Industrial Electrical Repairers

Industrial electrical repairers, test, adjust and repair a variety of electrical equipment including complex varieties. They work on items such as industrial controls, transmitters, antennas and equipment utilized to operate and control electric power generating plants. Some industrial electrical technicians also perform preventive maintenance on a regular basis.

Some common job titles are control equipment technician, control technician, control systems technician; technician, plant and maintenance; electrician technician, industrial and control technician; instrument and electrical technician; and industrial electrician.

Electrical and electronic equipment are two distinct types of industrial equipment. However, numerous types of equipment include both electrical and electronic components. In general, electrical portions provide the equipment with power and the electronic components control the devices. However, numerous types of equipment are still controlled by electrical devices.

Responsibilities

  • Confer with equipment operators to detect equipment problems
  • Perform preventive maintenance tasks
  • Repair and adjust industrial equipment
  • Set up and perform tests on industrial equipment to make sure it is functioning properly
  • Inform management about equipment performance
  • Calibrate testing instruments and repair or install equipment to prescribed specifications
  • Analyze malfunctions of equipment
  • Inspect industrial equipment components
  • Maintain equipment logs that include performance problems, calibrations, repairs and tests

Job Characteristics

Many industrial electrical technicians work on factory floors and are often exposed to noise heat, and vibration. While performing repair procedures they may have to do some heavy lifting. Most industrial electrical repairers work at least 40 hours per week. They might have to work night shifts and on the weekends and work overtime.

They need to work well as a part of a team. They should have an aptitude for mathematics and science and be detailed oriented. Industrial electrical maintenance workers should have good eyesight and color perception and be detailed oriented and analytical.

Employment Outlook

The median hourly earnings for electrical and electronics repairers of commercial and industrial equipment in 2006 was $21.72. The highest paid 10 percent earned more than $30.90 per hour. Employment opportunities will be best for those that hold an associate degree in electrical technology or a related subject, have certification and related experience.

The employment growth for electrical and electronics installers and repairers of commercial and industrial equipment is projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to be 7% which is about as fast as average for all occupations. Companies will want to install electronic controls, sensors, robots and other types of equipment in order to automate various processes.

Education, Certification, and Licensing

Many employers are seeking candidates that have an associate degree in electrical technology or a related subject. Professional certification is often required for the occupation. Various educational and professional organizations provide certification. Technicians with certification may be given additional responsibilities and higher pay. Technicians that have leadership abilities may advance into supervisor positions.

An associate degree in electrical technology typically provides a comprehensive review of electrical systems. The programs typically offer a solid foundation with electrical motors, transformers, repairing and maintaining equipment and with the newest computer software than is utilized for troubleshooting. The electrical technology programs usually include an introduction to the National Electric Code.

Resources

Major Employers

The top employment sectors are building equipment contractors, manufacturing companies, government agencies and utilities.

Schools for Industrial Electrical Repairers are listed in the Browse Schools Section.

Industrial Electrical Repairers Skills

Below are the skills needed to be industrial electrical repairers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Skill NameImportanceCompetence
Operation Monitoring3.884
Quality Control Analysis3.884
Repairing3.883.88
Troubleshooting3.753.88
Critical Thinking3.53.62

Industrial Electrical Repairers Abilities

Below are the abilities needed to be industrial electrical repairers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Ability NameImportanceCompetence
Near Vision3.884
Problem Sensitivity3.883.88
Arm-Hand Steadiness3.753.38
Deductive Reasoning3.754
Finger Dexterity3.753.88

Industrial Electrical Repairers Knowledge

Below are the knowledge areas needed to be industrial electrical repairers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Knowledge AreaImportanceCompetence
Computers and Electronics4.215.28
Engineering and Technology4.164.9
Mechanical3.795.28
English Language3.733.84
Mathematics3.594.3

Industrial Electrical Repairers Work activities

Below are the work activities involved in being industrial electrical repairers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest).

   
Work ActivityImportanceCompetence
Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment4.545.73
Getting Information4.293.78
Interacting With Computers4.094.1
Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.964.39
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.964.76

Industrial Electrical Repairers Work styles

Below are the work styles involved in being industrial electrical repairers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest).

   
Work StyleImportance
Attention to Detail4.56
Dependability4.48
Independence4.28
Analytical Thinking4.25
Adaptability/Flexibility4.2

Metro Areas Sorted by Total Employment for
Industrial Electrical Repairers

Listed below are the 10 largest metro areas based on the total number of people employed in Industrial Electrical Repairers jobs , as of 2019

   
Metro AreaTotal EmploymentAnnual Mean Salary
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land1,780$59,660
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim1,690$60,760
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington1,500$58,730
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue1,000$77,550
Warner Robins930$57,250
East Stroudsburg920$53,680
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood890$61,350
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara650$58,610
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell640$55,520
Oklahoma City610$56,450

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Total employment and salary for professions similar to industrial electrical repairers

Source : 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov; O*NET® 24.3 Database, O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, Employment & Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, onetonline.org

We have some additional detailed pages at the state level for Industrial Electrical Repairers.

Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.