Electrical trades and telecommunications contractors own and operate their own telecommunications or electrical trade businesses.
Electrical trades and telecommunications contractors supervise and coordinate the activities of workers in the following occupational groups:
People in this occupation:
Source: Estimated median employment income based on 2021 Job Bank median hourly wage rate (median annual salary = hourly wage rate x 40 (hours per week) x 52.14 (weeks per year))
Note:Estimated median employment income based on 2021 Job Bank median hourly wage rate (median annual salary = hourly wage rate x 40 (hours per week) x 52.14 (weeks per year))
Source: 2021 Job Bank Wage Report
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook
10 year expected job openings: 1,350
Contractors and supervisors in this group perform some or all of the following duties:
Electrical trades and telecommunications contractors and supervisors often work long and irregular hours to complete projects on schedule. Overtime and extended workweeks are common, and workers may also have to be on call in case of emergencies.
Working conditions vary depending on the worksite. Work may be done indoors, in offices and industrial settings, or outdoors at places such as construction sites, where workers are exposed to weather. Work on construction sites and within power plants can be noisy and dirty.
Depending on the job, workers may have to temporarily relocate to construction projects in remote areas.
The nature of the work may be stressful at times, when unexpected delays are encountered.
Source: 2016 Census
Completion of secondary school is usually required. In addition, electrical trades and telecommunications contractors and supervisors should have extensive work experience in the electrical trades and telecommunication industries.
In B.C., an individual must be a certified journeyperson or apprentice to work as a contractor or supervisor in the electrician and power line technician trades. Completion of an apprenticeship program in an electrical or telecommunications trade is a good way to get started in this field. Apprenticeship programs:
For more information, please see the Industry Training Authority website at www.itabc.ca.
Many electrical or telecommunications apprenticeship programs offer the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal qualification, which allows holders to work in any province or territory. For detailed educational options for a particular trade related to this occupational group, please see the following profiles:
Workers who are certified for an occupation by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references, or criminal record check. For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants. Contact Technical Safety BC for details on how to apply for certification in B.C. For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca. View a list of B.C. occupational regulators.
For more information about programs offered specifically for this career, visit EducationPlannerBC.
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 35 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. You’ll also find the skill strength needed, letting you know how capable you must be in that skill.
Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
More than half of the job openings in the coming years will come from the need to replace retiring workers.
Some contractors and construction tradespersons rely on non-residential building activity to generate business.
Demand for these workers depends largely on growth in the Construction industry. Commercial, institutional and industrial construction activity is expected to increase. For example, government and private infrastructure projects will create opportunities in various regions of the province.
The Communications and Utilities industries also expect to see growth, which should translate into increased work opportunities for electrical trades and telecommunications contractors and supervisors. Expanding communications networks, such as cellular phones, wireless email and broadband internet will increase the demand for associated technical occupations.
While increased competition has resulted in some job reductions in the larger telecommunications companies, the industry is seeing overall job growth.
Career paths
Most individuals in this occupational group start their careers in entry-level positions. To become a supervisor or contractor, workers should gain as much experience, on-the-job training and education as possible.
There is some movement between jobs within a specific trade. However, there is little or no movement between trades.
Additional resources