Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
Electrician
Electricians install, maintain, and repair wiring, lighting, and control systems in homes, businesses, and industrial sites. Most states license electricians after documented hours and an exam.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What an electrician makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$63,190
$30.38 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $49,430
- 75th percentile
- $83,940
- 90th percentile
- $108,510
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 99%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +9.2%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 72,700
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
The standard route is a paid apprenticeship of about four years (union through IBEW/NECA training centers, or non-union through IEC and contractors), which combines paid work with classroom hours and ends with the journeyman exam. A high school diploma or GED, algebra, and a driver's license are the usual prerequisites; a pre-apprenticeship or a helper job gets many people in the door.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.
The next step
Registered electrical apprenticeship, then the state journeyman exam
- Typical cost
- Union apprenticeships are typically free to a few hundred dollars a year; some non-union programs charge several thousand dollars a year
- Time to complete
- About 4 years, paid from day one
Where to start Journeyman electrician exam prep
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for electricians by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $48.71 | $101,310 | $79,110 to $121,680 | 10,590 |
| Illinois | $47.87 | $99,560 | $73,520 to $117,460 | 23,120 |
| Hawaii | $46.38 | $96,460 | $70,460 to $120,740 | 3,070 |
| Washington | $45.78 | $95,220 | $66,630 to $121,530 | 19,380 |
| Alaska | $43.00 | $89,440 | $66,780 to $105,550 | 1,870 |
| Massachusetts | $38.18 | $79,420 | $57,860 to $100,480 | 17,810 |
| District of Columbia | $37.97 | $78,970 | $61,240 to $122,050 | 2,440 |
| New York | $37.86 | $78,750 | $60,480 to $106,420 | 40,130 |
| Minnesota | $37.58 | $78,160 | $58,430 to $101,410 | 14,350 |
| Connecticut | $37.28 | $77,540 | $58,060 to $95,070 | 7,710 |
| New Jersey | $37.14 | $77,250 | $62,400 to $121,110 | 13,520 |
| Montana | $36.90 | $76,760 | $60,400 to $81,420 | 2,750 |
| Wisconsin | $36.80 | $76,540 | $55,820 to $93,780 | 14,310 |
| Michigan | $36.67 | $76,270 | $50,360 to $92,300 | 23,530 |
| California | $36.62 | $76,160 | $59,280 to $103,000 | 73,310 |
| Wyoming | $36.59 | $76,120 | $59,670 to $85,960 | 2,960 |
| Maine | $36.24 | $75,380 | $62,930 to $84,390 | 3,780 |
| Rhode Island | $35.62 | $74,090 | $58,410 to $95,700 | 2,420 |
| Nevada | $35.37 | $73,570 | $48,920 to $96,550 | 8,350 |
| Maryland | $35.33 | $73,490 | $57,680 to $96,010 | 13,690 |
| Indiana | $32.93 | $68,490 | $50,000 to $91,290 | 19,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $32.50 | $67,600 | $55,140 to $95,500 | 22,730 |
| Kansas | $31.66 | $65,860 | $51,320 to $80,560 | 6,350 |
| North Dakota | $31.59 | $65,710 | $56,920 to $80,510 | 3,570 |
| Missouri | $31.45 | $65,410 | $49,810 to $93,760 | 12,780 |
| West Virginia | $31.16 | $64,810 | $48,610 to $83,920 | 4,290 |
| Ohio | $31.11 | $64,700 | $50,120 to $80,500 | 28,950 |
| Delaware | $30.63 | $63,700 | $48,040 to $90,510 | 2,260 |
| Vermont | $30.49 | $63,430 | $57,280 to $80,390 | 1,270 |
| Idaho | $30.29 | $63,000 | $48,380 to $82,040 | 5,690 |
| Virginia | $30.24 | $62,900 | $49,410 to $78,190 | 23,630 |
| New Hampshire | $30.21 | $62,840 | $48,420 to $78,370 | 3,330 |
| Colorado | $29.92 | $62,230 | $48,880 to $78,470 | 17,010 |
| Utah | $29.81 | $62,000 | $48,360 to $79,310 | 11,450 |
| Louisiana | $29.59 | $61,540 | $48,910 to $72,840 | 10,550 |
| South Dakota | $29.51 | $61,390 | $49,660 to $72,450 | 2,980 |
| Tennessee | $29.37 | $61,090 | $48,380 to $76,060 | 17,070 |
| Arizona | $29.36 | $61,060 | $48,360 to $77,060 | 21,140 |
| Oklahoma | $29.33 | $61,010 | $47,640 to $76,510 | 8,500 |
| Iowa | $29.26 | $60,860 | $46,400 to $79,970 | 10,310 |
| Mississippi | $29.26 | $60,860 | $47,350 to $63,740 | 6,610 |
| Nebraska | $29.24 | $60,820 | $48,140 to $79,130 | 6,440 |
| Kentucky | $28.71 | $59,720 | $46,540 to $77,920 | 11,030 |
| South Carolina | $28.24 | $58,740 | $47,910 to $66,190 | 8,010 |
| Texas | $28.16 | $58,570 | $46,670 to $71,130 | 76,770 |
| New Mexico | $28.07 | $58,390 | $46,730 to $73,380 | 5,020 |
| Georgia | $28.04 | $58,320 | $46,640 to $76,490 | 21,650 |
| Florida | $27.52 | $57,250 | $47,660 to $61,900 | 49,700 |
| North Carolina | $27.31 | $56,800 | $47,070 to $61,920 | 21,640 |
| Alabama | $26.78 | $55,690 | $46,120 to $64,450 | 10,900 |
| Arkansas | $23.59 | $49,070 | $38,550 to $62,380 | 7,500 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be an electrician?
No. BLS lists "high school diploma or equivalent" as the typical education for entry, and 99% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is registered electrical apprenticeship, then the state journeyman exam.
How much does an electrician make?
The median pay was $63,190 a year ($30.38 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $49,430 and $83,940, and the top 10 percent earned more than $108,510.
How long does it take to become an electrician?
About 4 years, paid from day one. The typical cost is union apprenticeships are typically free to a few hundred dollars a year; some non-union programs charge several thousand dollars a year.
Is electrician work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 9.2% from 2025 to 2035 with about 72,700 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 47-2111.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile