San Diego is the state’s second-largest city.
San Diego is located in the southern part of the state, along the Pacific Coast, near the Mexican-United States Border.
The city is best known for its amazing year-round lifestyle weather, a sizeable naval operation, a deep-water port, an extensive biotech/healthcare sector, and some of the nation’s beaches on the west coast.
The California Department of Industrial Regulation notes that to work legally in the state; electricians need to be certified and licensed.
To become an electrician, you will also need to complete 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience plus 720 hours of:
- Classroom training from a state-approved school, or
- Work as an apprentice under the tutelage and supervision of a certified electrician and then pass the state exam.
According to the BLS, in May 2021, there with 65,870 electricians working in California.
The mean annual wage for California electricians was $75,870, which is more than 20% above the national average for electricians.
In 2021, there were approximately 7,000 electricians working in the Greater San Diego/Carlsbad metro area.
San Diego-certified electricians had an annual mean salary in 2021 of $68,590.
1 Electrical Training Institute of San Diego & Imperial Counties
Electrical Training Institute of San Diego and Imperial Counties offers a tuition-free Inside-Wireman Electrical apprenticeship program that can be completed in five years.
Students receive a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of an appropriately licensed professional.
The program also requires 1,020 classroom instruction hours.
Address: 4675 Viewridge Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123
2 San Diego City College
San Diego City College offers two electrician training programs.
San Diego City College offers either a two-year or 60-credit Associate of Science degree or a Certificate of Achievement.
Sample classes for San Diego City College’s electrician training program include electrical theory, data/voice/video cabling for electricians, modern commercial wiring, and blueprint reading for electricians, to name a few.
Address: 1313 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101-4787
3 San Diego College of Continuing Education
San Diego College of Continuing Education offers a 900-hour- electronics technician training program that is complete in as few as nine months.
This electrician training program from San Diego College offers on-the-job training with local companies where students can apply the latest technologies in the field – experience real-world scenarios under a professional and certified electrician’s direction.
Students interested in this program should enjoy working with their hands and have a penchant for detailed and precise work.
Address: 4343 Ocean View Blvd., San Diego, CA 92113
4 Summit College
Summit College offers an electrician training program.
The school also provides students with the opportunity to earn their high school diplomas while studying for a career as an electrician.
In as few as nine months, students can complete their training either by attending the day, evening, or hybrid-delivered coursework.
Classes for this Summit College program for electricians include electrical theory/safety, national electrical code, wiring/power distribution, green electricity, circuits, and more.
Address: 411 N Marshall Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020
5 UEI College
UEI College offers an electrician training program that offers both online and in-class learning options in residential, industrial, and commercial industries.
UEI College’s electrician training program provides students with the skills, knowledge, and hands-on training (in the school’s simulation labs) required to become an electrical professional.
UEI College’s training program offers rolling start dates and is designed to be completed in less than one year.
Classes cover the fundamentals of energies, capacitors, and transfers, plus electrical theory, grounding, and more.
Address: 1261 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91911
Schools Summary Table
Rank | School | |
---|---|---|
#1 | Electrical Training Institute of San Diego & Imperial Counties | |
#2 | San Diego City College | |
#3 | San Diego College of Continuing Education | |
#4 | Summit College | |
#5 | UEI College |
Read the full guide: How to Become an Electrician