DaveTap
Senior Member
- Location
- Currently Flowery Branch, GA
I worked with a couple guys that have since moved to Texas they had licenses in other states before taking the Texas test... both said it was the biggest pain to qualify and hardest test they had taken.
I've been a licensed supervising electrician almost 20 years and am trying to qualify for Florida... in my case I'll probably test for Georgia or NC instead because their verification process seems to be going better.
There are many states like (Illinois or Indiana) that don't require a license so the cities are more "flexible" in requirements to sit for the test. Some citys allow 2 or 4 years experience, not necessarily supervised. In Chicago the requirement was 2 years under supervision. I "apprenticed" under an EE who sat for the test that I knew from church who said I probably knew more about electricity than he did. We actually installed and repaired industrial water cooling systems, air compressors, and HVAC... electrical was just part of the job which was mostly welding and fabricating steel, threading or soldering pipe and glueing PVC. We do a lot of work for our church... mostly volunteer and use volunteer or staff help. Over the years we have been honored to sign for several of them to take the test.
1. Get documentation of your work ASAP it will be harder to get later
2. Check exact wording of the requirements to qualify and reciprocal aggreements some places you already qualify, others you might just need a couple years of classes.
3. Check around... with your experience and willingness to work you may get fairly good money as an apprentice or get lucky and find a job combining your IT with electrical. I was working for an industrial kitchen installer a few years ago doing McDonald's and KFC rebuilds, and even apprentices were making $25 - $40 per hour. It was hot, nasty work but no worse than what you're doing.
I've been a licensed supervising electrician almost 20 years and am trying to qualify for Florida... in my case I'll probably test for Georgia or NC instead because their verification process seems to be going better.
There are many states like (Illinois or Indiana) that don't require a license so the cities are more "flexible" in requirements to sit for the test. Some citys allow 2 or 4 years experience, not necessarily supervised. In Chicago the requirement was 2 years under supervision. I "apprenticed" under an EE who sat for the test that I knew from church who said I probably knew more about electricity than he did. We actually installed and repaired industrial water cooling systems, air compressors, and HVAC... electrical was just part of the job which was mostly welding and fabricating steel, threading or soldering pipe and glueing PVC. We do a lot of work for our church... mostly volunteer and use volunteer or staff help. Over the years we have been honored to sign for several of them to take the test.
1. Get documentation of your work ASAP it will be harder to get later
2. Check exact wording of the requirements to qualify and reciprocal aggreements some places you already qualify, others you might just need a couple years of classes.
3. Check around... with your experience and willingness to work you may get fairly good money as an apprentice or get lucky and find a job combining your IT with electrical. I was working for an industrial kitchen installer a few years ago doing McDonald's and KFC rebuilds, and even apprentices were making $25 - $40 per hour. It was hot, nasty work but no worse than what you're doing.
