How To Get Lift Certification Electricians Need in 2025

If you work as an electrician, you will more than likely spend time at height to do your electrical work. Maybe you're installing lights in a warehouse, fixing power lines, or working on some tall building's electrical system. These days, aerial lift certification and scissor lift certification are an expected requirements to show on your electrician profile or resume.

Here's what the numbers tell us, taken from hundreds of real electrician job listings. 22.3% of journeyman electrician jobs now want you to have aerial lift certification. 24.6% of master electrician positions ask for scissor lift training. Want to move up to general foreman? 30% of those jobs require both certifications.

This isn't just paperwork. Getting certified opens doors to better jobs and higher pay and keeps you safer on the job. Let's walk through how to get it done.

What is Aerial and Scissor Lift Certification?

Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) certification covers both aerial lifts and scissor lifts in one training program. You'll see it called different things depending on who's talking.

People call it:

• Lift Certifications
• Aerial Lift Training
• Scissor Lift Training
• MEWP Certification
• Boom Lift Training
• Cherry Picker Certification

The training teaches you how to stay safe, understand what the equipment can and can't do, and what to do when things go wrong. OSHA standard 1926.454 says anyone using these lifts on construction sites needs this training.

What makes MEWP operator training different is you get book learning plus hands-on time. It's more thorough than those basic safety talks.

Why Electricians Need This Certification

What the Job Market Looks Like

More electrical jobs want this certification every year. We looked at real job postings from electrical contractors and here's what we found.

Jobs that ask for certification most often:

• General Foreman 30% of jobs
• Master Electrician 24.6% of jobs
• Journeyman Electrician 22.3% of jobs
• Electrical Helper 20.5% of jobs

Staying Safe

Electrical work gets tricky when you're up in the air. Aerial lift electrical safety training covers how to avoid getting shocked near power lines, how to ground your lift properly, how far to stay away from overhead wires, protecting yourself from arc flash when you're up high, and making sure you don't fall.

What It Does for Your Career

Certified operators usually get:

• Better paying specialized jobs
• First pick for supervisor roles
• Lower insurance costs for their employers
• Meeting union requirements
• Work on utility and telecom projects

Types of Lifts Electricians Use

Aerial Lifts (Boom Lifts)

Articulating boom lifts (people call them knuckle booms) bend around stuff like building corners or equipment. Telescopic boom lifts (cherry pickers) reach way up for power line work.

Vehicle-mounted aerial lifts are what utility crews use. Trailer-mounted units move around construction sites easily.

Scissor Lifts

Electric scissor lifts work great inside buildings for electrical installs. Rough terrain scissor lifts handle outdoor construction sites. Compact scissor lifts fit through regular doorways for maintenance work.

How They're Classified

The industry sorts equipment by what it can do.

Group classifications

• Group A Platform stays over the base
• Group B Platform can stick out past the base

Type designations

• Type 1: You can't move while you're up
• Type 2: Moves only when you're down
• Type 3: Moves while you're up

Getting Certified Step by Step

Step 1: Pick Your Training Provider

We recommend the OSHA Education Center for aerial and scissor lift certification. Their program meets OSHA 1926.454 and ANSI A92 standards and costs $59.

Course link: https://www.oshaeducationcenter.com/compliance-training/aerial-scissor-lift-certificate/

💡 Pro Tip: Buildforce reimburses electricians for their lift certification as long as they pay for the course, complete the course, and upload a photo/screenshot of the course completion certificate to their Buildforce profile in the mobile app. This makes sure that we have official documentation in the app of your lift cert.

Step 2: Do the Online Training

The course has five parts with quizzes after each one.

What you’ll learn:

1. Module 1: Introduction to Aerial and Scissor Lift Safety
2. Module 2: Types of Aerial and Scissor Lifts
3. Module 3: Safety Procedures Before Use
4. Module  4: Safety Precautions During Use
5. Module 5: Safety Procedures After Use

The course includes five quizzes and a final exam requiring a 70% minimum score to pass. The program contains one hour of fully narrated instruction divided into five modules.

Step 3: Pass the Final Test

The final exam covers everything from all five parts. You can take it again if you don't pass the first time. Most electricians get it right on the first try if they pay attention during training.

Step 4: Do the Hands-On Assessment

Your boss has to watch you operate the actual equipment and sign off that you know what you're doing. This workplace test makes sure you can safely run the specific lifts you'll use on the job.

They'll check that you can:

• Look over the equipment before using it
• Run the basic controls
• Stop everything in an emergency
• Set it up in the right spot
• Use your safety gear correctly

How Long Your Certification Lasts

The certification itself doesn't expire, but employers typically treat it as valid for 3 years. Once that time passes, you may need to retake the course depending on the project or contractor you're working with.

You may also need to get re-certified right away if:

• Someone gets hurt using aerial lifts at work
• Your boss sees you doing something unsafe
• You start using different lift equipment
• Your employer thinks you need more training

Some companies want you to do annual refresher training even if your certification is still good. This helps you remember the safety rules and learn about new regulations.

What It Costs and What You Get Back

Training Costs

Online certification: $59-$149 (most people do this) In-person training: $200-$400 (includes practice time) Group rates Often cheaper for multiple people

Buildforce Pays You Back

Buildforce reimburses electricians for lift certification costs after they pay for the course, complete all training, upload a photo of their certificate to the Buildforce mobile app, and store the paperwork in the app.

Career Payback

Getting lift certified opens doors to better-paying jobs that need this credential. The certification often pays for itself by getting you access to projects you couldn't work on before.

Industry Standards and Compliance

Key regulations

• OSHA 1926.454 Aerial lift safety standards
• ANSI A92 Mobile elevating work platform requirements
• CSA B354 Canadian standards (for cross-border work)

These rules keep changing, with recent updates focusing on risk assessment, workplace inspections, and making sure operators know what they're doing.

Aerial and scissor lift certification has become standard for moving up in electrical work. With 30% of supervisor jobs wanting these credentials, waiting puts you behind other candidates.

The certification takes just a few hours and costs under $150. Finish the course, save your digital certificate right away, print a physical copy, upload your certificate to the Buildforce app for reimbursement, and notify your current employer of your new certification.

This opens doors to better-paying jobs in electrical work. More importantly, this training gives you knowledge that could prevent serious accidents. Your next projects are out there and they want certified operators who care about safety and getting better at their job.