Electricians made the Minnesota government’s list of occupations in demand that have a 5-star rating—the most favorable rating possible (Minnesota Employment and Economic Department, 2016). This agency expects the number of jobs for electricians in Minnesota to increase by more than 10% in the 10-year period ending in 2024 and even more in certain regions of the state:
- Seven County Minneapolis-St. Paul area: 22.5% increase in jobs for electricians
- Southeast Minnesota: 19.4% increase in jobs for electricians
So many construction jobs were added in January 2016 that these “gains put construction among the few bright spots in…January jobs picture” in Minnesota according to Finance & Commerce. Demand for electricians and other specialty trades people provided the biggest boost to these bright job figures released by the Minnesota Employment and Economic Development Department.
Construction employers in Minnesota added even more jobs in February 2016. These 3,200 new construction jobs represented more than one-third of the total jobs added in Minnesota that month.
One potential problem for Minnesota’s construction industry is a lack of skilled workers. In 2015, contractors responded to a survey by the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota and expressed a great deal of concern about the difficulty of finding skilled craft workers in 2016. Three-quarters of specialty contractors rated the process of finding them as difficult, while more than 80% of general contractors expected the process to be difficult.
Seventy percent of the contractors who responded to that survey indicated that they primarily work in the Twin Cities Metro area. Current and planned construction for this area from July 2016 included:
- Approval of the Excelsior 4-story senior-living center
- North Loops apartments ground breaking
- Transformation of the North Minneapolis intersection
- Announcement of the University of Minnesota plan to invest $99 million in upgrading Pioneer Hall
- 215 affordable apartments planned near Green Line in St. Paul
Salaries for Residential Electricians Throughout Minnesota
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the range of salaries earned by electricians in the major urban and rural areas of Minnesota. Highly skilled master electricians can expect to earn salaries at the highest end of these ranges (2015):
Salaries for Specialty Electricians in Minnesota
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salaries for a number of different types of specialized electricians that work in Minnesota’s largest cities (2015). Those with the most education and experience tend to earn salaries at the upper end of the ranges shown here:
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers:
- Duluth: $75,500 – $96,420
- Mankato-North Mankato: $79,990 – $97,570
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington: $80,620 – $98,450
- Rochester: $68,230 – $83,350
- Cloud: $64,500 – $95,240
Electrical and Electronics Repairers Specializing in Commercial and Industrial Equipment:
- Duluth: $61,230 – $106,820
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington: $60,970 – $79,050
- Cloud: $42,320 – $62,840
Electrical and Electronics Repairers Specializing in Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay:
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington: $72,790 – $93,210
Electrical and Electronics Repairers Specializing in Transportation Equipment:
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn: $53,830 – $63,060
Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers Specializing in Motor Vehicles:
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington: $35,270 – $48,930
Electronic Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers:
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington: $42,030 – $60,000
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers:
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington: $50,590 – $64,310
- Cloud: $50,320 – $71,880
The statewide average for electricians in these specialized roles is shown in the table below:
Salaries for Electrician Apprentices in the Twin Cities
The number of Electrician Apprentices in the Seven County Minneapolis-St. Paul area should increase by more than 20% during the ten-year period ending in 2024 according to the Minnesota Employment and Economic Development Department.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salary data for the occupational classification for “Electrician’s Helpers” in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington. Shown below is information that represents the wages earned during an electrical apprenticeship; 2015: