bk406 said:Electrical work is not a hobby, it's a profession
Why would you think it was a hobby? No one except you here called it such. I certainly hope that those houses you wired up were your own, because in most jurisdictions performing that type of work for others requires a license, and whether for a whole house or for a simple outlet addition,circumventing the permit and inspection process is to put it bluntly very stupid, because it voids most insurance policies and leaves you with a possible burnt down home and no coverage.
In many jurisdictions a homeowner can literally build their own home from the ground up. In mine, you can do everything except tie into the municipal sewer. That has to be done by a licensed plumber. If you think electrical work is not manual labor, start bending 4-0 to 90 deg in cold weather. My hand strength has skyrocketed after that project (I added on over 1500 square feet under roof). Yes there is plenty of technical knowledge that goes into doing the job and doing it right, I did not mean to belittle that, but if you do electrical work, it's a given you got some strong hands. Beyond educating yourself in the technical aspects of any job, most are a lot of labor guided by the technical expertise.
I greatly respect the time and effort that goes into obtaining the education and experience that goes into obtaining licensing for a profession. But self-education and a can-do attitude, coupled with safe and law-abiding work can be very personally rewarding both financially and in your gut. Know your limits, do it safe and right, admit to yourself what you do not know and seek qualified professional advice where necessary (heck even where not if you have any doubt) and you can do almost anything.
and that's something that has the potential to affect the health of many. 
