How to become an industrial electrician
Official title: Industrial electricians
Also called: Rig electrician, Mill electrician, Mine electrician, Plant electrician, Marine electrician, Ship's electrician, Shipyard electrician, Industrial electrician, Diesel electrician - railway, Electrician - rail transport, Marine equipment electrician, Apprentice marine electrician
Industrial electricians install, maintain, test, troubleshoot and repair industrial electrical equipment and associated electrical and electronic controls. They are employed by electrical contractors and maintenance departments of factories, plants, mines, shipyards and other industrial establishments. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main tasks
- Read and interpret drawings, blueprints, schematics and electrical code specifications to determine layout of industrial electrical equipment installations
- Install, examine, replace or repair electrical wiring, receptacles, switch boxes, conduits, feeders, fibre-optic and coaxial cable assemblies, lighting fixtures and other electrical components
- Test electrical and electronic equipment and components for continuity, current, voltage and resistance
- Maintain, repair, install and test switchgear, transformers, switchboard meters, regulators and reactors
- Maintain, repair, test and install electrical motors, generators, alternators, industrial storage batteries and hydraulic and pneumatic electrical control systems
- Troubleshoot, maintain and repair industrial, electrical and electronic control systems and other related devices
- Conduct preventive maintenance programs and keep maintenance records
- May install, maintain and calibrate industrial instrumentation and related devices
How to become one
Completion of secondary school is usually required. Completion of a four- or five-year industrial electrician apprenticeship program or A combination of over five years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in industrial electrical equipment is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. Trade certification for industrial electricians is compulsory in Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Manitoba and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, British Columbia and the Yukon. Additional construction electrician certification may be required for industrial electricians when the employers are not owners of the industrial electrical equipment. Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified industrial electricians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Red Seal trade. Completion of a four- or five-year industrial electrician apprenticeship program or A combination of over five years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in industrial electrical equipment is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. Red Seal endorsement is available. Apprenticeships are run by each province and territory.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $81,900 a year The middle half earn $72,150 to $91,650.
- About 35,600 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 38,600 are projected by 2033. (+8.4%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: moderate risk of shortage.
Related jobs
- Electricians (except industrial and power system)
- Power system electricians
- Electrical power line and cable workers
- Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers
- Telecommunications equipment installation and cable television service technicians
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Questions people ask
How do I become an industrial electrician?
Completion of secondary school is usually required. Completion of a four- or five-year industrial electrician apprenticeship program or A combination of over five years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in industrial electrical equipment is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. Trade certification for industrial electricians is compulsory in Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Manitoba and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, British Columbia and the Yukon. Additional construction electrician certification may be required for industrial electricians when the employers are not owners of the industrial electrical equipment. Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified industrial electricians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
How much does an industrial electrician earn in Canada?
Median full-time pay is $81,900 a year (Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank)). The middle half earn $72,150 to $91,650.
Is an industrial electrician a growing career in Canada?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 8% by 2033, from about 35,600 to about 38,600 people (Employment and Social Development Canada).
Do you need a degree to become an industrial electrician?
Usually not. Only 10% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Red Seal trade.
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03