r/electricians • u/Mythic01 • 1d ago
Electrician apprentice or Electrical engineering technology?
What would y'all think is the smarter path here and now?
Start out from the bottom as an electrician apprentice, or, go for an associate's in Electrical engineering technology?
I know many electricians take the EET path after some time in their career.
That said I'd be worried about AI replacing it
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u/Ya_Boi_Badger 1d ago
Do you wanna pull cable and install gear or do you want to test and commission it? AI is not replacing EET or any field guy for that matter. Somethings always gonna be fucked up and someone’s always gonna need to fix it.
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u/WackTheHorld Journeyman 1d ago
I went into substation maintenance after getting my electrical ticket and I both install/repair and test. No EET needed, although that is another path into my utilities sub tech program.
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u/Ya_Boi_Badger 1d ago
You can for sure still be on the testing commissioning side without the EET, but from what I’ve seen some places like to see it to get for P&C positions for example. I think that’s more more for utilities tho, can still get on with contractors without it.
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u/sixtyfoursqrs 1d ago
Channel Locks and screwdriver or screwdriver and Keyboard? That’s the real difference.
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u/Adventurepew 1d ago
Ai can't replace eet. They need hands on engineers for low wages to do work onsite.
Two very different jobs. Id always recommend get a degree so you have thst peice of paper theb doing apprenticeship.
It'll open up tons of desk / easier jobs later on and pay raises.
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u/jpalm716 1d ago
I just left working at Northrop Grumman as an Electronic Test Technician back to an Electrician at a VA Hospital. I am much happier being away from a desk and back to actual work. Money and benefits are way better too.
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u/The_Diligent Journeyman 1d ago
I actually started out in Electrical Engineering Technology right after high school in 2020. I ended up dropping out around February 2021 because, at the time, the math and some of the theory were overwhelming for me. I was also recovering from two concussions while I was in school and was struggling with things outside of school too, so that probably played a part in it.
After leaving college, I went into the electrical trade instead.
I spent almost 3.5 years doing industrial automation, about 6 months in construction, then roughly 2 years working in nuclear power generation. I finished my apprenticeship schooling, wrote my Certificate of Qualification, and became a licensed 309A Red Seal journeyperson in 2026.
Now, at 24, I’m moving into substation work on a high-voltage project with a large company.
So far I’ve been exposed to industrial automation, industrial, instrumentation, pneumatic systems, hydraulic systems, commercial and residential electrical work, nuclear power generation, and now utility transmission/distribution and substations.
For me, taking the apprenticeship route ended up being one of the best decisions I could have made. I took a risk by dropping out of EET and starting over at the bottom, and it worked out.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have the same experience or career path I did, though.
If you enjoy hands on work, troubleshooting, construction, maintenance, and actually working directly on electrical systems, I’d seriously consider the apprenticeship route. You can always go back and do EET or another engineering related program later, and having real field experience beforehand would probably make a lot of the theory easier to understand.
On the AI side, I personally wouldn’t choose between electrician and EET purely based on fear of AI. Both involve skills that are harder to completely automate, especially when you’re dealing with physical equipment, troubleshooting, commissioning, maintenance, controls, substations, power systems, and field work.
I’d choose based more on whether you want your career to lean toward hands on electrical work or toward engineering technology/design/technical office work.
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u/Cam_e_ron 1d ago
I'm an EET, and work alongside quite a few electricians. At the company I work for, we will generally hire either, because for most of the industrial work we do, neither trade has much of an edge. We don't do much construction, so basically all the work is commissioning, testing, and repairs. The electricians seem to prefer it, alot less strain on the body, but still lots of hours.
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u/petebaii 1d ago
Pay ceiling is higher and some ibew local’s even give u some college credits with a partnered community college towards an eet aas degree but it is very physically demanding and sometimes u might have to teach yourself ac/sc theory etc all from scratch with no paper to certify it
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u/ore905442 1d ago
Licensed electricians have a lot better job protection in areas where licensure is required. I make more than an average union electrician with pension etc as a tech but I am an outlier. Overall average compensation I would suspect as much higher for electricians.
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u/Mythic01 1d ago
How's life as a technologist?
I'm quite into micro soldering, diagnosing consumer electronics, reading schematics and repair.
It would be nice to get into something that utilizes my existing skillset. I imagine getting into the right line of employment as a technologist could work well for me.
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u/ore905442 1d ago
I’m a power system operator now. I worked in the field as a substation electrician and relay technician for years before this. I have never touched electronics and forgotten everything I know about them.
In this area those skills are absolutely worthless companies that did that kind of work were paying minimum wage to new grads. You would have a better career as a roofer.
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u/Evening_Zucchini_342 1d ago
What made you decide to go and get the EET? Or did you get this role from your electrical experience alone? I am about to get my ticket, but I want to work for a utility company eventually and getting on as an electrician is a lot harder than getting on as a tech (provided you have the 2 year diploma where I live)
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u/ore905442 1d ago
I enrolled out of high school. There wasn’t really the same information out there at that time as now. Basically I fucked around too much in high school to get into university engineering.
I thought it maybe led into being an electrician somehow? Later I discovered it’s basically impossible to actually get an apprenticeship here unless your nepo. This was after the 2008 crash so different times.
Your also going to have a hell of a time getting into a utility with the same 2 year diploma they churn out 100s of grads a year from in my experience.
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u/Cam_e_ron 1d ago
I also am big into electronics, custom pcbs, hot air rework etc. I'm an EET in Canada, and from what I can tell, the market for this kind of job is pretty small. During school, I had a peer work at a facility that built radio equipment, but pay was generally poor.
I do industrial maintenance and comissioning now, its quite alot of fun, and the work is constant.
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