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Brownsville is a city in Texas located at the border with Mexico and along the Gulf Coast.
The city was founded in the 1840s and is known for its Hispanic Culture (nearly 94% of residents are of Hispanic heritage), subtropical climate, and an important part of the economy – a deep water seaport.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation requires anyone in the state that works with electrical equipment and service to hold a state license; however, there are exceptions to this state regulation.
Apprentice applicants in Texas who have registered online and have no criminal convictions will be issued an automatic temporary electrician license.
These are the licenses issued in Texas for electricians:
- A Residential Wireman license requires 4,000 hours of supervised training and passing the exam.
- A Journeyman or Journeyperson Electrician license requires 8,000 hours under a Master Electrician’s direct supervision and passing the required exam.
- A Master Electrician license is issued when an applicant has held a Journeyman license for at least two years. The master electrician license requires the accumulation of 12,000 hours of supervision by a licensed Master Electrician and passing the exam.
According to the BLS, in May 2021, Texas had the second-highest electrician employment level, with more than 52,000 electricians.
The mean yearly salary wage for electricians in Texas is $53,080, which is approximately 10% below the median salary of the more than 710,000 professional electricians working in the country – $60,040/year.
About 450 electricians were employed in the Brownsville/Harlingen metro area.
The median yearly wage for these Brownsville electricians for 2021 was $41,540.
1 Southern Careers Institute
Southern Careers Institute offers an electrician occupational training program that qualifies for the on-the-job training requirements of a Texas state license.
This Brownsville-based program prepares students for entry-level roles in the commercial and residential electricity sector – working directly under a licensed master electrician.
The SCI electrician training program offers hands-on instruction in the areas of installation, maintenance, operation, and repair of residential or commercial electrical systems.
Address: Southwinds Shopping Center, 935 North Expy, Brownsville, TX 78520
2 Texas Southmost College-Gorgas
The Division of Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics at Texas Southmost College-Gorgas offers an Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) in Commercial and Residential Electrician program or a Residential Electrician Certificate program.
Texas Southmost College’s AAS electrician training program requires degree candidates to complete 60 credit units – covering topics that include NEC, residential wiring, fundamentals of electricity, troubleshooting, motor control, and electrical theory and devices.
Address: 80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, TX 78520
3 IEC-Valley Chapter Training
IEC-Valley Chapter Training offers an apprenticeship training program for electricians that combines on-the-job training during the day that is enhanced by classroom instruction during off hours.
This program, which is recognized among the top teaching programs for electrician apprentices in the country, allows students to earn as they learn an in-demand trade and gather college credits.
This IEC apprenticeship program, which is recognized by the USDOL’s Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, teaches students to read blueprints, install and maintain electrical components, and identify/repair/replace electrical problems.
Address: 219 E Monroe Ave, Harlingen, TX 78550
4 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - The Brownsville Campus
The Brownsville campus at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley offers a four-year Bachelor of Science degree program in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) that has been accredited by ABET’s Engineering Commission.
This degree program for electrical engineers includes coursework in power electronics, electrical power systems, electric machines, and an electrical engineer internship.
Address: 1 W University Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78520
Schools Summary Table
| Rank | School | |
|---|---|---|
|
#1 | Southern Careers Institute |
|
#2 | Texas Southmost College-Gorgas |
|
#3 | IEC-Valley Chapter Training |
|
#4 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - The Brownsville Campus |
Salary by Metro Area in Texas
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | 500 | $53,360 | $25.65 | $77,190 | $35,900 |
| Amarillo, TX | 750 | $58,010 | $27.89 | $82,660 | $36,100 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 7,340 | $60,850 | $29.25 | $78,820 | $39,260 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 2,000 | $64,520 | $31.02 | $75,090 | $45,240 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 450 | $48,000 | $23.08 | $66,420 | $32,180 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 500 | $52,560 | $25.27 | $74,170 | $34,740 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 1,080 | $57,210 | $27.51 | $79,360 | $36,160 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 20,930 | $59,960 | $28.83 | $81,660 | $38,740 |
| El Paso, TX | 1,380 | $52,140 | $25.07 | $71,530 | $34,710 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 19,730 | $61,470 | $29.55 | $84,470 | $38,800 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 550 | $54,080 | $26.00 | $75,360 | $36,880 |
| Laredo, TX | 340 | $47,240 | $22.71 | $63,910 | $28,390 |
| Longview, TX | 630 | $52,560 | $25.27 | $74,020 | $35,270 |
| Lubbock, TX | 690 | $51,490 | $24.75 | $76,920 | $35,130 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 670 | $49,690 | $23.89 | $71,850 | $34,520 |
| Midland, TX | 980 | $60,660 | $29.16 | $77,950 | $38,960 |
| Odessa, TX | 1,030 | $58,060 | $27.91 | $75,150 | $41,690 |
| San Angelo, TX | 290 | $52,800 | $25.39 | $75,000 | $36,590 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 6,660 | $57,030 | $27.42 | $75,670 | $37,460 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 270 | $56,980 | $27.40 | $74,770 | $36,550 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 390 | $56,300 | $27.07 | $72,990 | $34,870 |
| Tyler, TX | 370 | $54,380 | $26.14 | $76,850 | $35,490 |
| Victoria, TX | 140 | $55,460 | $26.67 | $79,330 | $34,900 |
| Waco, TX | 650 | $55,210 | $26.55 | $80,900 | $36,910 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 190 | $51,800 | $24.91 | $79,930 | $32,470 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Read the full guide: How to Become an Electrician
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