How Much to Pay an Electrician in 2026
By BRIX Editorial Team · Updated
Electricians earned a median $30.38 an hour ($63,190 a year) in May 2025, according to BLS, and $29.63 at electrical and other specialty trade contractors. Electrician helpers, the closest BLS match for apprentices, earned $20.51. The top 10% of electricians made over $52.17, mostly licensed masters and utility workers.
Key takeaways
- National median for SOC 47-2111: $30.38; the middle half earn $23.76–$40.36.
- Contractors employ 565,430 electricians at a $29.63 median. Utilities pay $51.27, and they recruit from your crews.
- Oregon ($48.71) and Illinois ($47.87) have the highest state medians; Arkansas ($23.59) the lowest.
- In our illustrative example an apprentice costs $51.81 per billable hour and a journeyman $64.13.
- Shift and service premiums are part of the regular rate, so they raise overtime pay too.
How much do electricians make?
Electricians are the largest skilled trade BLS tracks, with 757,220 employed in May 2025 at a median of $30.38 an hour. The range runs from $20.50 at the 10th percentile, mostly newer licensed electricians in low-wage areas, to $52.17 at the 90th, where you'll find master electricians, union wiremen in high-wage metros and utility line-side work.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $20.50 | $42,640 |
| 25th | $23.76 | $49,430 |
| Median | $30.38 | $63,190 |
| 75th | $40.36 | $83,940 |
| 90th | $52.17 | $108,510 |
What should you pay apprentices vs. journeymen?
BLS says most electricians train through a four- or five-year apprenticeship, with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training a year, and most states then license them by exam on the National Electrical Code and local codes. That creates natural pay steps. BLS doesn't publish a separate apprentice wage, but electrician helpers are the closest category.
| Level | What they can do | BLS anchor | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helper / early apprentice | Pulls wire, mounts boxes, works under supervision | Electrician helpers median (47-3013) | $20.51 |
| Late apprentice | Roughs in and trims out with light supervision | Electrician helpers 90th percentile | $28.05 |
| New journeyman | Works alone on most residential and light commercial | Electricians 25th percentile | $23.76 |
| Experienced journeyman | Service calls, troubleshooting, leads small jobs | Electricians median | $30.38 |
| Master / foreman | Pulls permits, runs crews and inspections | Electricians 75th percentile | $40.36 |
Do apprentices actually save money?
Per hour paid, yes; per hour billed, less than you'd think. Apprentices bill fewer of their hours because they work alongside a journeyman or spend time learning. The comparison below runs both through the payroll cost calculator with illustrative inputs.
| Apprentice | Journeyman | |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly wage | $20.51 | $29.63 |
| Annual wages (40 h + 3 h OT a week) | $47,460 | $68,564 |
| Payroll taxes, workers' comp ($4.50/$100) and benefits ($600/mo) | $13,251 | $15,816 |
| Truck, tools, training (illustrative) | $3,000 | $16,000 |
| Total annual cost | $63,712 | $100,379 |
| Billable share (illustrative) | 55% | 70% |
| Cost per billable hour | $51.81 | $64.13 |
The apprentice still costs less per billable hour here, $51.81 versus $64.13, and frees journeyman time for work only a license holder can do. The catch is supervision: check your state's apprentice-to-journeyman ratio before planning crews.
- Gross wages
- $67,080
- Employer Social Security (6.2%)
- $4,159
- Employer Medicare (1.45%)
- $973
- Federal unemployment (FUTA)
- $42
- State unemployment (SUTA)
- $243
- Workers' comp
- $3,019
- Benefits and other costs
- $7,500
- Labor burden on top of wages
- 23.8%
- Cost per paid hour
- $38.01
- Cost per billable hour
- $54.30
A $30.00/hour employee really costs you $38.01 for every hour you pay, and $54.30 for every hour you can bill at 70% billable. Price labor off that last number, not the wage, or the burden comes out of your margin.
Who competes with you for electricians?
Contractors employ about three in four electricians, 565,430 of them at a median of $29.63. Utilities are the big competitor for experienced people: electric power generation and distribution pays a median of $51.27, and natural gas distribution $63.35. Building contractors pay about the same as specialty contractors ($30.65).
| Industry (NAICS) | Employed | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 757,220 | $20.50 | $30.38 | $52.17 | $63,190 |
| Specialty trade contractors (238) | 565,430 | $19.05 | $29.63 | $52.18 | $61,630 |
| Construction of buildings (236) | 18,980 | $21.43 | $30.65 | $49.03 | $63,750 |
| Utilities (221) | 8,980 | $30.75 | $51.27 | $63.84 | $106,640 |
| Electrician helpers, all industries (SOC 47-3013) | 63,630 | $15.88 | $20.51 | $28.05 | $42,670 |
What do electricians earn by state?
State medians range from $23.59 an hour in Arkansas to $48.71 in Oregon. Oregon, Illinois, Hawaii and Washington all top $45, while Texas, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina sit between $27 and $29. Texas employs the most electricians of any state.
| State | Employed | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 10,590 | $28.63 | $48.71 | $63.24 | $101,310 |
| Illinois | 23,120 | $23.67 | $47.87 | $59.45 | $99,560 |
| Hawaii | 3,070 | $21.99 | $46.38 | $59.90 | $96,460 |
| Washington | 19,380 | $25.08 | $45.78 | $64.40 | $95,220 |
| New York | 40,130 | $21.99 | $37.86 | $63.29 | $78,750 |
| California | 73,310 | $22.50 | $36.62 | $67.47 | $76,160 |
| Pennsylvania | 22,730 | $21.92 | $32.50 | $58.95 | $67,600 |
| Ohio | 28,950 | $19.59 | $31.11 | $47.73 | $64,700 |
| Arizona | 21,140 | $21.89 | $29.36 | $43.08 | $61,060 |
| Texas | 76,770 | $18.23 | $28.16 | $38.61 | $58,570 |
| Georgia | 21,650 | $17.88 | $28.04 | $40.39 | $58,320 |
| Florida | 49,700 | $18.36 | $27.52 | $37.10 | $57,250 |
| North Carolina | 21,640 | $19.29 | $27.31 | $36.09 | $56,800 |
| Arkansas | 7,500 | $16.79 | $23.59 | $35.80 | $49,070 |
How should you structure electrician pay?
Most electrical contractors pay hourly by license level, because so much of the work is project-based and hard to measure per task. Service departments add premiums for service calls or after-hours work, and some pay a bonus for finishing jobs under estimated hours. Keep any bonus tied to hours saved without callbacks or inspection failures.
| Structure | Fits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly by license level | Construction and remodel crews | Clear criteria and timelines for each raise |
| Hourly + service premium | Service electricians who run calls alone | Premium counts toward overtime |
| Hourly + job-hours bonus | Crews on bid work | Don't reward rushing inspections |
| Hourly + sales commission | Service techs selling panels, generators, EV chargers | Upselling; set rules for callbacks |
What should you fix before hiring another electrician?
Look at how your current electricians spend their day. If they drive across town between jobs, wait on callbacks from customers, or come back to the shop for missing parts, better scheduling may give you a day of capacity a week before you add anyone. Check technician utilization and make sure after-hours service calls get answered.
Next: the electrician hiring guide covers license checks, a practical test and interview questions; how to hire and pay technicians compares pay plans across trades.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I pay a journeyman electrician?
Start near your state's median for electricians and adjust for experience and the work. BLS puts the national May 2025 median at $30.38 an hour and the 25th percentile, a reasonable new-journeyman anchor, at $23.76. Oregon's state median is $48.71; Arkansas's is $23.59.
What do electrician apprentices make?
BLS doesn't report apprentices separately; electrician helpers, the closest category, earned a May 2025 median of $20.51 an hour, with the 90th percentile at $28.05. Registered and union apprenticeship programs often set wage steps as a percentage of journeyman pay.
Do electricians get overtime?
Hourly electricians are generally non-exempt, so the FLSA requires time and a half of the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. The regular rate includes premiums, shift differentials and nondiscretionary bonuses. Some states have stricter rules, such as daily overtime.
Why do utilities pay electricians so much more?
Utility work often involves high-voltage systems, union contracts and around-the-clock coverage. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $51.27 for electricians at utilities versus $29.63 at contractors, which is why contractors lose experienced electricians to utilities.
Is electrician demand growing?
Yes. BLS projects 9% employment growth for electricians from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 72,700 openings a year. Growth in electrification work, such as EV chargers, solar and panel upgrades, adds demand for licensed electricians. See how that compares across trades in our trades business statistics.
Is it cheaper to hire an apprentice than a journeyman?
Per hour paid, yes. Per billable hour the gap narrows, because apprentices bill less of their time. In our illustrative example, an apprentice costs $51.81 per billable hour and a journeyman $64.13. Supervision ratios set by your state also limit how many you can use.
Related
- Hiring Electricians: A Guide for Electrical ContractorsHow electrical contractors hire: license and ratio checks, service vs construction electricians, a hands-on troubleshooting test and a 90-day plan.
- How to Hire Technicians and Build a Pay Plan That WorksHire and pay field techs right: where to find them, interviews, hourly vs. commission vs. flat-rate pay plans, overtime math and W-2 vs. 1099 risk.
- How to Get an Electrician License in Texas: Every TDLR Tier, Hours and FeeTexas electrician license tiers from apprentice to contractor: TDLR hours, exams, fees, CE and insurance, each linked to the official TDLR page.
- True Cost of an Employee Calculator for Trades BusinessesSee what an hourly employee really costs: wages, 7.65% employer FICA, FUTA, SUTA, workers' comp and benefits, per paid and per billable hour.
- Labor Burden CalculatorCalculate labor burden with 2026 payroll tax rates, workers' comp, benefits, PTO and unbillable time. See an employee's true cost per billable hour.
- What Is Labor Burden?Labor burden is what an employee costs beyond wages: payroll taxes, workers' comp, benefits. See the formula, 2026 tax rates and a tech's true hourly cost.
- What Is Technician Utilization?Technician utilization is the share of paid hours spent on customer jobs. Learn the formula, how it differs from billable efficiency, and how to raise it.
- How Much to Pay a Plumber in 2026: Apprentice to MasterPlumber pay from BLS May 2025: $30.67 median, apprentice to journeyman steps, state wages, commission plans with overtime math, full cost.
- How Much to Pay an HVAC Technician in 2026HVAC tech pay from BLS May 2025: $29.33 median, $28.88 at contractors, state wages, spiff and commission plans, overtime math, cost per billable hour.
- Electrician Software for Panel Upgrades, EV Chargers, Permits and Progress BillingElectrician software that answers calls, books site visits for panels and EV chargers, tracks permits and license renewals, and progress-bills bigger jobs.
Sources
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Electricians (47-2111), national estimates (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Helpers--Electricians (47-3013), national estimates (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Specialty Trade Contractors (NAICS 238000) occupational estimates (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS OEWS May 2025: National industry-specific occupational estimates (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS OEWS May 2025: State occupational employment and wage estimates (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians (training, licensing, outlook 2025–35) (checked October 24, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime pay (FLSA) (checked October 24, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #56A, Overview of the regular rate of pay under the FLSA (checked October 24, 2026)
- IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide, for use in 2026 (checked October 24, 2026)