A Guide to Amusement Park Electrician Jobs

If you spent your whole life loving the world of roller coasters and amusement parks, you can make a career out of your passion. Electricians are needed in amusement parks every day. From ride operations to amusement park decor, electricians are often the backbone of the parks and will help keep the park running smoothly on a daily basis.

Through electrical training courses, you have the ability to secure a job as a theme park electrician. Before you start your career, you should know about some elements of the job. By understanding the world of theme park electricians, you may focus on certain areas within your training and gain the experience necessary to thrive within the job.

Graveyard Shifts

For everyday maintenance, inspections, and upgrades to theme parks, electricians often have to work the graveyard shift. When the parks close at night, electricians have the freedom to roam around the park and access areas without constantly running into crowds or problems.

The graveyard shift often requires a big shift in your daily routine, so you should be prepared for a potential change in schedule and some odd shift hours. If the graveyard shift does not fit your ability and sleep routine, you may still be able to find a limited amount of daytime opportunities, especially when emergency electrical workers are needed for various jobs.

Through your electrical training, you have the ability to take night courses. Night courses will help prepare you for the graveyard shift. Along with your traditional electrical work, you may learn how to properly set up lighting rigs and gear to help you work at night.

Preparation is key. The last thing you want to do is complete all your training during the day and get thrust into a job in the middle of the night unprepared.

Non-Disclosure Agreements

When you enter the world of theme parks, you experience a rich history, competitive parks, and secrets that the locations have held on to for numerous years. To help protect the hidden park secrets, many employees must sign non-disclosure agreements.

Electricians almost always have to sign the agreements because they have the opportunity to see the inner-workings of amusement park rides and their functions. Basically, as an amusement park electrician, you will have access to areas of amusement parks you have never seen before, but you cannot share the information you find.

If you bring a cell phone to work, you will probably no be allowed to capture photos or videos of the park ride inner-workings. The job you have will come with a lot of privilege for the amusement park you get to view and explore.

Fast Workers

The key to a successful amusement park is to ensure a majority of the park is up and running for guests to enjoy. One way to help with this is through hiring electricians who have the ability to get jobs done quickly, safely, and efficiently.

For example, when a ride shuts down due to electrical problems, an electrician will need to help get the ride running again quickly. As a trained electrician, you should have the ability to work on your feet, make quick decisions, and complete tasks independently.

Through electrical training, you have the ability to work through an apprenticeship program where you get real-world work and exposure to a number of different situations.

Seasonal Workers

While many amusement parks operate year-round, many in the United States operate on a seasonal basis. When an amusement park only runs seasonally, there may be periods where you work less or have extended periods of time off.

As a seasonal worker, you may have opportunities to work other electrical jobs or have expanded hours during the peak season. The expanded hours during the peak season could help make up for lost time during the winter months. Sometimes electricians may be used in the off-season to help install new rides and features.

If you want a career in the world of amusement parks, sign up for our electrical training classes today at IEC of Greater Cincinnati. We have many opportunities and courses available to help get you started in the world of amusement parks.