Licensing: Journeyman, Master, or both?

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Jamesmarq

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To all you Colorado license holders:
So we all know that this is the year to renew. As a current holder of both a journeyman and master electrician license, my question is should I only renew my masters or do both?
I ask this because while working in my apprenticeship in Omaha, Nebraska, it was kind of "hush-hush" to get your contractors license (For obvious reasons although, to my understanding, it was the next step after a journeyman and equal to a master license to the effect that you could now pull permits). My current employer does not see this as an issue that I have my master license. I do plan to move sometime in the next couple of years and was wondering what you all thought about my renewal.
Will having a master license scare off potential employers? Should I renew both to have options or just keep the masters and have that much more to offer these potential employers?
I am leaning towards just keeping the master license. Just wanted to bounce this around. Any feedback or insight will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
 
One question I would have if you have any interest in relocating is whether any states offer reciprocity for journeyman but not for master or contractor?

Tapatalk!
 
Wow I just realized that a electrical worker in CA who has not yey registered as an apprentice will probably take 4 years to become a general Journeyman and then once a General journeyman you need another 4 years or a college degree and 2 years to apply for a Contractors license. Wow when I started you could get a license in 4 years after starting in the field since there was no official apprentice program 20 years ago.
 
Jamesmarq said:
To all you Colorado license holders:
So we all know that this is the year to renew. As a current holder of both a journeyman and master electrician license, my question is should I only renew my masters or do both?
I ask this because while working in my apprenticeship in Omaha, Nebraska, it was kind of "hush-hush" to get your contractors license (For obvious reasons although, to my understanding, it was the next step after a journeyman and equal to a master license to the effect that you could now pull permits). My current employer does not see this as an issue that I have my master license. I do plan to move sometime in the next couple of years and was wondering what you all thought about my renewal.
Will having a master license scare off potential employers? Should I renew both to have options or just keep the masters and have that much more to offer these potential employers?
I am leaning towards just keeping the master license. Just wanted to bounce this around. Any feedback or insight will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
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In mass we must keep the journeyman license and I have the masters so we renew both here, In New Hampshire once you become a master you no longer need the journeyman license, every state has different rules.


Jamesmarq said:
Will having a master license scare off potential employers?
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Why would being the most qualified scare them, I view it as an asset, you went the extra mile to become a master, I don't see why anyone would hold that against you.
 
LEO2854 said:
In mass we must keep the journeyman license and I have the masters so we renew both here, In New Hampshire once you become a master you no longer need the journeyman license, every state has different rules.




Why would being the most qualified scare them, I view it as an asset, you went the extra mile to become a master, I don't see why anyone would hold that against you.
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Mainly that some employers would feel that with your own Masters license you are more likely to start your own business and compete with him once you are familiar with the area and his customers.

Tapatalk!
 
GoldDigger said:
Mainly that some employers would feel that with your own Masters license you are more likely to start your own business and compete with him once you are familiar with the area and his customers.

Tapatalk!
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Pay a man well enough and he will stick with you.

In New Hampshire a journeyman license ;
RSA 319-C:10. Each journeyman electrician may have one apprentice electrician working with him and under his personal supervision. Each journeyman electrician shall work under the direction and supervision of a master electrician.
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So to work alone you must be a master electrician, that's why everyone it up there:lol:

Also in my opinion any good electrical contractor should know how hard it is to start your own business, so I don't view having the masters as a threat like that, it really takes years to build a good solid business to become someone else's competition.
 
At many companies, depending on the local licensing laws a masters will not mean a thing.

The companies I have worked for will not pay extra for a master as there is no need of additional masters.
 
There are a few neighboring states that are reciprocal with the JW but not the masters license. If you are only planning to work in Colorado and not Wyoming or wherever then drop the JW.

I keep both active just in case. Might decide to move someday,
 
ActionDave said:
Drop the journeyman's, the only one bennifitting is the state.
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gaelectric said:
There are a few neighboring states that are reciprocal with the JW but not the masters license. If you are only planning to work in Colorado and not Wyoming or wherever then drop the JW.

I keep both active just in case. Might decide to move someday,
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I don't know Colorado regulations, but I imagine the advice to the OP would depend if he is actually giving anything up. Most places I believe if you had a master or contractor license you are permitted to do everything a journeymen license allows you to do, so you could take a job that is a journeyman position with no licensing problems. If that is the case holding both licenses does nothing but put the additional fees in the licensing authority budget, keep the higher level license and do not renew the lower level license.

As far as reciprocity in other states, is generally going to be about the same thing. I have a NE contractors license. But AFAIK I could go to work for another contractor (in a journeymen position) and work in another state as a journeymen, even if my contractor license doesn't reciprocate quite the same way. (some states make it more difficult to reciprocate contractors then they do journeymen, and mostly to keep more local business I believe)
 
Sierrasparky said:
Wow I just realized that a electrical worker in CA who has not yey registered as an apprentice will probably take 4 years to become a general Journeyman and then once a General journeyman you need another 4 years or a college degree and 2 years to apply for a Contractors license. Wow when I started you could get a license in 4 years after starting in the field since there was no official apprentice program 20 years ago.
Click to expand...

There is frankly no enforcing agency for this. No one looks for this, you just fill a form out stating you have the experience and sign up for the test. The saddest part is the C10 test is far easier than the journeyman test. The sadder part is a general contractor can pull permits in CA, in many cases, and need not know a single thing about wiring.
 
scrypps said:
There is frankly no enforcing agency for this. No one looks for this, you just fill a form out stating you have the experience and sign up for the test. The saddest part is the C10 test is far easier than the journeyman test. The sadder part is a general contractor can pull permits in CA, in many cases, and need not know a single thing about wiring.
Click to expand...
Pulling a permit is one thing, and rules for permits vary from one place to another, but is that general contractor that pulls the permit actually allowed to do any wiring?
 
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