Electrician salary

In the United States, the average wage for an electrician is $28.87 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which comes out to around $60,040 per year.

Electrician career snapshot

Median pay

$60,040 ($28.87/hr)

Required degrees

None

10-year job growth

9% (Faster than average)

There are many benefits to becoming an electrician, including being able to work anywhere you want since there is a need for electricity almost everywhere in the world.

Electricians can also choose if they would like to work for a small company, large company, or—when they have enough experience—they can choose to work for themselves.

Last but not least, electricians also make competitive salaries with the opportunity for growth with experience.

Electrician salary overview

In 2021, the median salary for an electrician was $60,040, with amounts ranging based on experience, type of employer worked for, and location.

Electricians in the lowest 10% make less than $37,020 per year, while electricians in the highest 10% make more than $99,800 per year.

The amount of electrician jobs is expected to grow 9% per year between 2020 and 2030, which is slightly higher than the 8% average for all occupations.

Median Annual Salary: $56,180 ($27.01 per hour)
Top 10% Annual Salary: $96,580 ($46.43 per hour)
Bottom 10% Annual Salary: $33,410 ($16.06 per hour)

Electrician median annual salary (2010-2019)

Electrician salary by state

Looking at the state-specific salary data can give you a better idea of what you can make in your area.

Certain states—such as Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Oregon—have higher average electrician salaries while others—such as Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Mississippi—have lower average electrician salaries.

Here is a look at electrician salaries by state:

State	10th Percentile	25th Percentile	50th Percentile (Median)	75th Percentile	90th Percentile
Alabama	$31,640	$37,220	$46,260	$56,840	$64,740
Alaska	$44,790	$65,110	$77,690	$90,770	$100,490
Arizona	$32,220	$38,520	$48,300	$58,870	$68,490
Arkansas	$26,240	$33,230	$43,550	$54,390	$63,150
California	$36,050	$48,320	$64,600	$87,060	$116,840
Colorado	$33,140	$40,600	$54,250	$66,670	$78,580
Connecticut	$35,780	$51,800	$61,220	$78,270	$95,000
Delaware	$35,000	$43,030	$55,340	$72,680	$92,220
District of Columbia	$50,250	$65,510	$85,310	$96,120	$103,280
Florida	$29,060	$35,330	$43,680	$53,750	$64,740
Georgia	$31,920	$39,390	$49,730	$63,150	$75,200
Hawaii	$49,580	$58,900	$75,300	$96,240	$113,350
Idaho	$29,840	$36,020	$51,260	$62,650	$74,950
Illinois	$42,950	$60,610	$81,470	$97,860	$112,580
Indiana	$33,730	$43,480	$57,240	$74,530	$88,410
Iowa	$33,230	$42,950	$55,930	$67,940	$79,270
Kansas	$29,210	$39,860	$53,850	$67,300	$82,430
Kentucky	$32,680	$39,490	$51,990	$68,220	$77,880
Louisiana	$34,280	$41,240	$50,800	$61,760	$73,940
Maine	$37,120	$45,650	$55,360	$62,550	$71,660
Maryland	$34,160	$43,910	$56,220	$71,590	$90,320
Massachusetts	$36,420	$50,470	$68,080	$90,780	$114,040
Michigan	$33,920	$45,520	$61,440	$76,030	$91,400
Minnesota	$37,780	$51,450	$68,050	$86,530	$99,340
Mississippi	$31,900	$40,360	$49,810	$58,310	$63,380
Missouri	$34,070	$44,190	$62,750	$75,580	$84,710
Montana	$35,310	$48,490	$59,550	$72,500	$84,600
Nebraska	$31,460	$37,590	$50,510	$65,580	$80,240
Nevada	$37,560	$48,270	$61,270	$81,670	$97,280
New Hampshire	$33,530	$42,200	$55,590	$66,980	$79,060
New Jersey	$39,690	$50,480	$67,310	$97,520	$121,540
New Mexico	$30,750	$37,180	$49,040	$61,460	$74,310
New York	$39,240	$51,850	$71,640	$110,110	$127,460
North Carolina	$32,240	$37,320	$44,670	$52,310	$61,470
North Dakota	$42,180	$53,950	$62,750	$75,260	$90,620
Ohio	$30,480	$39,360	$52,880	$66,600	$78,720
Oklahoma	$30,760	$37,360	$48,740	$60,830	$75,440
Oregon	$42,570	$59,050	$77,190	$93,170	$102,950
Pennsylvania	$36,790	$47,180	$62,260	$83,250	$115,550
Rhode Island	$33,410	$43,290	$58,360	$70,500	$82,640
South Carolina	$29,280	$36,530	$45,890	$56,420	$66,140
South Dakota	$32,570	$37,380	$45,680	$54,950	$62,800
Tennessee	$32,020	$38,460	$49,470	$60,600	$73,340
Texas	$32,050	$39,000	$51,120	$62,250	$76,590
Utah	$22,780	$34,010	$51,740	$66,140	$79,830
Vermont	$33,490	$41,010	$52,440	$61,770	$74,850
Virginia	$35,430	$43,020	$51,930	$62,630	$78,260
Washington	$37,290	$48,890	$68,040	$92,050	$111,710
West Virginia	$31,950	$39,580	$55,660	$69,360	$80,050
Wisconsin	$35,370	$44,960	$61,440	$76,200	$87,530
Wyoming	$36,270	$48,800	$59,750	$72,070	$81,960

How experience affects electrician salary

Experience is the biggest factor when it comes to determining the salary for an electrician. Here is a look at electrician salary by experience from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Compensation Survey.

Experience	Average Salary
Entry-level (Less than 1 year)	$38,119
Early Career (1 to 4 years)	$46,484
Mid-Career (5 to 9 years)	$49,978
Experienced (10 to 19 years)	$75,381
Late Career (20+ years)	$98,722

Electrician salaries vs other careers

According to the BLS, electricians ($60,040, on average) make a similar salary as drafters' salaries, which is $60,290 per year, on average, and plumbers' salaries, which is $59,880 per year, on average.

Electricians average a significantly higher salary than the average HVAC technician salary, which is $48,630 per year, and solar panel installer salary, which averages $47,670 per year.

>> Learn more: Electrician Job Outlook

How to increase your salary as an electrician

If you’re looking to make more money as an electrician, you’ve come to the right place. Chances are that you already make a decent living and have plenty of money to pay the bills.

However, if you want to start putting more money away in savings or for retirement, there are a few things you can do to up the ante.

Start your own business

If you’re looking for the most salary upside as an electrician, you should start your own company. Granted, starting your own company also takes money and risk, but it will pay off in the long run if you can pull it off.

When you work for yourself, you cut out the middle man, your boss, who takes a decent chunk of the money you bring into the company. While you won’t be able to pocket every bit of your profits, it will certainly be more than you make at your current position if you can get customers.

Further your education

If owning your own business doesn’t interest you, another way to advance your salary is by advancing your education. You can further your education and training by taking after hours classes, online tutorials, or even by attending a trade school. Doing this will help you stay up to date on the latest and greatest electrical trends.

By staying up to date on the latest trends, you’ll make yourself a valuable asset to your boss. There’s even a chance that they will pay for your educational classes and courses if you agree to use your new skills to help your company.

Specialize

One thing that all electrical companies have in common is that they’re looking for specialists. So, if you can do something that no one else at your company currently can, you’ll become invaluable.

For example, if your boss doesn’t currently have anyone to do service calls, specialize in that. Or, if your boss primarily does residential electrical work but they want to get into industrial and commercial work, learn how to do it.

If you can do something that no one else can and it will make your boss money, there’s nothing they won’t do to keep you around.

Perfect your trade

The better you get at what you do, the more money you’ll be able to make. For most electricians, the job serves solely as a way to pay the bills, provide for your family, or have fun on the weekends.

However, if you take your job seriously and work hard at getting better and increasing efficiency, you’ll become a favorite of your boss. As such, you’ll also become a valuable asset that he doesn’t want getting away.

Work your tail off

One of the biggest intangibles that all bosses look for when they’re handing out promotions, is a good work ethic. If you show every day on time, put in the hours necessary to finish the job, and work your tail off, your boss is going to take notice.

Hard workers who give it their all are in short supply in all fields, but especially in the electrical field. Your boss is sure to take notice of your effort and reward you for it.

Electrician salary FAQs

Do electricians make good money?

On average, electricians make around $55,000 per year. However, as you gain experience and knowledge, your salary can increase to between $70,000 and $80,000 annually or even more depending on where you work and what you do.

Can electricians make six figures?

The best way to make six figures as an electrician is by starting your own company or by becoming a specialist in some area of the electrical field. However, simply by working as a journeyman electrician, you’re not likely to make more than $80,000 or $90,000 annually, though there are certainly exceptions.

How much do entry-level electricians make?

Depending on the state you live in, entry-level electricians make around $38,000 per year on average.

How much does it cost to become an electrician?

If you decide to go to school to become an electrician, it can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $40,000 depending on where you go. However, if you begin working as an electrician for a company and they want you to pursue advanced education, they may pay for all or part of your tuition.

How long does it take to become an electrician?

In most states, you can start working as an electrician apprentice with no prior training. However, it will take between two and three years of working experience and schooling to become a journeyman electrician.