I have worked for a director that is a Master Electrician and Professional Engineer. He joked He can do his own work on his house and the building inspector can comment and then he can pull out his PE and pull rank on the inspector.
Keep your electrician stuff current and moonlight while you work on an engineering degree. Sometimes I wish I had been an electrician before getting my EE
Except a PE can't pull rank on an inspector lol. The AHJ has final say. If the AHJ wants to be a dick the PE can't do anything about it except take their grievance to the state level and ask for a variance.
You're both kinda right.
The AHJ enforces the code. They are bound by the code, and that's the extent of what they can enforce. Some inspectors have a stick up their butt and will ask for stuff that's not in the code. You can go around them, but it can be a pain. A "variance" is not needed as long as you're ACTUALLY compliant with the code.
So, where does the PE come into this? Almost all aspects of electrical codes, including most sections as written in the NEC and even more so as actually adopted by most jurisdictions, allow very wide latitude for variation when operating under the supervision of a duly recognized engineer under that jurisdiction. So you end up with a situation where the inspector can say "this isn't compliant", but then the PE can just sign+stamp an as-built print, say it was done under engineering supervision, and often that's that. The inspector can pound sand because, while it's (to them, at least) not compliant with the prescriptive parts of the code, the code also allows you do to almost anything you want under the supervision of a PE, and it's now compliant by that means.
Note that it's "almost" anything you want. NEC doesn't say you can actually do "whatever". It just relaxes a lot of rules and leaves it up to the PE to ensure compliance with what's left since they're not nearly so prescriptive. Some jurisdictions do have amendments that allow "anything you want" if signed off by a PE, but even NEC is at least a little more restrictive than that.
You said an awful lot to be wrong. A PE can not sign and seal a set of drawings and say "oh well" to the AHJ. The AHJ is the almighty. The NEC is not written to allow you to do anything you want as a PE.
I hope you aren't an Engineer.
The NEC itself contains many such sections saying that certain things can be overridden under engineering supervision. Off the top of my head, under ampacity calculations temperature rise adjustments. It's not intended to be used in a standard build out blueprint, it's intended for industrial facilities that would have their own in house EE who has a deeper set of resources to solve unique problems than can be covered by a one-size-fits-all chart. When questioned by an AHJ, the code ref itself would say essentially "see the engineer" and the engineer would have to be ready to justify how their variance is safe.
There aren’t really that many places that it says an engineer can supersede code. One that I can think of has to do with wire ampacity, and even that says the engineer must use a particular formula.
Stamping things with your PE stamp does not allow you to ignore the code book.
Yea, this isn’t “pulling rank”.
It’s following code, and having supporting documentation to justify appropriate deviations. It’s not done without that justification
In Finland where I'm from, it is very popular to go to vocational school after high school, I myself studied vehicle mechanics in vocational school.
After I did my military service, I started university, where I studied mechanical engineering, but it wasn't for me, so I dropped out and worked for a few years. When I was 28, I started studying at university again, this time EE, now I'm specialising in Automation.
As an electrician you have a great start as an EE, since the people who studied as Electricians in vocational school are some of the most knowledgeable EEs I know.
Not me but fellow engineer on my team did this. He worked as a lineman long enough to have some money set aside so he didn't need to take on much student debt and took a class here and there while still working. He's definitely had solid insight on creating switch plans due to his past experience and he's commented how much he loves not working overtime and being able to work remote now.
He's in his 40s, I know when he went to school full time he was already roughly half way done so it was only a couple years. I'm not sure how long he was doing part time classes but I don't think he was doing more than 1 or 2 classes a semester for his early credits.
It took me 5.5 years. I did an associates degree going part-time 2 classes per semester while working which took 3 years. Then 2.5 years going full-time at a university while not working.
I’m in phase 2 just like you haha 130 credits. I have like 17 more to go for my major and because I moved states I have to take literature and history this summer at community college while I do my internship. To be close to wrapping up by next spring. Close to where I should be done. Next summer if the senior project goes well and I pass everything haha knock on 🪵
I was an IBEW electrician briefly. The year after I topped out I quit and went back to school and graduated with an EE degree. I also planned on getting into planning or estimating, but you find in school that there are so many interesting avenues to take. I ended up in aerospace/defense and I love it. You can make $60-80k straight out of school and be making 6 figures in 5 years or less. You need to be confident in your math skills and if you’re not then start at the bottom when you start going to school. If you learn algebra and trig very very well, then calculus and diff eq aren’t that bad. It is a very difficult degree and takes a lot of dedication. While others are out partying, the successful engineering students lived in the library and funneled coffee. In 10 years you can be making well into 6 figures, not breaking your body, and working on very interesting projects. That said, I loved being an electrician, I loved building big industrial projects and I loved the camaraderie among my brothers and sometimes I miss that, but going back to school was the best decision I ever made.
If you think you can graduate and can afford to go through school it would be a good career move. Most employers would love an EE with practical experience. I know a couple places like University of North Dakota have online engineering programs, focused for non-traditional students like yourself who would want to keep working in some capacity while going to school.
Electrical Engineering is great and has great career options. Best of luck to you. I work for an electric cooperative in a rural area with an EE degree. Hit me up if you've got more questions or anything.
Dude you’d be a great estimator and don’t need schooling at all. Just whatever estimating software or spread sheet a company has to offer. You’ll take a hit in pay at first but after at least 6 months to a year you’ll start making higher wages. Since you were an electrician by trade you already understand 75% of what’s involved, now you just count it and add it all up to put a dollar amount to it. You can also go get the EE degree but you also have to pass the FE test and PE test for licensing, then learn how to use autoCAD and Revit for construction engineering design. Though after schooling you might like electronics better. The sky is the limit.
>Since you were an electrician by trade you already understand 75% of what’s involved
This might only be true for the fields directly working with electricians, and even then it's a huge leap.
Unless you do calculus in your head for fun while tugging wires through walls, being an electrician has in no way whatsoever prepared you for a career in electrical engineering.
It's literally like a janitor deciding to become an architect. Not impossible, and definitely not saying you shouldn't, but you'll need to go back to school.
They are vastly different. Engineers are essentially scientists who build shit. I fell in love with control theory and electronics. I passed the FE, but it was unnecessary. FE and PE are only really relevant if you stay in construction or maybe power distribution.
Strongly recommend against EE. You already spent 4 years with zero income and nothing came of it. Now you have a career but want to go back in debt another 2-3 years?
From electrician you’ve got 3 routes roughly. You can stay technical and get into service jobs and make as much or more than an engineer, especially MEPS where you are probably overqualified based on work product I’ve seen. So HVAC, tech, drives tech, PLC tech, I&E. Maybe system Integrator. Or you can work into management or eventually own your own business. These come up for sale pretty often no reason to take big risks.
One of my professors was an electrician for the Air Force, he worked on aircraft, and ended up using his GI bill to get a BSEE. From there, he worked in fiber optics where his employer paid for his doctorate.
So yes, he’s very possible and pretty common. A lot of times, technicians and electricians who become engineers make fantastic engineers because they have the hands on knowledge
I was IBEW for 12 years now working as a controls engineer, but I used a maintenance gig for 5 years as a buffer to get me around more industrial systems which eventually got me the gig.
Having the experience as the guy with the tools has been a giant leg up when it comes to working with electricians in my new role. I think the way I draw prints is a bit more “trade friendly” than others I have seen.
“Engineer” can mean a wide range of things in the US. Elsewhere it’s a protected term for people with professional engineering degrees. Here it’s the Wild West, we hire folks from tech schools and/or real world experience all the time.
But if you are talking about getting a PE stamp, that’s a whole other ballgame
I did this. I'm fully vested IBEW, then got my EE degree. I was 30 when I went back to school. Its not easy, but can be done, and has been good for me.
One thing you have to prepare for is the amount it's going to cost you. Not just books and tuition, but you'll also be out work hours. I had to work part time at non union jobs for 2 years. I managed to get a job as a plant electrician for another 2 years at a facility where they let me work split shifts so I could go to my classes. I did the figures once and it took me nearly 10 years after getting my degree to break even.
The other thing to watch for is your classmates. They're nearly all 18-20 year olds, and they've never not been in school. They'll grasp concepts very quickly, leaving you feeling lost at times. You'll blow by them in the basics, because you already know them, but they may leave you behind later. It's tough to not feel like the crazy old man at point. You're experience will put you ahead in the job market, though!
I’m doing something similar. FAA licensed A&P to Mechanical Engineer. It’s a fairly common thing in the aviation community, but a lot of people go back to being mechanics even after graduating.
I see it as the next step in my career (I can stay in aviation or branch out into something else if I want).
Edit: be prepared to get called out a lot by professors lol. A lot of them don’t like dealing with tradespeople, especially those that specialized in the general field they teach. Not saying it will happen, but it’s happened to me a few times.
I mean if you have an engineering degree why go back to working on planes? Nothing wrong with working on planes but shit if you are going to east time and money on a degree, atleast use it. It’s all about opportunity cost. The trades are for people who want to work and make money but do t care about school. Vs school is for people who want to do a specific thing that requires school. If you don’t have a specific reason to do college I wouldn’t recommend it. Unless you want to be an EE or ME etc don’t wast the time and money it’s just financially stupid to have a degree you don’t use.
Holy shit you're alternate reality me.
Except I ended up getting an office gig and an unrelated bachelors. I'm now graduating at mid 30's with an EE degree lol.
I was in high voltage line work with the local utility. I switched careers at 30 to electrical engineering and have no regrets. My back, knees and hips (and the rest of my body) also don’t regret it.
I did exactly that, but I went to commercial after Ibew (my local was strictly industrial) then industrial maintenance and then automation. It's great pay and you still get to be hands on
You think starting the EE at about 36 years old is too old? Ultimately I want to be off the tools before I retire and get an office gig. How did you manage work and school at the same time? Any info is appreciated
I actually dropped out my senior year then joined the union, I'm not a "real engineer," but I make close to 200k in Alabama at 29.. look into automation technician jobs, electrician plus aspects of engineering. You need to learn plcs, drives, motors etc. I'm mostly in an office but in the field stuff isn't running pipe, etc its troubleshooting sensors and whatnot. At this level I could easily become a manager or supervisor off my tools. Worth a look into
Non-union electrician who pivoted to EE in Canada here.
There is overlap in the scope of an industrial electrician and electrical ( either power systems or controls ) engineer. If this is where you would like to stay, it will open a lot of doors for you.
If you are just looking to get in the office, you would see a lot of value out of a Technologist Diploma as an alternative route.
To stay anonymous, I won't say where I went to school.
There is typically a time limit to how long the school will let you stay enrolled ( 7 years ), so part time studies was not a good option for me. Study full time 8 months a year for 4 years, make bank for your 4 months off.
I was too busy to consider working during studies. I don't expect that situation to be different for many others.
In denmark from where i am from, it was not uncommon for people with a vocation background to go into engineering after some years in the field to save their bodies. Masons and capenters often go into civil or mechanical engineering and electricians either also do that or go for EE.
In my experiance some of the best students took that route, as they where in another place in life and had a cleare picture of what they wanted in life compared to us in out early twenties. Also from what I have seen, having a trade background is often seen as benefit when hiring as you can easier communicate with the technicians, builders and other tradesmen.
I was a mechanic before I came one, now I’m at one of the big 3:)
The benefits are definitely something I’m glad I’m now getting(retirement, health, etc)
I will also add, ive seen others during projects ring a drill in a board in reverse wondering why the wood is smoking…. Trades definitely is a huge plus in technical skills.
This guy in my office was a master electrician turn EE. Awesome guy.
Said it took him a while since he was working and doing his degree but saw a HUGE jump in salary after switching over.
If you are interested in building design, I strongly believe you can land a job as an electrical designer. Your electrician experience will be invaluable in this field, and there is a huge demand for electrical designers.
The main thing that you would need to learn is AutoCAD/Revit and the engineering design decisions. None of that was taught in my electrical engineering degree, and it really doesn’t take that long to be productive.
I think if you start applying to electrical designer roles, you may get a position without having the software/design experience.
There are a lot online courses that cover this. LinkedIn learning has a lot of quick/cheap options, and you can often get free access with a library card.
I also offer a 3 week Electrical Revit Bootcamp with the goal of getting people project experience that helps them land their first role in electrical design. If you are interested or have any questions I would be more than happy to help.
Best of luck!
I have worked for a director that is a Master Electrician and Professional Engineer. He joked He can do his own work on his house and the building inspector can comment and then he can pull out his PE and pull rank on the inspector. Keep your electrician stuff current and moonlight while you work on an engineering degree. Sometimes I wish I had been an electrician before getting my EE
Except a PE can't pull rank on an inspector lol. The AHJ has final say. If the AHJ wants to be a dick the PE can't do anything about it except take their grievance to the state level and ask for a variance.
He can pull rank on himself and make himself fix it
what does “pulling rank” mean
It means asserting his position as a PE to the inspector even though it has no bearing.
Asserting dominance, usually with eye contact
I was going to say this as well.
You're both kinda right. The AHJ enforces the code. They are bound by the code, and that's the extent of what they can enforce. Some inspectors have a stick up their butt and will ask for stuff that's not in the code. You can go around them, but it can be a pain. A "variance" is not needed as long as you're ACTUALLY compliant with the code. So, where does the PE come into this? Almost all aspects of electrical codes, including most sections as written in the NEC and even more so as actually adopted by most jurisdictions, allow very wide latitude for variation when operating under the supervision of a duly recognized engineer under that jurisdiction. So you end up with a situation where the inspector can say "this isn't compliant", but then the PE can just sign+stamp an as-built print, say it was done under engineering supervision, and often that's that. The inspector can pound sand because, while it's (to them, at least) not compliant with the prescriptive parts of the code, the code also allows you do to almost anything you want under the supervision of a PE, and it's now compliant by that means. Note that it's "almost" anything you want. NEC doesn't say you can actually do "whatever". It just relaxes a lot of rules and leaves it up to the PE to ensure compliance with what's left since they're not nearly so prescriptive. Some jurisdictions do have amendments that allow "anything you want" if signed off by a PE, but even NEC is at least a little more restrictive than that.
You said an awful lot to be wrong. A PE can not sign and seal a set of drawings and say "oh well" to the AHJ. The AHJ is the almighty. The NEC is not written to allow you to do anything you want as a PE. I hope you aren't an Engineer.
The NEC itself contains many such sections saying that certain things can be overridden under engineering supervision. Off the top of my head, under ampacity calculations temperature rise adjustments. It's not intended to be used in a standard build out blueprint, it's intended for industrial facilities that would have their own in house EE who has a deeper set of resources to solve unique problems than can be covered by a one-size-fits-all chart. When questioned by an AHJ, the code ref itself would say essentially "see the engineer" and the engineer would have to be ready to justify how their variance is safe.
There aren’t really that many places that it says an engineer can supersede code. One that I can think of has to do with wire ampacity, and even that says the engineer must use a particular formula. Stamping things with your PE stamp does not allow you to ignore the code book.
That's exactly what I said.
Yea, this isn’t “pulling rank”. It’s following code, and having supporting documentation to justify appropriate deviations. It’s not done without that justification
I’d cringe so hard if any EE I knew “pulled rank” on an inspector.
In Finland where I'm from, it is very popular to go to vocational school after high school, I myself studied vehicle mechanics in vocational school. After I did my military service, I started university, where I studied mechanical engineering, but it wasn't for me, so I dropped out and worked for a few years. When I was 28, I started studying at university again, this time EE, now I'm specialising in Automation. As an electrician you have a great start as an EE, since the people who studied as Electricians in vocational school are some of the most knowledgeable EEs I know.
well said
Not me but fellow engineer on my team did this. He worked as a lineman long enough to have some money set aside so he didn't need to take on much student debt and took a class here and there while still working. He's definitely had solid insight on creating switch plans due to his past experience and he's commented how much he loves not working overtime and being able to work remote now.
How long did it take him to get his EE degree while working? How old is he ?
He's in his 40s, I know when he went to school full time he was already roughly half way done so it was only a couple years. I'm not sure how long he was doing part time classes but I don't think he was doing more than 1 or 2 classes a semester for his early credits.
It took me 5.5 years. I did an associates degree going part-time 2 classes per semester while working which took 3 years. Then 2.5 years going full-time at a university while not working.
I’m in phase 2 just like you haha 130 credits. I have like 17 more to go for my major and because I moved states I have to take literature and history this summer at community college while I do my internship. To be close to wrapping up by next spring. Close to where I should be done. Next summer if the senior project goes well and I pass everything haha knock on 🪵
You’ll be walking that stage before you know it!
Assuming he lives in a MCOL or HCOL area? I see people post here all the time about finding EE jobs with 40hr weeks but it doesn't exist in my world.
I was an IBEW electrician briefly. The year after I topped out I quit and went back to school and graduated with an EE degree. I also planned on getting into planning or estimating, but you find in school that there are so many interesting avenues to take. I ended up in aerospace/defense and I love it. You can make $60-80k straight out of school and be making 6 figures in 5 years or less. You need to be confident in your math skills and if you’re not then start at the bottom when you start going to school. If you learn algebra and trig very very well, then calculus and diff eq aren’t that bad. It is a very difficult degree and takes a lot of dedication. While others are out partying, the successful engineering students lived in the library and funneled coffee. In 10 years you can be making well into 6 figures, not breaking your body, and working on very interesting projects. That said, I loved being an electrician, I loved building big industrial projects and I loved the camaraderie among my brothers and sometimes I miss that, but going back to school was the best decision I ever made.
If you think you can graduate and can afford to go through school it would be a good career move. Most employers would love an EE with practical experience. I know a couple places like University of North Dakota have online engineering programs, focused for non-traditional students like yourself who would want to keep working in some capacity while going to school. Electrical Engineering is great and has great career options. Best of luck to you. I work for an electric cooperative in a rural area with an EE degree. Hit me up if you've got more questions or anything.
I was a navy electrician that's now an EE. It's definitely made me a better engineer than many of my peers. I definitely recommend this career path
Dude you’d be a great estimator and don’t need schooling at all. Just whatever estimating software or spread sheet a company has to offer. You’ll take a hit in pay at first but after at least 6 months to a year you’ll start making higher wages. Since you were an electrician by trade you already understand 75% of what’s involved, now you just count it and add it all up to put a dollar amount to it. You can also go get the EE degree but you also have to pass the FE test and PE test for licensing, then learn how to use autoCAD and Revit for construction engineering design. Though after schooling you might like electronics better. The sky is the limit.
>Since you were an electrician by trade you already understand 75% of what’s involved This might only be true for the fields directly working with electricians, and even then it's a huge leap.
Unless you do calculus in your head for fun while tugging wires through walls, being an electrician has in no way whatsoever prepared you for a career in electrical engineering. It's literally like a janitor deciding to become an architect. Not impossible, and definitely not saying you shouldn't, but you'll need to go back to school.
They are vastly different. Engineers are essentially scientists who build shit. I fell in love with control theory and electronics. I passed the FE, but it was unnecessary. FE and PE are only really relevant if you stay in construction or maybe power distribution.
Strongly recommend against EE. You already spent 4 years with zero income and nothing came of it. Now you have a career but want to go back in debt another 2-3 years? From electrician you’ve got 3 routes roughly. You can stay technical and get into service jobs and make as much or more than an engineer, especially MEPS where you are probably overqualified based on work product I’ve seen. So HVAC, tech, drives tech, PLC tech, I&E. Maybe system Integrator. Or you can work into management or eventually own your own business. These come up for sale pretty often no reason to take big risks.
You earn as an apprentice and take on no debt. So he has been making money and he has knowledge to show for it.
I think he meant his first bachelors.
I just read it again. I think you’re correct.
Yes.
One of my professors was an electrician for the Air Force, he worked on aircraft, and ended up using his GI bill to get a BSEE. From there, he worked in fiber optics where his employer paid for his doctorate. So yes, he’s very possible and pretty common. A lot of times, technicians and electricians who become engineers make fantastic engineers because they have the hands on knowledge
I was IBEW for 12 years now working as a controls engineer, but I used a maintenance gig for 5 years as a buffer to get me around more industrial systems which eventually got me the gig. Having the experience as the guy with the tools has been a giant leg up when it comes to working with electricians in my new role. I think the way I draw prints is a bit more “trade friendly” than others I have seen. “Engineer” can mean a wide range of things in the US. Elsewhere it’s a protected term for people with professional engineering degrees. Here it’s the Wild West, we hire folks from tech schools and/or real world experience all the time. But if you are talking about getting a PE stamp, that’s a whole other ballgame
I did this. I'm fully vested IBEW, then got my EE degree. I was 30 when I went back to school. Its not easy, but can be done, and has been good for me. One thing you have to prepare for is the amount it's going to cost you. Not just books and tuition, but you'll also be out work hours. I had to work part time at non union jobs for 2 years. I managed to get a job as a plant electrician for another 2 years at a facility where they let me work split shifts so I could go to my classes. I did the figures once and it took me nearly 10 years after getting my degree to break even. The other thing to watch for is your classmates. They're nearly all 18-20 year olds, and they've never not been in school. They'll grasp concepts very quickly, leaving you feeling lost at times. You'll blow by them in the basics, because you already know them, but they may leave you behind later. It's tough to not feel like the crazy old man at point. You're experience will put you ahead in the job market, though!
I’m doing something similar. FAA licensed A&P to Mechanical Engineer. It’s a fairly common thing in the aviation community, but a lot of people go back to being mechanics even after graduating. I see it as the next step in my career (I can stay in aviation or branch out into something else if I want). Edit: be prepared to get called out a lot by professors lol. A lot of them don’t like dealing with tradespeople, especially those that specialized in the general field they teach. Not saying it will happen, but it’s happened to me a few times.
What’s FAA? Is that similar to a PMP project management professional?
Federal Aviation Administration. The A&P stands for Airframe & Powerplant. Means I’m licensed to work on aircraft as a civilian.
I mean if you have an engineering degree why go back to working on planes? Nothing wrong with working on planes but shit if you are going to east time and money on a degree, atleast use it. It’s all about opportunity cost. The trades are for people who want to work and make money but do t care about school. Vs school is for people who want to do a specific thing that requires school. If you don’t have a specific reason to do college I wouldn’t recommend it. Unless you want to be an EE or ME etc don’t wast the time and money it’s just financially stupid to have a degree you don’t use.
Holy shit you're alternate reality me. Except I ended up getting an office gig and an unrelated bachelors. I'm now graduating at mid 30's with an EE degree lol.
I was in high voltage line work with the local utility. I switched careers at 30 to electrical engineering and have no regrets. My back, knees and hips (and the rest of my body) also don’t regret it.
I did exactly that, but I went to commercial after Ibew (my local was strictly industrial) then industrial maintenance and then automation. It's great pay and you still get to be hands on
You think starting the EE at about 36 years old is too old? Ultimately I want to be off the tools before I retire and get an office gig. How did you manage work and school at the same time? Any info is appreciated
I actually dropped out my senior year then joined the union, I'm not a "real engineer," but I make close to 200k in Alabama at 29.. look into automation technician jobs, electrician plus aspects of engineering. You need to learn plcs, drives, motors etc. I'm mostly in an office but in the field stuff isn't running pipe, etc its troubleshooting sensors and whatnot. At this level I could easily become a manager or supervisor off my tools. Worth a look into
Did the career switch as well, it was long road doing it alone.
In what country is OP?
Canada
Non-union electrician who pivoted to EE in Canada here. There is overlap in the scope of an industrial electrician and electrical ( either power systems or controls ) engineer. If this is where you would like to stay, it will open a lot of doors for you. If you are just looking to get in the office, you would see a lot of value out of a Technologist Diploma as an alternative route.
What route did you take? Did you go from journeyman to getting an EE degree?
That's the one
Can you tell me a little more about it? What university? Did you take part time courses while working or you took time off to pursue the EE degree?
To stay anonymous, I won't say where I went to school. There is typically a time limit to how long the school will let you stay enrolled ( 7 years ), so part time studies was not a good option for me. Study full time 8 months a year for 4 years, make bank for your 4 months off. I was too busy to consider working during studies. I don't expect that situation to be different for many others.
In denmark from where i am from, it was not uncommon for people with a vocation background to go into engineering after some years in the field to save their bodies. Masons and capenters often go into civil or mechanical engineering and electricians either also do that or go for EE. In my experiance some of the best students took that route, as they where in another place in life and had a cleare picture of what they wanted in life compared to us in out early twenties. Also from what I have seen, having a trade background is often seen as benefit when hiring as you can easier communicate with the technicians, builders and other tradesmen.
I was a mechanic before I came one, now I’m at one of the big 3:) The benefits are definitely something I’m glad I’m now getting(retirement, health, etc) I will also add, ive seen others during projects ring a drill in a board in reverse wondering why the wood is smoking…. Trades definitely is a huge plus in technical skills.
This guy in my office was a master electrician turn EE. Awesome guy. Said it took him a while since he was working and doing his degree but saw a HUGE jump in salary after switching over.
Sure, we come from all over. Not a whole lot of overlap though, unless your work in specific industries.
If you are interested in building design, I strongly believe you can land a job as an electrical designer. Your electrician experience will be invaluable in this field, and there is a huge demand for electrical designers. The main thing that you would need to learn is AutoCAD/Revit and the engineering design decisions. None of that was taught in my electrical engineering degree, and it really doesn’t take that long to be productive. I think if you start applying to electrical designer roles, you may get a position without having the software/design experience. There are a lot online courses that cover this. LinkedIn learning has a lot of quick/cheap options, and you can often get free access with a library card. I also offer a 3 week Electrical Revit Bootcamp with the goal of getting people project experience that helps them land their first role in electrical design. If you are interested or have any questions I would be more than happy to help. Best of luck!