Helpers--Electricians

Help electricians by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.

Most important skills

  1. Active Listening
  2. Speaking
  3. Critical Thinking
  4. Coordination
  5. Troubleshooting
  6. Quality Control Analysis
  7. Judgment and Decision Making
  8. Active Learning

Key knowledge

  1. Building and Construction
  2. Mechanical
  3. Public Safety and Security
  4. Design
  5. Customer and Personal Service
  6. Administration and Management
  7. Education and Training
  8. English Language

What the work involves

  • Trace out short circuits in wiring, using test meter.
  • Measure, cut, and bend wire and conduit, using measuring instruments and hand tools.
  • Maintain tools, vehicles, and equipment and keep parts and supplies in order.
  • Drill holes and pull or push wiring through openings, using hand and power tools.
  • Perform semi-skilled and unskilled laboring duties related to the installation, maintenance and repair of a wide variety of electrical systems and equipment.
  • Disassemble defective electrical equipment, replace defective or worn parts, and reassemble equipment, using hand tools.
  • Transport tools, materials, equipment, and supplies to work site by hand, handtruck, or heavy, motorized truck.
  • Examine electrical units for loose connections and broken insulation and tighten connections, using hand tools.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (70.8% of respondents)
Related experience
None (24.7%)
On-the-job training
Over 4 years, up to and including 10 years (30.3%)
Preparation level
O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Licensing
Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
  • Licensing for Helpers--Electricians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
  • Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
  • Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
ConditionLevelCompared with other occupationsMost common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with othersLowLower on contact with others than 60% of occupations compared56% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the publicLowLower on dealing with the public than 69% of occupations compared41% of surveyed respondents chose “Important”
TeamworkHighHigher on teamwork than 63% of occupations compared62% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisionsVery lowLower on freedom to make decisions than 86% of occupations compared40% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressureModerateHigher on time pressure than 54% of occupations compared52% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situationsVery lowLower on conflict situations than 96% of occupations compared—
Dealing with unpleasant or angry peopleVery lowLower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 85% of occupations compared—
Consequence of errorModerateHigher on consequence of error than 53% of occupations compared34% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

  • Time pressure: moderate
  • Conflict situations: very low
  • Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
  • Consequence of error: moderate

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions

Contact with others

  • No contact with others: 0%
  • Occasional contact with others: 9.77%
  • Contact with others about half the time: 10.16%
  • Contact with others most of the time: 24.19%
  • Constant contact with others: 55.88%

n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023

Dealing with the public

  • Not important at all: 22.5%
  • Fairly important: 4.87%
  • Important: 41.04%
  • Very important: 19.28%
  • Extremely important: 12.31%

n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023

Teamwork

  • Not important at all: 4.45%
  • Fairly important: 0%
  • Important: 6.84%
  • Very important: 26.93%
  • Extremely important: 61.79%

n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023

Freedom to make decisions

  • No freedom: 0%
  • Very little freedom: 16.01%
  • Limited freedom: 27.96%
  • Some freedom: 40.45%
  • A lot of freedom: 15.58%

n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023

Time pressure

  • Never: 0%
  • Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
  • Once a month or more but not every week: 28.63%
  • Once a week or more but not every day: 52.01%
  • Every day: 19.36%

n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023

Conflict situations

  • Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
  • Once a year or more but not every month: 24.41%
  • Once a month or more but not every week: 17.73%
  • Once a week or more but not every day: 5.06%
  • Every day: 4.99%

n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023

Dealing with unpleasant or angry people

  • Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
  • Once a year or more but not every month: 19.04%
  • Once a month or more but not every week: 26.48%
  • Once a week or more but not every day: 9.51%
  • Every day: 4.99%

n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023

Consequence of error

  • Not serious at all: 8.74%
  • Fairly serious: 34.47%
  • Serious: 18.23%
  • Very serious: 21.67%
  • Extremely serious: 16.89%

n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023

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O*NET-SOC 47-3013.00 · SOC 47-3013 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8