Jman is the clipped, spoken and texted form of journeyman, heard on jobsites, at the union hall and all over online trade talk. Lines like 'ask your jman' or 'you'll get it when you're a jman' mark the gap between apprentice and licensed hand. Some programs prefer journeyworker, shortened to JW, but the clipped form rules on site.
Ask your jman before you land anything in that panel, I don't care how many times you've done it.
Also heard as
- J-man
- journeyworker
- JW
Related terms
Journeyman
Licensed electrician who has finished an apprenticeship and passed an exam, qualified to work unsupervised.
Apprentice
Electrician in training who works under a journeyman while logging set hours of job experience and school.
Sparky
Friendly nickname for an electrician, used on jobsites by other trades, customers and electricians themselves.