Electricians ranked 7th on Idaho’s “Top 100 Hot Jobs” list provided by the state’s Department of Labor. This Department expects an increase of 29% in the number of jobs for electricians in Idaho during the 10-year period ending in 2022.
A KIVI-TV article published in April 2016 stated “construction is hot” to describe the current boom in real estate construction in Idaho. Figures from the Idaho Department of Labor bear this out. The Department predicts that construction in Idaho will add 11,600 jobs by 2022. More than 2,600 of these jobs should be in residential construction.
Along with the increased construction in Idaho comes a “deep shortage of skilled labor.” This shortage includes electricians according to Bill Clark, president of Clark Development Corporation. The situation is so severe that the state of Idaho encourages training for potential construction workers.
The Idaho Statesman published an article in 2016 called “Downtown Boise experiencing unprecedented construction boom.” The city’s Planning Director Hal Simmons said that the amount of development during the past 23 years in Boise is “nothing like what we’ve got now.”
Some of the major construction projects underway in Boise that are slated for completion in late 2016 or 2017 and offer opportunities for electricians include:
- Hyatt Place on Bannock St.—152-room hotel
- Marriott Residence Inn Hotel on Capitol Blvd—180-room hotel
- Inn@500 on S Capitol Blvd—110-room boutique hotel
- The Fowler between Myrtle and Broad Streets—159-unit apartment building
Salaries for Residential Electricians in Urban and Rural Idaho
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the range of salaries earned by electricians throughout Idaho. Highly skilled master electricians can expect to earn salaries at the highest end of these ranges (2015):
Salaries for Specialty Electricians in Idaho’s Major Cities
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salaries for a number of different types of specialized electricians that work in the major cities of Idaho (2015). Those with the most education and experience tend to earn salaries at the upper end of the ranges shown here:
Boise City:
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers: $70,410 – $96,640
- Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers: $44,400 – $66,950
- Electronic Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers: $33,700 – $48,620
Idaho Falls:
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers: $88,550 – $100,090
- Security and Fire Alarms Systems Installers: $52,220 – $77,560
Coeur d’Alene:
- Electronic Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers: $29,820 – $37,690
The statewide average for electricians in these specialized roles is shown in the table below:
Salaries for Electrician Apprentices in Boise City
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salary data for the occupational classification for “Electrician’s Helpers” in Boise City. This information is shown here to represent the wages earned during an electrical apprenticeship; 2015: