Job Outlook for Electricians is Fully Charged

It’s safe to say that nearly every building uses an electrical control system. Think about your daily activities. How many could you do if suddenly there was no power? Electrical systems power the lights, appliances, charge our phones, and even sometimes charge our cars. The important job of installing and maintaining the systems that power our lives falls to electricians.

Employment for electricians in 2014 (8,719) was much larger than the statewide average for all occupations. The total job openings by 2024 (10,124) is expected to be much higher than the statewide average number of job openings for all occupations. Electricians are expected to grow 16 percent from 2014 through 2024, slightly faster than the 14 percent growth projected for all occupations.

The Portland-Metro area employed the largest number of electricians in 2014, with 4,311. The Mid-Valley area employed the second highest number of electricians, although it was a distant second at 1,140 workers. The East Cascades area is expected to have the fastest growth rate, with electrician employment projected to increase 23 percent from 2014 to 2024. Eastern Oregon is the only area projected to lose electricians by 2024, with a projected job loss rate of 2.1 percent. Although there is expected to be an overall decrease in electrician jobs in this area, there will still be replacement openings with workers moving into different occupations or retiring.

To learn more about electricians in Oregon, read the full article written by economist Anna Johnson.