UPDATE
Introducing: Penn Foster’s Residential Electrician Career Diploma Program
While Ashworth College is no longer accepting enrollments in our Residential Electrician Program, we’re excited to introduce you to our partner school, Penn Foster.
Open the door to a career in the skilled trades field with Penn Foster. In our online Residential Electrician Career Diploma Program, you’ll learn the essential skills you’ll need to work as an electrician, such as electrical systems and fundamentals, reading electrical drawings, electrical contracting, and the National Electrical Code® (NEC).
LEARN MORETake the Next Steps Towards a Career You Want
Penn Foster’s online Residential Electrician Career Diploma Program can help you prepare to take the first steps toward the job you want. With flexible, online courses, you can learn skills and knowledge on your schedule, from home.
Why Penn Foster?
Penn Foster has been on a mission to help people like you launch, accelerate, and thrive in their careers for more than 130 years. We provide students with a quality education that fits their busy lifestyle and budget, offering over 100 self-paced, career-relevant programs across our College, Career School, and High School. The program you choose is structured to fit your learning needs so you can achieve your goals, and is designed to work with your schedule, anytime, anywhere you want to study. With a focus on relevant skills and career preparation for the job you’re after, Penn Foster can help you graduate with confidence and help provide a pathway towards your career goals.
Start online electrician courses as soon as you enroll and graduate in as little as seven months.
Gain expertise in NEC, the adopted standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment in the United States.
Our Residential Electrician Training Program is one of the most affordable of its kind—and we have flexible payment options.
What You'll Learn in Penn Foster’s Residential Electrician Career Diploma Program
- How to apply and comply with the NEC.
- How to interpret basic electrical blueprints and technical drawings to follow the required specifications of electrical projects.
- How to identify procedures for evaluating and completing diagnostic testing of electrical components and circuits.
- How to identify and understand common wiring terms and symbols and to use diagrams and plans to connect branch circuits.
Penn Foster’s Online Electrician Program Curriculum
In our online Residential Electrician courses, you'll learn the skills and training to take the next step toward a career in the field. Through interactive lessons and simulations, you'll cover essential knowledge for electricians. Your courses include:
- Electrical Fundamentals
- Electrical Safety and Tools
- Reading Electrical Drawings, Schematics, and Blueprints
- Troubleshooting and Electrical Contracting
- The National Electrical Code®
Electrician School FAQs
If you’re interested in beginning a career in an essential industry, earning your residential electrician diploma can help you take the first steps toward reaching your goals. Electricity is used in almost every home, office, park, café, school...basically, anywhere you can think of, allowing trained electricians to find jobs in a variety of environments! Most electricians are employed full-time, whether they work for contractors, construction companies, in manufacturing or with the government. This is just one of the many great reasons to prepare for a career as a residential electrician.
The national average salary for residential electricians can vary based on your experience, the company you work for, and the state in which you live. However, the average pay for electricians in 2023 was $61,590 per year or $29.61 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.†
To become a residential electrician, you should have a foundational knowledge of electrical components, tools, and safety as well as an understanding of the NEC. With Penn Foster’s online residential electrician training program, you can build a solid foundation in basic electrical theory and skills that can help you take the steps toward starting a career with job security. Graduates of the program may qualify for entry-level jobs as electrical contractors, electrical linemen, and commercial electricians.
Most electricians have a high school diploma or equivalent and learn the trade through on-the-job apprenticeships. However, to enroll in our online Electrician Training Program, you only need a minimum 8th grade education. Employers may require that you do have a high school diploma before hiring you. Electricians also develop skills in the field through trade schools before seeking out apprenticeships. Entry-level electricians may need to complete an apprenticeship under experienced workers or supervisors after graduating from a trade school or vocational program. To become a residential electrician, you'll also need to meet any state licensing requirements and regulations which can vary from state to state. Click here for contact information for state licensing/regulatory boards and certain industry licensing information.
State Licensing Requirements
Licensing and/or certification requirements for jobs in this field are not the same in every state and may include educational, testing, and/or experiential requirements beyond those offered in the Penn Foster Program. Prospective students should contact the state professional licensing board or similar regulatory body in the state(s) where they plan to work to determine their requirements before enrolling in this program. See the State Licensing page for contact information for state licensing/regulatory boards and certain industry licensing information.
Penn Foster has determined that the curriculum does not meet the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the following states: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.