From Window Washer to Master Electrician: Chad’s Unlikely Path
Chad German
Master Electrician and Director at Mountainland Tech College
Quick Start Guide: Becoming a Master Electrician
This podcast conversation with master electrician and educator Chad German dives into what it really takes to become an electrician today: a four‑year apprenticeship, night school, and tough licensing exams grounded in the National Electrical Code (NEC). Beyond the technical side, Chad talks about the realities of the trade—career paths from hands‑on work to teaching and consulting, the impact of codes and unions on wages and standards, the role of mental health and safety, and why the trades are exploding in popularity. If you’re considering a career as an electrician—or just curious what the path actually looks like—this is a clear, honest look from someone who’s lived all sides of it.
Below is a blog-style breakdown of that conversation and what it means for people considering the electrical trade.
From Window Washer to Master Electrician: Chad’s Unlikely Path
When you picture a master electrician, you might assume they always knew what they wanted to do. That’s not Chad German’s story.
After high school, his dad suggested electrical work—but the idea of “four years of school” sounded miserable.
Instead, Chad bounced between odd jobs:
Working as a lot boy
Washing windows on the LDS Church Office Building for nearly a decade
Doing personal training and working at a deli to make ends meet
A turning point came when his son (now grown) was born with serious vision issues. Chad found himself working multiple jobs and still not earning enough.
Friends and family kept nudging him toward the trades. A client at the gym—ironically an electrician who hated his own job—mentioned his company needed someone. The client offered to take over Chad’s training clients if Chad would step into the electrical role.
Starting wage: $9/hour (with a bump to $11/hour after three months if he worked hard)
Big move: selling their house in Bountiful, moving into a duplex in Rose Park
Commitment: putting himself through electrical school while supporting a family
Chad was all in—even though, at first, he didn’t like the work or the jobsite culture.
What It Actually Takes: The Modern Electrical Apprenticeship
In Chad’s world, you don’t become an electrician by accident. You follow a structured path that blends classroom learning and in-the-field experience.
The Four-Year Model
Apprenticeship License
You’re hired by an electrical contractor.
Through that employer, you obtain an apprentice electrician license.
You work full-time under supervision.
On-the-Job Training
Four years in the field, doing real work:
Residential: homes, basements, remodels
Commercial: Walmarts, hospitals, large facilities
Industrial (for some): motor control centers, large equipment, higher power systems
Night School
Typically two nights a week of classes for four years.
Topics include:
Electrical theory
The National Electrical Code (NEC)
State laws and regulations
Practical labs: wiring, bending conduit, safety practices
Licensing Exams
After logging enough hours and finishing school, apprentices gather their documentation to sit for:
A practical exam (wiring, bending pipe, doing real tasks under time)
A code/theory/state law exam based heavily on the NEC
Along the way, there are stepping-stone licenses:
Residential Journeyman (early credential, typically after ~2 years)
Journeyman Electrician (the full license after 4 years and all exams)
Later, with more experience (or a degree), the Master Electrician license.
More Than Just Houses: Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Tracks
One of Chad’s big points is how diverse the electrical field really is.
Residential Work
Wiring new homes, basements, and remodels
Installing lighting, receptacles, panels, and home systems
Lots of direct interaction with homeowners
Commercial Projects
Large buildings like:
Walmarts
Hospitals
Office buildings
Bigger systems, more complex plans, larger crews
This was where Chad spent much of his early career.
Industrial and High-Voltage Work
Motor control centers, industrial machinery, specialized systems
Customer-owned utilities:
Big facilities (prisons, Guard bases, semiconductor plants) that receive very high voltage (e.g., 72,000 volts) and step it down internally
Electricians maintaining equipment inside that boundary
Code changes are now increasingly focused on over 1000 volts AC and 1500 volts DC, driven by solar farms and large-scale systems.
Chad notes that the trade is expanding rapidly with new technologies: advanced lighting, EV charging infrastructure (including wireless charging pads), and larger, more complex power systems.
The National Electrical Code: The Rulebook of the Trade
Electricians don’t just “wing it.” They live by the National Electrical Code (NEC), published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Updated every three years
Aims to prevent:
Fires
Shocks
Other life-safety hazards
Electricians and inspectors alike rely on it to decide what’s allowed and what’s safe.
Chad stresses:
Electricians must stay in the code book—you can’t go through four years of school and then stop learning.
If you argue with an inspector who’s current on the code but you aren’t, you’ll lose that argument.
Different regions adopt different editions and local amendments, which makes code literacy even more important when traveling or working in multiple jurisdictions.
He also mentions that upcoming NEC editions are being reorganized to integrate better with AI tools and apps, so that in the future, electricians and inspectors may be able to query code issues more quickly and accurately.
Education Is Exploding: The New Popularity of Apprenticeships
One of the most striking parts of Chad’s story is how much demand there is now for trade education.
At his technical college:
Electrical programs fill within minutes of enrollment opening.
Waiting lists can hit hundreds of students.
Evening programs are packed with:
18–20-year-olds starting their careers
People in their late 20s, 30s, and 40s making career changes from other fields, including IT and tech
Other institutions—even traditional universities—are launching apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship programs, because the trades are no longer seen as a “fallback” for people who “couldn’t make it in college.”
Chad argues that this is a misconception anyway:
Many apprentices have learning differences or didn’t thrive in K–12.
But once they learn how they learn, they often discover they’re far more capable than they’d been led to believe.
The trades can be both lucrative and intellectually demanding, with paths to leadership, ownership, and consulting.
From Journeyman to Master, and Beyond: Career Growth in the Trade
Chad didn’t become an educator by design. He started by struggling through school, failing his code test twice, and then obsessing over memorizing the code to finally pass.
Becoming a Master Electrician
After obtaining a journeyman license, there’s another tier:
Without a degree: you generally need four years as a journeyman before testing for Master.
With a qualifying degree (e.g., Applied Science in a related area): that waiting period can be shortened (for example, to two years in some structures).
Schools like Snow College will even take completed apprenticeship programs from technical colleges and convert them, with a few more courses, into an Applied Science degree, making it easier to reach the master level more quickly.
Transitioning into Teaching and Consulting
Chad’s path evolved as he:
Realized how poor some of his own early instruction had been (lots of “deer hunting stories” instead of proper teaching).
Started part-time teaching at a tech college, determined to “be part of the solution.”
Launched a social media presence (Utah Electrician) to connect with his son and the broader trade community.
Got noticed by major manufacturers and organizations who encouraged him to:
Teach continuing education and code classes
Consult on grounding and bonding, code changes, and culture
Speak at institutions across the country
Eventually, he left full-time field work (a tough decision, given strong pay and loyalty to his old crew) to become a director over apprenticeship programs like electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.
The Human Side: Culture, Mental Health, and Safety
A huge portion of Chad’s message is about the real-life pressures behind the trade.
Jobsite Culture
Early in his career, he went from a reverent, structured environment (church facilities) to crews he describes as “pirates.”
Old-school foremen could be harsh, and hazing was common.
He notes that younger generations are less willing to tolerate abusive behavior—and he sees that as a positive shift.
His advice:
If you find yourself in a toxic or unprofessional environment, don’t feel like you have to stay there.
There are companies with strong culture, professionalism, and pride in the work—go find those.
Mental Health
Chad is candid about mental health challenges:
The trade can be feast or famine, with:
Huge deadlines
Long hours
Pressure from clients who don’t understand the value of the work
Higher pay as you advance often comes with higher stress and responsibility.
In his role as a director, he sees the strain on apprentices juggling:
Full-time work
Night classes
Family responsibilities
His recommendations:
Build daily habits that support mental health:
Physical activity
Hobbies outside of work
Boundaries around how much you say “yes” to overtime and travel
Recognize when you’re burning out and ask for help or adjust your load.
Remember that your life is bigger than the job, even if the job is good and the money is tempting.
Safety: More Than Just Electricity
While electrical hazards are obvious, Chad emphasizes that some of the biggest dangers on job sites are more mundane:
Falls from ladders, scaffolding, and elevated work areas are a leading cause of workplace fatalities.
Unsafe ladder practices, improvised climbing, and horseplay can have permanent consequences.
He urges:
Respect for OSHA rules and NFPA 70E electrical safety standards.
Refusal to do tasks that you know are unsafe, even under peer pressure.
A mindset that your long-term health is more important than short-term speed or bravado.
What Employers Look For: Standing Out as an Apprentice
From the hiring side, Chad has clear expectations:
Saying “I’ll show up on time and work hard” is just the starting point.
To actually progress and earn more, apprentices should:
Enroll in school and take it seriously.
Keep grades up; many employers reimburse tuition based on performance.
Take initiative on the job: stay off your phone, stay busy, and look for ways to help.
Become a sponge, especially in the early years—don’t rush past the “sweeping and cleaning” phase; use it to observe how the job really works.
He also cautions against comparing wages based on who’s leaning against the wall:
Just because someone makes more than you doesn’t mean they’re worth more.
Some workers are simply overpaid underperformers—don’t model your ambitions on that.
Focus instead on becoming the person the company cannot afford to lose.
Would He Do It Again?
When asked whether he’d choose this path again, knowing everything now, Chad’s answer is yes.
He didn’t start with a love for the trade—but grew into it.
He found satisfaction in:
Helping people (even something as simple as fixing a neighbor’s breaker)
Mastering a complex craft
Teaching others and improving the profession
The career has given him:
A way to provide for his family
National opportunities to teach and consult
A platform to improve safety, education, and culture in the trades
Final Thoughts: A Serious Career in a Changing Industry
This conversation shows that becoming an electrician today is not a consolation prize for people who “can’t do college.” It is:
A structured, demanding path requiring:
Years of hands-on work
Rigorous education
Mastery of a constantly evolving code
A field with diverse paths:
Residential, commercial, industrial
Leadership, business ownership, and teaching
Niche specialties like grounding/bonding, high voltage, or advanced systems
A profession that demands:
Mental resilience
Physical safety
Lifelong learning
For anyone wondering “where to get started” in a meaningful, high-impact, hands-on career, Chad’s story makes a strong case that electrical work—done right, with proper training and standards—can be one of the most rewarding paths out there.
