Electricians are trade persons who specialize in the electrical wiring of structures, stable equipment, and other machines alike. Electricians may be hired to do the installation of fresh electrical components or having to maintain and execute repairs to any used electrical infrastructure. They may also have a specialty in the components of land, water, and air transport alike or any mobile platforms and data-cable.

Before, electricians were those workers who would demonstrate or study the electrical principles, usually electrostatic generators in many different forms.

In America, the electricians are categorized to two primary groups: linemen, those who specialize in working on the distribution of electric companies which involve areas of a much higher voltage and wiremen, those who specialize in areas of lower voltage commonly found in structures. Wiremen undergo training in one of the five basic specialties: residential electricians, low voltage wiring, industrial, commercial, and light industrial electricians. There are also sub-specialties involving control wiring and that of fire-alarm.

When undergoing training, electricians are classified to three levels: Apprentice, Journeyman, and the Master Electrician. In both the United States and Canada, the Apprentices undergo long hours of classes and instruction to learn the electrical trade. They are then contracted to meet the standards for a certain time of three to six years. During this period, they receive a fraction of the pay a Journeyman would receive. Journeymen are those who have already accomplished their being an Apprentice and have been deemed competent by the licensing body in his trade. Master Electricians are those who have had good performance in the industry for a period around seven to ten years and have accomplished an examination in demonstration of his knowledge of the National Electric Code or NEC.

Service Electricians are those who are tasked to the response of any request regarding upgrades and isolated repairs. They have quite the amount of skills needed for assessing wire problems, the installation of wiring in present structures and executing any repairs. Construction electricians have a specialty on much larger tasks with the responsibility of installing a new system for a whole structure or execution of upgrades for an entire floor of an office. Other areas of trade are the marine electricians, hospital electricians, and research electricians. An electrician also holds a responsibility in stagecraft, where they have the task to undergo the focusing, hanging, and operation of the stage lighting. In such area, in is the Master Electrician who is responsible as the stages chief electrician. There are the theater electricians who have the routine performance of the equipment on the stage, though they have no part in the electrical industry and utilize a different skill set compared to the electricians who are tasked with the structures wires.

In the industry of film and those on a television and studio crew, the head or chief electricians is known as the Gaffer.

Electrical contractors are the businesses that seek to employ electricians who are tasked to lay-out, installs, and the maintenance of electrical systems. The employers are tasked with making bids for new jobs, the hiring of people, provision of materials, the communication with engineers and architects and the customer’s desire to complete the product.