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Electrical & Power Installation

Types of Degrees Electrical & Power Installation Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Electrical & Power Installation have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	18,011
Associate’s Degree	4,086
Master’s Degree	12,071

What Electrical & Power Installation Majors Need to Know

Studies in Electrical & Power Installation emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Electrical & Power Installation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Electrical & Power Installation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Electrical & Power Installation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Electrical & Power Installation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Electrical & Power Installation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.0 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.9 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Electrical & Power Installation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software	Industrial control software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Electrical & Power Installation graduates include:

• Lineman
• Underground Utility Foreman
• Journeyman Lineman
• Installer
• Line Builder
• Line Patrolman
• Trouble Lineman
• Cableman
• Troubleman
• Locator
• Climber
• Power Line Distribution Erector
• Line Inspector
• Cable Tester
• Third Step Lineman

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Electrical & Power Installation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	35.7%
Postsecondary certificate	27.7%
Less than a high school diploma	13.9%
Some college courses	9.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.5%
Bachelor’s degree	3.7%
First professional degree	0.9%
Doctoral degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Electrical & Power Installation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 95.4% of Electrical & Power Installation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,638	4.6%
Men	33,939	95.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Electrical & Power Installation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	16,245	45.7%
Asian	590	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	10,693	30.1%
Black or African American	3,296	9.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	349	1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	98	0.3%
Two or More Races	852	2.4%
Race Unknown	3,342	9.4%
International Students	112	0.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Electrical & Power Installation Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Electrical & Power Installation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$39,714
4 years	$47,108
5 years	$52,808

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $52,808 — roughly 33% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Electrical & Power Installation Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Electrical & Power Installation. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	17

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Electrical & Power Installation Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Electrical & Power Installation graduates earn a median of $47,108 four years after completion — roughly 24% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Construction Trades	54,802
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection	6,978
Carpenters	5,356
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services	3,471
CONSTRUCTION TRADES	2,761
Mason/Masonry	378
Construction Trades, Other	281

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.