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Careers

The Electrician's Path

The route to become an electrician is not often made clear. Below you will find an example of a very typical progression from completely unqualified to specialist electrical roles. You will see as you scroll down how each qualification prepares you for a different type of role in the industry. Many of you will want to specialise, start your own businesses and or bump up your current pay packet with some extra training — fortunately for those who have no intention of specialising there is still a tonne of well paying options for you once you are fully qualified.

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Electrician's Mateavg £29kCable Puller / Containment Installeravg £31kPanel Building Assistantavg £31kElectrical Improveravg £33kElectrical Laboureravg £31kSolar Farm Construction Operativeavg £31kApprentice Electricianavg £31kElectrical Fitteravg £33kJunior Domestic Installeravg £31kTrainee Maintenance Engineeravg £31kMaintenance Electricianavg £40kData Cabling Engineeravg £37kInstallation Electricianavg £41kService & Call-out Engineeravg £39kNewly Qualified Electricianavg £39kCommercial Electricianavg £42kJIB Approved Electricianavg £47kSite Supervisor / Foremanavg £51kSelf-Employed Contractoravg £58kAgency Electrician — Major Projectsavg £55kRemedial / EICR Testeravg £42kInsurance Claims Assessoravg £46kResidential EV Charge Point Installeravg £38kCommercial EV Infrastructure Engineeravg £45kFleet Depot Electrification Technicianavg £42kSolar PV Installeravg £38kSolar Farm Technicianavg £40kEco-Fit Sub-Contractoravg £48kBattery Storage Engineeravg £45kOff-Grid / Microgrid Installeravg £42kTest & Inspection Engineeravg £45kElectrical Compliance Manageravg £52kHV Senior Authorised Person (SAP)avg £62kRail Traction / DNO Engineeravg £55kSubstation Fitteravg £48kWind Farm HV Technicianavg £58kSmart Home Integratoravg £45kHome Cinema / AV Installeravg £38kBuilding Automation Engineeravg £48kFire Alarm Engineeravg £40kSite Fire Safety Engineeravg £44kEmergency Lighting Engineeravg £38kHazardous Area Electricianavg £52kOffshore / Oil & Gas Electricianavg £65kPetrochemical Plant Technicianavg £50kDistillery Electrical Technicianavg £45k
Green Tech & Renewables
Inspection & Testing
Industrial & Specialist

Phase 1 · Entry — tools, safety, circuits

Level 1 Diploma

Level 1 DiplomaThe entry-level introduction to electrical installation: hand tools, health & safety and simple circuits. A common starting point straight from school.

Phase 1 · C&G 2365 — science & wiring

Level 2 Diploma

Level 2 DiplomaCity & Guilds 2365-02. Electrical science, installation theory and hands-on wiring — the foundation everything else is built on.

Phase 2 · Employed — 4 days site, 1 day college

Level 3 Apprenticeship

Level 3 ApprenticeshipEmployed while you train — typically four days on site and one at college. You earn a wage as you work towards qualifying.

Phase 2 · College route — C&G 2365

Level 3 Diploma

Level 3 DiplomaCity & Guilds 2365-03. The full-time college route to Level 3 for learners who aren't employed as an apprentice.

Phase 2 · On-site evidence — both routes

NVQ Level 3 Portfolio

NVQ Level 3 PortfolioA portfolio of real on-site competence evidence, gathered in the workplace. Required on both routes before the AM2.

Phase 3 · 3-day practical trade test

AM2 Assessment

AM2 AssessmentAn independent three-day practical trade test — installing, testing and fault-finding under exam conditions. The final gate to qualifying.

Phase 3 · Licence to trade

JIB Gold Card

JIB Gold CardThe industry-recognised proof that you're a fully qualified, graded electrician — your licence to trade on UK sites.

C&G 2921

EV Charging Points

EV Charging PointsCity & Guilds 2921. Install and commission electric-vehicle charging equipment for homes, workplaces and depots.

C&G 2399

Solar PV Systems

Solar PV SystemsCity & Guilds 2399. Design and install solar photovoltaic generation — from domestic roofs to solar farms.

C&G 2352

Energy Storage (EESS)

Energy Storage (EESS)City & Guilds 2352. Install battery and electrical energy storage systems that pair with solar and the grid.

C&G 2391-52

Inspection & Testing

Inspection & TestingCity & Guilds 2391-52. Initial verification and periodic inspection & testing of electrical installations.

Periodic safety reporting

EICR Compliance

EICR ComplianceProduce Electrical Installation Condition Reports — the periodic safety assessments landlords and businesses rely on.

KNX / Loxone

Smart Home Programming

Smart Home ProgrammingKNX and Loxone home & building automation — programming lighting, heating, blinds and control into one system.

BS 5839

Fire Alarms & Em. Lighting

Fire Alarms & Em. LightingBS 5839. Design, install and maintain fire-detection and emergency-lighting systems in commercial buildings.

Ex01–Ex04 · Hazardous areas

CompEx

CompExEx01–Ex04. Certification to work safely on electrical systems in explosive or hazardous atmospheres — oil, gas and chemical sites.

High-voltage authorisation

HV Switching

HV SwitchingHigh-voltage authorisation to operate and switch networks at 11kV and above — substations, rail traction and DNO work.

Part 1 — The core route

Level 1 and Level 2 at college, then your choice at Level 3 — an apprenticeship on the tools or the diploma at college — before the NVQ portfolio, the AM2 trade test and the JIB Gold Card that licenses you to trade.

Part 2 — The split

With the Gold Card in hand the path forks three ways: green tech & renewables, advanced inspection & testing, and industrial & specialist systems. Each short course lights up in its own colour.

The jobs behind it

The blurred titles floating behind the chart are real UK job roles — from electrician's mate at Level 2 to HV Senior Authorised Person. They snap into focus when the beam reaches the qualification they require.

Every path starts at the same node.

Our evening Level 3 Electrical course is the on-ramp. Train around your life, earn a City & Guilds qualification, and pick your branch.

Apply now See the course