If you’re considering a career in the electrical industry it’s only natural that you’d want some form of reassurance that you’re making a sound decision in regard to your long-term career prospects.
Like any career path, there are a number of factors to take into account — potential earnings, progression opportunities and job satisfaction, these are just a handful of the key things that will likely influence your decision.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at the current state of the electrical industry to help answer whether the career of an electrician is still an appealing one.
Electricians in demand
Job opportunities within an industry is understandably one of the most important considerations. According to the latest UK Trade Skills Index, there is an ‘urgent and alarming’ skills gap currently being felt within the construction sector, with a particularly high demand for electricians.
With vacancies at record highs, the report highlights that around 104,000 electricians will be required by 2032, more than any other traditional trade. This is to account for an ageing workforce, growing sector output and gaps left by EU workers post-Brexit.
This is backed up by recent findings showing that the electrical sector is outperforming other construction industries. Analysis of the industry found the market size for electricians is set to reach £26.38bn in 2023, accounting for 30.9% of the entire property construction sector.
Given this overwhelming demand being predicted over the next decade, those who do hold the relevant qualifications should be in a strong position when it comes to employment opportunities in both the immediate and longer-term future.
Above average earnings
According to job search website Reed’s latest data, the average salary for an electrician in the UK is £39,337, meaning it sits considerably higher than the estimated annual salary in the UK for 2023, which is £29,600 at the time of writing.
This average figure will vary depending on a number of things such as location and experience, while the prospect of starting your own electrical business could boost these figures even higher as you’re able to set your own rates and workloads.
High job satisfaction
Another encouraging sign is that those already working within the electrical industry report high levels of job satisfaction and pride. According to a survey by Ironmongery Direct (Via Inside Conveyancing) 63% of electricians say they enjoy their job, while 58% are also proud of the work they carry out.
Future prospects and career progression
There are several progression opportunities for electricians to explore. Along with setting up your own business, you may want to consider becoming an electrical design engineer or a site manager.
There’s also the option of moving into the teaching side of things, be that training apprentices, becoming a college tutor or working for a private training provider.
Given the unique blend of positive elements that the electrical industry can offer, there are plenty of reasons to believe that the career path is still undoubtedly an attractive one, and will be for the foreseeable future.