How To Become A Freelance Electrician As A Side Hustle

Do you want to become a freelance electrician but don't know where to start?

Online tutorials can be overwhelming, especially when each post mentions different information.

Fortunately, there's indeed such a thing as "one source that has it all." If you're reading this, then you've found that source.

What is a Freelance Electrician?

A freelance electrician, also known as a self-employed electrician, is an electrician who works independently rather than working for an employer.

Freelance electricians typically start working independently, but with the proper career progression, they may start their business.

What Does a Freelance Electrician Do?

A freelance electrician works directly with clients and takes on various electrical projects, like installing new wiring, handling electrical faults, and upgrading different electrical systems.

What Does a Freelance Electrician Focus On?

A freelance electrician's primary focus is two categories: fixing issues with existing electrical installations and upgrading them to new ones.

After consistently working on those two categories, a freelance electrician builds enough connections with clients and other electricians to become a small business owner.

Freelance Electrician Job Description

Here's how to describe a freelance electrician in a few points:

Responsibilities:

• Handling all electrical issues and installing new systems
• Working with residential, commercial, and industrial clients
• Meeting deadlines and following all safety protocols

Qualifications:

• A valid electrical license
• Good customer service skills
• The ability to work independently without an employer

Top Freelance Electrician Jobs and Careers

Here's how freelance electrician career paths differ:

Commercial Electricians

Those electricians do most of their work in the commercial field, like construction sites, offices, shopping malls, and hospitals.

Most of their work involves installation, like heaters, security systems, and cameras.

Residential Electricians

Those who work in homes and apartments follow the residential electrician career path.

They handle almost all sorts of electrical equipment found in a typical home.

Journeymen Electricians

Journeymen electricians focus primarily on lighting installations and mechanical connections for commercial and residential buildings.

Master Electricians

A master electrician is more like a supervisor than a craftsman. They habe years of experience in the field, and often own their business.

Where Can a Freelance Electrician Work?

Freelance electricians can work anywhere from residents and schools to office buildings, commercial establishments, and electric power lines.

It depends on the skill and experience of the electrician and the type of client that the electrician signs up with.

What It's Like to Be a Freelance Electrician

Being a freelance electrician requires a decent amount of self-motivation since you won't have anyone to tell you what to do or when to do it.

Is Being a Freelance Electrician Hard?

A freelance electrician and an employed one do the same work. However, being a freelance electrician, despite yielding more money, is harder than being an employed electrician.

The problem here is reaching clients. The lower income of being an employed electrician is often compensated for by having a steady stream of work.

On the other hand, a freelance electrician must put in the extra work to land the gig first before working on it.

Is a Freelance Electrician's Job Stressful?

A freelance electrician will face more stressful situations than an employed electrician.

Besides the challenge of landing a job, the electrician will also need liability and medical insurance, which aren't easy to get with self-employment.

The tasks, duties, and work hours will also differ.

Common Freelance Electrician Work Day

Freelance Electrician Tasks & Duties

• Handling all faults, modifications, and restorations of electrical systems
• Maintaining a steady workflow by constantly marketing and advertising their business
• Following all safety protocols to protect themselves and ensuring the integrity of the properties they work in.

Freelance Electrician Work Hours & Schedule

• Work hours are decided depending on how much work is the freelance electrician can secure.
• The schedule is also decided by the electrician, which provides some flexibility. However, the freelance electrician business often demands as much work as possible, especially in the begging. That's why a minimum of five days a week is required.

Does This Career Field Embrace Work/Life Balance?

The "freelance" part in the career's name is why this job has a decent work-life balance.

Due to the absence of a direct employer, a freelance electrician can stop or at least pause their work at any given time.

Freelance Electrician Salary & Income

In this section, we'll have an insight into the income you can get from working as a freelance electrician.

Do Freelance Electricians Make Good Money?

If freelance electricians work eight hours a day for five days a week, they should make around $60,000 a year.

The average annual income in the United States is around $76,000 a year.

While the annual of freelance electricians is less than the national average, it's still decent enough to make a good living.

How Much Do Freelance Electricians Make?

Assuming that freelance electricians are securing a decent amount of jobs, they should expect an hourly wage of around $26, according to salary.com.

How Do Freelance Electricians Get Paid?

Freelance electricians get paid through any means. Cash, credit, and checks are all payment methods that freelance electricians receive their payment through.

Requirements, Skills, and Education Required for Freelance Electricians

Now that we know about the freelance electrician career, it's time to understand how to become a self-employed electrician.

Who Should Consider a Freelance Electrician Career Path?

Anybody with at least a high school diploma, some crafty hands, and the ability to constantly showcase their work to potential clients may consider working as a freelance electrician.

The good aspect of this career is its progression and limitless roof.

The more you work and establish a business that has many electricians working within, the more passive income you'll make, and the more you'll exceed the annual average we mentioned earlier.

Who Should Not Consider a Freelance Electrician Career Path?

Those unable to market for themselves nor showcase their work to attract more clients may not find the freelance electrician business feasible.

While the payment is decent, a large part of this business is looking for and securing future work.

After all, unless a freelance electrician has an established business after years of hard work, nobody will come knocking on their doors asking for services.

Is it Hard to Become a Freelance Electrician?

The short answer is yes. Becoming a "successful" freelance electrician is no walk in the park. You'll have to work for it, and it won't be easy.

What Do I Need to Become a Freelance Electrician?

Here's what you'll need to kickstart your career as a freelance electrician:

Requirements for Becoming a Freelance Electrician

• The ability to safely handle electric wires
• No fear of heights (you'll often be fixing equipment at high altitudes)
• Public liability insurance to protect you financially against any accidental damage you might cause while working.

What Skills Does a Freelance Electrician Need?

• Excellent time management
• Constant self-motivation
• Remarkable marketing and advertising abilities
• Attention to detail and safety awareness

What Education Does a Freelance Electrician Need?

• At least a high school diploma (preferably an associate's or a bachelor's degree)
• An electrical engineering license.

What Experience Does a Freelance Electrician Need?

Complete an apprenticeship

Electricians require at least 144 hours of technical training and no less than 2,000 hours of on-the-job training.

The exact number of hours may vary, but the figures mentioned earlier apply to many states.

Work Experience

No matter how many courses or licenses you acquire, nothing gives you more experience than the real thing.

Get a job as an electrician or take an apprentice role with experienced electricians to see more of what the market offers.

You can also gain experience by joining a non-union apprenticeship program.

How to Become a Freelance Electrician

Here are the steps to follow to become a self-employed electrician:

• Obtain the necessary license.
• Gain enough experience.
• Obtain your liability and health insurance.

This should allow you to start working as an independent electrician. However, if you'd like to start an electrician business, you'll need more steps:

• Make a tax plan (it's best to have an accountant do it for you to avoid miscalculations)
• Prepare all the tools that your employees will need for all their electrical work
• Get an office to serve as the headquarters of your building.

Where to Find Freelance Electrician Opportunities

Freelance work is found either online or offline.

You can find freelance electrician opportunities online on Upwork, Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter. Each job should show the total project price or an hourly rate.

Finding opportunities offline is a bit more difficult since you'll have to rely on connections and marketing, but that's not something self-employed people are new to.

Applying for the Gig

Whether you've found the job locally or through an online platform, other freelance electricians will be competing with you.

To get the gig, you'll have to apply for it.

Depending on the employer, the application could include providing your resume, proofs of previous projects, and licenses.

You may or may not get an interview, but applying is a must.

Interviewing for the Gig

If the client directly contacts the freelance electrician, then the freelancer might not need to pass an interview to get the gig.

But, in most cases, interviews are almost inevitable, especially if the freelance electrician applies to a company.

The interviewing process will filter the applicants (you and other electricians) to see who is most fit for the job.

It could include questions about previous works and relevant experiences.

How Do I Prepare For Freelance Electrician Gigs?

• Skill Development: Enhance your electrical expertise through courses and hands-on experience.
• Create a Portfolio: Compile a comprehensive showcase of your previous successful electrical projects.
• Build an Online Presence: Establish a professional website and utilize social media for networking.
• Pricing and Contracts: Develop competitive pricing and standard contracts to protect your interests and those of your clients.

Wrapping Up

Getting all the benefits from working as a freelance electrician isn't easy, but with some persistence, it's doable and worth it.

To sum up the process, you need to have at least a high school diploma, then get the required license, build up some experience, and then establish your business and make it bigger.

If you have what it takes, go ahead and start your freelance electrician career. If you think someone else might find this useful, why not share this article with them?