Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$42,640
- 25th Percentile — Junior$49,430
- 50th Percentile — Median$63,190
- 75th Percentile — Senior$83,940
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$108,510
The top 10% of Electricians earn $108,510 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $42,640, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Electricians Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical power, lighting, communications, and control systems in homes, businesses, and factories. They read blueprints, run wiring, test circuits, and make sure work meets electrical codes.
How to become one
Most electricians learn through a four- to five-year apprenticeship that combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Most states require electricians to pass an exam and hold a license, with journeyman and master levels.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $99,750 | +39.5% |
| Washington | $94,470 | +32.1% |
| Hawaii | $92,870 | +29.9% |
| Illinois | $92,230 | +29.0% |
| Alaska | $90,040 | +25.9% |
| District of Columbia | $88,860 | +24.3% |
| New Jersey | $86,700 | +21.3% |
| California | $85,860 | +20.1% |
| New York | $84,860 | +18.7% |
| Massachusetts | $81,560 | +14.1% |
| Minnesota | $80,830 | +13.1% |
| Connecticut | $77,390 | +8.3% |
| Maine | $77,250 | +8.1% |
| Pennsylvania | $75,770 | +6.0% |
| Nevada | $75,710 | +5.9% |
| Maryland | $75,450 | +5.5% |
| Wyoming | $74,860 | +4.7% |
| Rhode Island | $74,150 | +3.7% |
| Michigan | $73,840 | +3.3% |
| Wisconsin | $73,810 | +3.2% |
| Vermont | $73,360 | +2.6% |
| Missouri | $72,310 | +1.1% |
| Montana | $71,930 | +0.6% |
| Indiana | $70,820 | -0.9% |
| Delaware | $70,750 | -1.0% |
| North Dakota | $70,460 | -1.4% |
| Kansas | $69,200 | -3.2% |
| Ohio | $68,840 | -3.7% |
| Virginia | $67,850 | -5.1% |
| West Virginia | $67,840 | -5.1% |
| Idaho | $66,600 | -6.8% |
| Colorado | $66,310 | -7.2% |
| New Hampshire | $65,780 | -8.0% |
| Utah | $65,290 | -8.7% |
| Arizona | $64,220 | -10.2% |
| Nebraska | $63,960 | -10.5% |
| Tennessee | $63,540 | -11.1% |
| Oklahoma | $63,410 | -11.3% |
| Iowa | $63,190 | -11.6% |
| Louisiana | $62,350 | -12.8% |
| South Dakota | $61,980 | -13.3% |
| Kentucky | $61,410 | -14.1% |
| Georgia | $61,090 | -14.5% |
| New Mexico | $59,620 | -16.6% |
| Texas | $59,280 | -17.1% |
| South Carolina | $59,030 | -17.4% |
| Mississippi | $58,000 | -18.9% |
| Florida | $57,660 | -19.3% |
| Alabama | $57,510 | -19.6% |
| North Carolina | $56,850 | -20.5% |
| Arkansas | $53,470 | -25.2% |
What Factors Affect Electricians Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Electricians is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Oregon pays an average of $99,750, while Arkansas pays $53,470 — a gap of $46,280 per year.
Union membership, licensing level, and specialty (industrial, commercial, or residential) all shape pay. Electricians in large metro areas and on industrial or utility projects earn the most, while overtime and travel work add to annual earnings.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Plumbers Pipefitters and Steamfitters $72,170/yr United States +1.0% vs this role
- Carpenters $65,630/yr United States 8.2% vs this role
- Construction Laborers $52,030/yr United States 27.2% vs this role
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades $86,450/yr United States +20.9% vs this role
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons $68,280/yr United States 4.5% vs this role
- Carpet Installers $56,990/yr United States 20.3% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +41.9% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +92.1% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Electricians?
The average salary for Electricians in the United States is $71,490 per year, with a median of $63,190.
What is the starting salary for Electricians?
Entry-level Electricians typically earn between $42,640 and $49,430 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Electricians the most?
Oregon pays Electricians the most at $99,750 per year on average, followed by Washington ($94,470) and Hawaii ($92,870).
How much do Electricians make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $71,490, Electricians earn approximately $34.37 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Electricians a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 757,220 Electricians jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $71,490 and a median of $63,190 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
Related Salary Pages
Explore more salary data