# Accelerated Pace for Related Experience?



## zzaap (Mar 6, 2019)

I have worked in Electrical related fields ranging from an Avionics Tech in the US Navy, through IT, and Surveillance Tech, to today as a Low Volt technician specializing in home automation. I have around 20 years of experience. I have worked for the Government, Casinos, in Manufacturing, and Construction.

I am wondering, with that experience, how would I go about becoming a Journeyman.

Right now I make about the same as the "national average" Journeyman Electrician, and dropping down to the level of Apprentice, and the requisite pay isn't really a great option for me.

Has anyone else seen a situation like this, and what did the individual do to accelerate (if possible) their progress? Is it possible to pick up a book, study hard, and just take a Journeyman test?

Resources online are incredibly vague, possibly purposely because everyone wants to sell me a course or college class.

Any input folks could provide would be appreciated. Thank you, and apologies in advance if this question has been answered ad nauseum.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

zzaap said:


> I have worked in Electrical related fields ranging from an Avionics Tech in the US Navy, through IT, and Surveillance Tech, to today as a Low Volt technician specializing in home automation. I have around 20 years of experience. I have worked for the Government, Casinos, in Manufacturing, and Construction.
> 
> I am wondering, with that experience, how would I go about becoming a Journeyman.
> 
> ...



Born too late. I remember in the very early seventies anybody could take a Journeyman's electrician test in Fort Myers. You still had to pass it, and in those days I don't think there was any of that pay us $1,000 and we will give you the test answers companies. I doubt it is the same there now. I bet it is a whole another story. And .... the pay rate for a J-Man in that tri county area was at that time pure poverty anyhow.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

There are many factors to consider.

First and foremost, thank you for your service.

Is there a particular state you're interested in?


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Some states have no licensing, others do. You'll have to look at the state your in to find their electricians board (or whatever group, agency etc) to see what their rules are.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

zzaap said:


> I have worked in Electrical related fields ranging from an Avionics Tech in the US Navy, through IT, and Surveillance Tech, to today as a Low Volt technician specializing in home automation. I have around 20 years of experience. I have worked for the Government, Casinos, in Manufacturing, and Construction.
> 
> I am wondering, with that experience, how would I go about becoming a Journeyman.
> 
> ...


Here's the issue, and I am going to be blunt about this. Nothing you mentioned in your experience tells me that you are qualified to be a journeyman electrician. 

You can't step into a journeyman job tomorrow and perform like a journeyman. You need lots of training and education. And that is what the apprenticeship is for. You need to learn electrical code and theory. You need to learn standard practices. You need to learn how to do even the most basic things that someone who has been doing this type of electrical work has been doing for hundreds of hours already.

I understand that you would be taking a pay cut, but that is just the way it is. We would all have to take pay cuts if we were to start a completely different trade. 

In the end, when I hire a journeyman level electrician I want him to be a professional who has done that exact work for thousands of hours. 

Welcome to the forum.


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## Chops146 (Aug 26, 2018)

If you fill out your profile we might be able to help you.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Your experience isn't irrelevant, but it's not enough likely to let you test out. Maybe they credit you some hours, but you'll likely need class time and another few years of field experience. You won't know till you ask whoever administers licensing in your area.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

I wanna be a rock star. Where do I sign up?


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

HackWork said:


> You can't step into a journeyman job tomorrow and perform like a journeyman.


 Just like a journeyman electrician can't step in & perform like an IT Tech.
You can't even swap residential & industrial electricians like that.


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