Electrician salary

The median pay for an electrician nationally is $35.00 an hour — about $72,800 a year full time. That is based on 12 job postings on LocalWork from the last 12 months that stated pay, so it reflects what employers are advertising rather than verified earnings. Half of the roles pay more than this and half pay less, so treat it as the middle of the market rather than a target.

Most electricians nationally earn between $25.25 an hour and $47.50 an hour — that is the 10th to the 90th percentile. The spread usually reflects experience, shift, certifications and employer size more than anything else.

Pay at the bottom of the range — roughly what someone starting out can expect — is around $25.25 an hour. A quarter of electricians earn below $28.87 an hour, so the first year or two typically sits in that band.

The top 10% of electricians nationally earn about $47.50 an hour or more, roughly 1.4× the median. Getting there usually means experience plus something specific — advanced certification, supervisory responsibility, or specialising in higher-paying work.

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.

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.

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.

There are currently 12 open electricians listed on LocalWork. Persistent demand across construction, maintenance and increasingly solar and EV charging installation. Licensed trades are difficult to offshore or automate.

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.

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.