Electrician salary
We don't have enough pay data for this role yet. Browse open jobs below — many listings state pay directly.
See what's hiring now
Browse open electricians.
What an electrician does
Electricians install, maintain and repair electrical systems in homes, businesses and industrial sites. It is licensed work reached through a paid apprenticeship rather than college debt.
Day-to-day duties
- Install wiring, fixtures and control systems
- Read and work from blueprints
- Diagnose and repair electrical faults
- Test systems for safety and code compliance
- Work to national and local electrical codes
Skills employers look for
- Blueprint and schematic reading
- Systematic fault diagnosis
- Code knowledge
- Comfortable working at height and in confined spaces
Requirements Licence required
- Apprenticeship (typically 4–5 years, paid)
- Journeyman licence after completing hours and exam
- Master electrician licence for contracting
- Ongoing code update training
How to get started
- 1 Apply to a union or non-union apprenticeship
- 2 Earn while you learn across 4–5 years
- 3 Pass the journeyman examination
- 4 Accumulate hours toward a master licence
- 5 Specialise or start your own contracting business
Job outlook: Persistent demand across construction, maintenance and increasingly solar and EV charging installation. Licensed trades are difficult to offshore or automate.
Common questions about electricians
What does an electrician do?
Electricians install, maintain and repair electrical systems in homes, businesses and industrial sites. It is licensed work reached through a paid apprenticeship rather than college debt. Day to day, that means install wiring, fixtures and control systems, read and work from blueprints, diagnose and repair electrical faults and test systems for safety and code compliance.
How do you become an electrician?
The usual route is: (1) apply to a union or non-union apprenticeship, (2) earn while you learn across 4–5 years, (3) pass the journeyman examination, (4) accumulate hours toward a master licence. Employers typically look for apprenticeship (typically 4–5 years, paid), journeyman licence after completing hours and exam and master electrician licence for contracting.
Do you need a certification to work as an electrician?
Yes. Working as an electrician requires formal certification or licensing — specifically journeyman licence after completing hours and exam and master electrician licence for contracting. Requirements are set at state level in most cases, so check your own state's rules before committing to a programme.
Are electricians in demand?
Persistent demand across construction, maintenance and increasingly solar and EV charging installation. Licensed trades are difficult to offshore or automate.
Do I need to pay for electrician training?
Generally no — electrician apprenticeships are paid positions. You earn a percentage of journeyman rate while training, rising as you progress. That makes it one of the few skilled careers you can enter without taking on education debt.
How long does it take to become a licensed electrician?
Around four to five years of apprenticeship, combining roughly 8,000 supervised hours with classroom instruction, then a journeyman exam. A master licence needs further years of experience and another exam.
Where are electricians most in demand?
See the metro and rural areas with the highest concentration of this work, ranked from Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
Similar roles
Pay figures are estimates for guidance only, not an offer or guarantee. Advertised ranges come from job postings on LocalWork; government figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Actual pay depends on experience, certifications, shift and employer.