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Coast Guard Rating · Engineering

EM Electrician's Mate

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

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Overview

Electrician's mates operate, install, maintain, and repair motors, generators, switchboards, control equipment, power circuits, lighting circuits, and electrical fixtures. They test for short circuits, grounds, and other casualties, rebuild electrical equipment, and manage systems that include power generation, propulsion plant controls, interior communications, electronic navigation equipment, and gyrocompass equipment.

Core Skills

  • Shipboard electrical machinery maintenance and repair
  • Shore facility electrical equipment installation

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment

Installing, maintaining, and repairing electrical equipment aboard Coast Guard vessels transfers directly to the electrical repair side of transportation equipment work.

How to prepare: Compare your documented shipboard repair experience with marine electrical repair openings and seek hands-on training for unfamiliar diagnostic equipment.

What the civilian work involves
  • Inspect and test electrical systems and equipment to locate and diagnose malfunctions, using visual inspections, testing devices, and computer software.
  • Reassemble and test equipment after repairs.

Electricians

Installing and repairing electrical equipment at Coast Guard shore facilities provides directly relevant experience for civilian electrical installation and maintenance.

How to prepare: Ask an apprenticeship sponsor to evaluate your military electrical experience for a shortened apprenticeship; a high school diploma or equivalent is required to enter the trade. Most states require electricians to pass a licensing test, and independent work is subject to state or local licensing requirements.

What the civilian work involves
  • Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
  • Assemble, install, test, or maintain electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, apparatus, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.

Training & Development

Choose credentials for your target role. COOL funding markers describe program listings, not a guarantee of eligibility or funding.

Getting Started

  • Associate Electronics Technician (CETa)

    Document foundational electronics knowledge for transportation electrical repair work; the issuer designed this credential for technicians with less than two years of electronics experience or training.

    For: Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment

Notes & Sources

Evidence for this guidance (5 documents)
  1. USCG authority snapshot: EM Electrician's Mate

    [1] data/authority/coast_guard-codes.json entry EM (COOL USCG MOC Feed (uscg.json) + Go Coast Guard - Enlisted Careers (gocoastguard.com)); fetched 2026-07-25

    Supports: Shipboard electrical machinery maintenance and repair, Shore facility electrical equipment installation, Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment (O*NET 49-2093.00), Electricians (O*NET 47-2111.00)

  2. O*NET: Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment (O*NET 49-2093.00)

  3. O*NET: Electricians

    [3] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Electricians (O*NET 47-2111.00)

  4. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Electricians

    [4] How to Become an Electrician (education, training, licenses); retrieved 24 September 2026

    Supports: Electricians (O*NET 47-2111.00)

  5. COOL credential mapping: Associate Electronics Technician (CETa)

    [5] EM cached COOL credential feed

    Supports: Associate Electronics Technician (CETa)

    [6]ETA International: Associate Certified Electronics Technician · CETa description and CETa Exam Info; retrieved 2026-09-23

    Supports: Associate Electronics Technician (CETa)

Defense contractor jobs for EM

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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