Advantages to Washington State Masters License

[baronson]

I turned out as a Washington state JW in 1999. After a 7 year stint in Hawaii as an Electrical Contractor, I moved back to the PNW. I am pursuing the Master's Licensure but would like some advise as to what kind of company might hire a Master Electrician and what the advantages of that over say an Admin. license. I am looking to get out of the field full time and would like to pursue jobs more in the engineering or administrative end. any advise?
Thanks

 

[tom baker]

A master is a Journeyman + Administrator combined. Its two separate tests, the masters is a harder administrator test. An electrical contractor must have a full time designated admin or master.
To a non electrician, the "Master" sounds more impressive than "administrator".
Work is very slow on the residential side, some what slower on the commercial side.
As far as engineering/admin I can't advise.

 

[Buck Parrish]

Engineering requires a 4 year degree, I think.
What about an estimator?

 

[westernexplorer]

An Administrator cannot work in the field, unless they also hold a Journeyman Electrician license. A Master Electrician can act as the Administrator and work in the field without obtaining any additional license.

You can take the administarors exam without any electrical field experience, hence the reason you cant work in the field making an installation.

To take the Master Electrician exam, which is a bit harder, you must first be a license Journeyman Electrician for 4 years to qualify....

Washington State Master Electrician
Oregon General Supervising Electrician

 

[baronson]

I can't figure out why someone , like myself, who has had her JW card for more than 5 years, would take the master's as opposed to the admin test. if the admin is easier and an admin + Jw = master's what is the point to a taking a harder test? I am interested in pursuing estimating as well, can you advise as to what classes, or programs one might persue to look good to a company hiring say a junior estimator? any companies you might recommend talking to? I have most of my field experience in commercial / industrial.

 

[westernexplorer]

Because one day the Administrator's License is going,... bye, bye and will no longer exist........

 

[ZZDoug]

you must first be a license Journeyman Electrician for 4 years to qualify

Actually, in Washington state, you must first be a licensed journeyman IN WASHINGTON for 4 years. Holding any other license from any other state for any length of time is not acceptable to them. I have never seen any other state with that type of rule. As a master license holder in multiple states for over 20 years, they said I wasnt qualified - because I had not been a journeyman in their state for 4 years.

Baronson, if you have let your Washington journeyman license expire, you better check with them to see if you will be allowed.

 

[baronson]

thankfully i was smart enough to keep my license open. it was put as inactive as all the ce classes i took in hawaii weren't transferable. so when i moved back to washington i had to take 24 hrs of ce classes to activate my license. thankfully then i have had my jw card for 8 years and therefore qualified to take the masters. next week actually.

 

[tom baker]

Let us know how you do on the masters. Very few take it.

 

[westernexplorer]

Tom,
Please explain your statement about the wall certificate......do they now have a fancy wall certificate, instead of the cheesy little one they use to have.....? Mine is just a little chessy one and yes I took the Master Exam.....:smile:

 

[tom baker]

There is a optional master electrical certificate you can purchase, a WAC proposal added it in 2005 "it is the pinnacle of success" if I remember.
Its in section 909
(3) Certificate/license.
(a) Replacement for lost or damaged certificate/license. (Nonrefundable.) $15.40
(b) Optional display quality General Master Electrician certificate. $25.00

I paid for mine in person in Aug at the main Olympia office. It did't come and didn't come, finally at a TAC meeting in November I mentioned to the CEI secretary and I had it a week later.
I make a lot of fun of it in my classes, but now that I am a plumber I make fun of that too. 99% of electricians who are a master were grandfathered in and don't know there is a test.

 

[baronson]

passed masters exam

passed masters exam

the nec portion was a breeze. the questions were in order as to the code book, the calculation portion was difficult. a few multi family ( as duplex), multi occupancy commercial load calc, just lots of calcs with not a whole lot of time. the wac-rcw felt the same...not a whole lot of time. anywho, passed ...now what? i really don't want to start my own shop, who else would need a master electrician? real estate developers? large GC ? any ideas for someone who doesn't want to stay in the field? i know things are tough out there. thanks

 

[jumper]

the nec portion was a breeze. the questions were in order as to the code book, the calculation portion was difficult. a few multi family ( as duplex), multi occupancy commercial load calc, just lots of calcs with not a whole lot of time. the wac-rcw felt the same...not a whole lot of time. anywho, passed ...now what? i really don't want to start my own shop, who else would need a master electrician? real estate developers? large GC ? any ideas for someone who doesn't want to stay in the field? i know things are tough out there. thanks

Congratulations!