Jetted FoxCareers · Electricians & solar
Electricians
Installs, repairs and maintains wiring, outlets, panels and lighting in homes, businesses and job sites. No college degree needed.
Start now · paid while you train
Starting pay ranges from about $18.54/hr in Arkansas to $38.03/hr in Oregon.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $18.09–22.17/hr | $26.78/hr |
| Alaska | $28.09–32.11/hr | $43/hr |
| Arizona | $21.89–23.25/hr | $29.36/hr |
| Arkansas | $16.79–18.54/hr | $23.59/hr |
| California | $22.50–28.50/hr | $36.62/hr |
| Colorado | $21.88–23.50/hr | $29.92/hr |
| Connecticut | $22.92–27.91/hr | $37.28/hr |
| Delaware | $18.40–23.10/hr | $30.63/hr |
| Florida | $18.36–22.91/hr | $27.52/hr |
| Georgia | $17.88–22.43/hr | $28.04/hr |
| Hawaii | $21.99–33.88/hr | $46.38/hr |
| Idaho | $18.67–23.26/hr | $30.29/hr |
| Illinois | $23.67–35.35/hr | $47.87/hr |
| Indiana | $20.76–24.04/hr | $32.93/hr |
| Iowa | $19.12–22.31/hr | $29.26/hr |
| Kansas | $20.51–24.67/hr | $31.66/hr |
| Kentucky | $17.84–22.37/hr | $28.71/hr |
| Louisiana | $18.63–23.51/hr | $29.59/hr |
| Maine | $26.05–30.25/hr | $36.24/hr |
| Maryland | $22.33–27.73/hr | $35.33/hr |
| Massachusetts | $22.59–27.82/hr | $38.18/hr |
| Michigan | $20.66–24.21/hr | $36.67/hr |
| Minnesota | $22.83–28.09/hr | $37.58/hr |
| Mississippi | $18.36–22.77/hr | $29.26/hr |
| Missouri | $21.09–23.95/hr | $31.45/hr |
| Montana | $23.62–29.04/hr | $36.90/hr |
| Nebraska | $19.42–23.14/hr | $29.24/hr |
| Nevada | $22.17–23.52/hr | $35.37/hr |
| New Hampshire | $20.76–23.28/hr | $30.21/hr |
| New Jersey | $23.35–30/hr | $37.14/hr |
| New Mexico | $17.62–22.46/hr | $28.07/hr |
| New York | $21.99–29.08/hr | $37.86/hr |
| North Carolina | $19.29–22.63/hr | $27.31/hr |
| North Dakota | $22.33–27.36/hr | $31.59/hr |
| Ohio | $19.59–24.10/hr | $31.11/hr |
| Oklahoma | $18.22–22.90/hr | $29.33/hr |
| Oregon | $28.63–38.03/hr | $48.71/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $21.92–26.51/hr | $32.50/hr |
| Rhode Island | $20.67–28.08/hr | $35.62/hr |
| South Carolina | $21.31–23.03/hr | $28.24/hr |
| South Dakota | $21.31–23.87/hr | $29.51/hr |
| Tennessee | $19.04–23.26/hr | $29.37/hr |
| Texas | $18.23–22.44/hr | $28.16/hr |
| Utah | $19.20–23.25/hr | $29.81/hr |
| Vermont | $22.82–27.54/hr | $30.49/hr |
| Virginia | $19.61–23.76/hr | $30.24/hr |
| Washington | $25.08–32.04/hr | $45.78/hr |
| Washington, DC | $24.97–29.44/hr | $37.97/hr |
| West Virginia | $20.97–23.37/hr | $31.16/hr |
| Wisconsin | $21.55–26.84/hr | $36.80/hr |
| Wyoming | $23.19–28.69/hr | $36.59/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
State journeyman electrician license: required in most states. It lets you do electrical work without direct supervision. Rules differ by state; check your state's licensing board.
Other way in: Union apprenticeship.
A normal day
You start the day at a job site or in a van, running wire through walls and ceilings, bending conduit and installing outlets, switches and panels. As an apprentice you work under a licensed electrician, carry materials and do a lot of the grunt work at first. You work in crawl spaces, attics and on ladders, and you study code at night classes.
The good parts
Paid apprenticeship with no student debt. High pay once licensed. Path to running your own business.
The hard parts
Shocks, burns and falls are real risks. Hot attics, cramped crawl spaces and dirty sites. Apprentice pay starts low and you sit in night classes for years.
Where it leads
apprentices become licensed journeyman electricians in 4-5 years, then master electrician, foreman, estimator or owner of their own contracting business.
Quick answers
Do electricians need a college degree?
No. You can start now: paid while you train.
How long is the training for electricians?
4–5 year paid apprenticeship.
How much do electricians make?
About $20.50–23.76 an hour to start and $30.38 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.