electricians and detail the steps necessary to become a licensed journeyman electrician and electrical contractor in Alabama.

Career Growth and Salary Expectations

Whether you work as a journeyman or a licensed electrical contractor, electricians are in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field is expected to grow 11% through 2033, which is much higher than other skilled construction trades. In Alabama, the annual projected job openings for electricians are 1,070.

Electricians earn between $30,024 and $108,927 a year, with an average of $57,187. Electrical contractors who are willing to work hard and hustle for new business earn a great living. Zip Recruiter reports that the average electrical contractor makes $94,266, and top earners make as much as $128,707.

Journeyman Electrician

This license is ideal for those who want to perform electrical work under the supervision of a licensed contractor. It’s the first step toward gaining the supervisory experience needed to become an electrical contractor. To qualify for the license, you’re required to complete on-the-job training or a combination of work experience and education and pass the Alabama Electrical Journeyman exam.

Experience Requirements

A minimum of 8,000 hours of experience with a licensed electrical contractor is required. Training must include how to install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, apparatuses, lighting, heating, and power. General knowledge of electrical equipment is also required.

One year of education in an approved electrical curriculum or apprenticeship may be substituted for 1,000 hours of experience for a maximum of 2,000 hours.

Electrical Apprenticeships

Electrical apprenticeships are offered through the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC). Several JATCs are affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union in Alabama. Apprenticeships programs are offered in Birmingham, Central, and North Alabama. You will be asked to join the union before beginning your apprenticeship.

Community colleges offer technical training or certificate programs in electronics or electrical technology. Generally, the cost to attend one of these programs is $4,400 a year plus materials and supplies.

Non-union options include the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC), the ABC of Alabama Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, and the Construction Education Foundation of Alabama (CEFA). These organizations offer combined education and apprenticeships. Membership dues are often required.

Most apprenticeship training programs require a minimum age of 18 and a high school diploma or GED.

Journeyman Electrical Examination

After completing journeyman training and obtaining the required work experience, you can apply to take the Alabama Electrical Journeyman exam. The exam is open book, has 80 questions, and a 4-hour time limit.

Questions test your knowledge in the following subjects:

• Conductors and Cables (10 question)
• Electrical Power (2 questions)
• Fire Detection and Alarm Systems (2 questions)
• General Electrical Knowledge (10 questions)
• Grounding and Bonding (8 questions)
• Illuminated Signs (2 questions)
• Lighting (3 questions)
• Low Voltage (2 questions)
• Motors (6 questions)
• Overcurrent Protection (5 questions)
• Raceways and Boxes (10 questions)
• Safety Information (5 questions)
• Service, Feeders, and Branch Circuits (9 questions)
• Special Occupancies and Equipment (6 questions)

After passing your exam, you will be required to pay the licensing fee to the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB).

Electrical Contractor

This license is required for electrical contractors to work on high-value, high-voltage projects, and supervise teams of electricians. This license allows you to install, design, lay out, develop plans, and directly supervise electrical construction. It also allows you to maintain, alter, or repair electrical power/control systems, electrical wiring devices and electrical equipment.

To become an electrical contractor, you must have related experience or a combination of education and experience in commercial, industrial, or residential new construction and pass the electrical contractor’s exam.

Experience Requirements

A minimum of four (4) years or 8,000 hours of supervisory electrical construction experience showing design, planning, and supervisory experience installing electrical components is required. One year of education from an electrical curriculum can substitute for a half year of work experience for a maximum of two years. A diploma, certificate, or transcripts are required.

Examination

Once you meet the experience requirements, you can apply to take the exam through the AECB. Once approved, you can pay the exam fee and schedule your exam.

You will take the Alabama Electrical Contractor Business and Law exam and the NASCLA National Electrical Contractor Exam. The exams are open book. The NASCLA exam has 110 questions and a 4.5-hour time limit.

Questions test your knowledge in the following subjects:

• Communication systems (1 question)
• Electrical Theory and Principles (11 questions)
• Experimental (10 questions)
• General Code Requirements (17 questions)
• General Equipment Use (13 questions)
• Project Design and Management (8 questions)
• Safety (9 questions)
• Special Occupancies, Special Equipment, and Special Conditions (8 questions)
• Wiring and Protection (17 questions)
• Writing Methods and Materials (16 questions)

The Electrical Contractor Business and Law has 40 questions. You have two hours to complete the exam, which covers:

• Business Organization (4 questions)
• Contracts (3 questions)
• Estimating (4 questions)
• Financial Management (4 questions)
• Labor Laws (4 questions)
• Licensing Laws (3 questions)
• Lien Laws (3 questions)
• Payroll and Employment Taxes (4 questions)
• Project Management (3 questions)
• Risk Management (4 questions)
• Safety and Environmental (4 questions)

Exam preparation programs are your best tool for passing the exam. Many offer highlighted and tabbed reference material you can bring with you to the exam. The practice tests are designed to simulate testing conditions. Finally, you’ll learn valuable test-taking skills for timed standardized exams.

After passing the exam, you’re required to pay the AECB registration fee. Alabama does not require proof of liability insurance, but that does not mean it’s not highly recommended. However, if you employ more than five people, the state requires worker’s compensation insurance.

Reciprocity

Alabama has reciprocity agreements with Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. If you are already licensed in these states, you can submit a NASCLA exam waiver. This does not preclude you from having to take the Alabama Business and Law exam or meeting the minimum experience requirements for Alabama.

Continuing Education

Only licensed electrical contractors are required to take continuing education. A total of 14 CEUs are required every odd year to renew your license. The AECB maintains a list of approved CE providers.

Journeyman electricians are not required to submit CE hours. However, it is always a good idea to stay up to date with industry trends and standards.

License as a Business

The Alabama Electrical Contractors board issues licenses to individuals, not business entities. To work as an electrical contracting business that performs work over $50,000, you must apply to the Alabama General Contractors Board. To do so, apply with a copy of your Electrical Contractors License from the Alabama Electrical Contractors board, along with your business information, insurance, financial information, and job references.

If you are doing work that exceeds $50,000 but you are a subcontractor to a licensed Alabama General Contractors license holder, you must apply for the subcontractors' license through the Alabama General Contractors board. This license allows you to exceed $50,000 as a subcontractor to the licensed General Contractor. This license does not allow you to bid on projects independently without a licensed General Contractor. If you would like to bid on your own projects, which are not done as a subcontractor, you must apply for the General Contractors license as an electrical contractor.

Once approved by the Alabama General Contractors board, you must take the Alabama General Contractor Business and Law exam with PSI. You cannot take this exam until your application has been submitted and approved by the General Contractors Board. You will receive your General Contractor license once the exam is passed.

Conclusion

Choosing the right career path as an electrical contractor in Alabama depends on your experience and long-term goals. The first step is to become a licensed journeyman electrician. If you’d like to call the shots, you will need your electrical contractor’s license.

Finally, taking NASCLA Accredited Exams can unlock multi-state business opportunities for greater career flexibility and growth. NASCLA offers accredited examinations that can help contractors who need to be licensed in multiple states. Contractors who pass a NASCLA exam can access the NASCLA Examination Database to request their results be sent to other jurisdictions that accept the exam. NASCLA offers two types of exams for the electrical industry. The NASCLA Accredited Exam for Journeyman Electricians, which is accepted as a journeyman trade exam in Alabama, Washington DC, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. NASCLA also offers the NASCLA Accredited Exam for Electrical Contractors (master/unlimited electricians), which is accepted in Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington DC, New Mexico, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. The NASCLA exam makes it easier for contractors to gain licenses in multiple states and reduce redundant license exams. However, passing the NASCLA exam is generally not the only requirement for licenser. The NASCLA exam will be accepted as the electrical contractors exam, but most states have other requirements such as education, experience, and taking a state-specific business law exam in addition to showing you have completed the NASCLA exam.

At Contractor Training Center (CTC), we are committed to helping you achieve your goals by providing the right education to match where you are in your career. The CTC offers prep courses for the Alabama Electrical Contractor Exam, The NASCLA Electrical Contractors (Unlimited/Master contractor), and the NASCLA Accredited Exam for Journeyman Electricians.

CTC also offers the exam preparation for the Alabama General Contractor Business and Law exam required of any Alabama Electrical Contracting Business if the work exceeds $50,000.

CTC goes beyond exam preparation. Our goal is to help you build a career with expert guidance, detailed study materials, and industry insights. We’re here to answer your questions and help you get started today.