Electrician Salaries

The electrical trade has long been associated with high earning power, which is directly tied to the importance of the work electricians do. On average, electricians now earn nearly $5,000 more yearly than the average college graduate (NPR, 2015).

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the average annual salary for electricians was $51,880, as of May 2015, with the top 10 percent earning more than $88,130.

As many as 300,000 electrician jobs are expected to open up over the next decade as older workers enter retirement. With home renovation and new construction on the rise, along with a growing interest in solar and wind power, the electrical trade will continue to see impressive job growth and even better salaries in the years ahead.

Electrician Salaries: The Top Earners According to Industry and Location

According to the BLS, electricians in the following industries earned the highest salaries, as of May 2015 (all salary figures shown as averages):

• Natural gas distribution: $88,010
• Amusement and recreation industries: $87,120
• Transportation equipment manufacturing: $83,100
• Lessors of real estate: $77,810
• Motion pictures and video industries; $77,790

The top-paying states for electricians during the same period were:

• Alaska: $79,420
• New York: $72,540
• Hawaii: $70,610
• Illinois: $69,830
• New Jersey: $68,930

Top-paying metropolitan areas for electricians that year were:

• San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA: $93,120
• San Rafael, CA: $85,090
• Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA: $78,970
• New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ: $77,360
• Fairbanks, AK: $76,890
• Rockford, IL: $76,680
• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $76,100
• Redding, CA: $75,790
• Anchorage, AK: $75,210
• Elgin, IL: $74,930

Top-paying non-metropolitan areas for electricians were:

• Alaska nonmetropolitan area: $87,880
• East Montana nonmetropolitan area: $76,500
• Hawaii/Maui/Kauai nonmetropolitan area: $70,960
• North Coast region of California nonmetropolitan area: $70,290
• Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area: $69,710

Top Earning Electrician Apprentices According to Industry and Location

As of May 2015, electrician apprentices in the U.S. earned an annual, average salary of $30,000, according to BLS statistics.

The top-paying industries for electrician apprentices were:

• Local government: $51,750
• General medical and surgical hospitals: $46,080
• Fabricated metal product manufacturing: $42,620
• Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution: $38,320
• Utility system construction: $36,520

The top-paying states for electrician apprentices during this time were:

• Washington: $40,290
• Alaska: $39,880
• Hawaii: $38,540
• Colorado: $37,820
• Wyoming: $37,710

The top-paying metropolitan areas for electrician apprentices were:

• Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA: $45,460
• Honolulu, HI: $45,310
• Morgantown, WV: $41,450
• Eau Claire, WI: $40,360
• Worcester, MA-CT: $39,840
• Santa Rosa, CA: $39,840
• Anchorage, AK: $39,790
• San Diego-Carlsbad, CA: $39,530

The top-paying nonmetropolitan areas for electrician apprentices were:

• South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area: $41,370
• Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area: $38,730
• North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area: $38,680
• West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area: $38,370
• Hawaii/Maui/Kauai nonmetropolitan area: $37,250

Salaries for Residential and Commercial Electricians and More

A number of electrician careers exist under the BLS’ Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors umbrella. As expected, salaries vary according to electrician specialty.

According to May 2015 reports from the BLS, the highest earners in this category were electrical power line installers and repairers, who took home an annual, average salary of $63,090. The bottom 10 percent earned an annual, average salary of $32,590, while the top 10 percent earned more than $99,390.

Salaries (bottom 10 percent-average-top 10 percent) for other electrician specialties include:

• Electrical and Electronic Equipment Mechanics, Installers and Repairers: $26,660 – $46,690 – $72,710
• Electrical and Electronic Installer and Repairers, Transportation Equipment: $37,940 – $53,090 – $63,080
• Electrical and Electronic Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment: $26,550 – $52,000 – $78,130
• Electrical and Electronic Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay: $28,540 – $45,780 – $70,880
• Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles: $19,770 – $21,620 – $23,960
• Security and Fire Alarm Installers: $26,730 – $45,240 – $70,560

Starting Salaries for Electricians in Several Major Metro Areas

Although BLS statistics provide accurate salaries for electricians in a variety of industries and specialties, recent job listings are a great way to identify the most up-to-date salary trends.

We’ve identified salaries for electricians in some of the top U.S. cities using job listings sourced in July 2016.

Although the following jobs do not provide an assurance of employment, they do provide insight into the types of jobs available for electricians and what they are paying:

Seattle

• Journeyman Electrician, TCI: $40-$45/hr.
• Journey-Level Electrician, Port of Tacoma: $41.95/hr.
• Journeyman Electrician, Tradeco Construction: $42/hr.
• Journeyman Electrician, Lumenal Lighting: $59/hr.

Portland

• Journeyman Electrician, Metros Best Electric: $75,000/yr.
• Journeyman Electrician, Legend Solar: $40/hr.
• Journeyman Electrician/Plant Operator, NW Natural: $37.43/hr.
• Maintenance Leader – Electrician, Beaverton School District: $24.85-$31.94/hr.

San Francisco

• Journeyman Electrician, Pure Electric: $29-$40/hr.
• Electrician Apprentice and Journeyman, Dannels Electric Inc.: $40/hr.
• Electrician/Maintenance Technician, GSH Group: $41/hr.
• Electrical Foreman, Capitol Valley Electric: $60/hr.

Los Angeles

• Electrician Foreman, Los Angeles Construction: $20/hr.
• Journeyman Electrician, Los Angeles Unified School District: $34.68/hr.
• Electrical Helper, Los Angeles County Department of Human Resources: $33,537-$41,537/yr.
• Building Electrician, Commercial Cleaning Systems: $24/hr.

Sacramento

• Journeyman Electrician, Coleman Electrical Services: $35/hr.
• Electrician, Blue Diamond Growers: $35.05/hr.
• Certified Journeyman Electrician, Century Lighting and Electric: $28/hr.
• Industrial Maintenance Electrician, Top Wood Jobs: $25/hr.
• Apprentice Electrician, Outsource: $17-$35/hr.

San Diego

• Journeyman Electrician, Gould Electric, Inc.: $25-$37/hr.
• Electrician I, Sea World San Diego: $22.80/hr.
• Electrician Apprentice, Tradesmen International: $16-$23/hr.
• Electrician, residential service, Premo Electric: $30/hr.

Denver

• Journeyman Electrician, ULG: $28-$30/hr.
• Masters Trade Worker – Electrician, City and County of Denver: $52,520-$76,679/yr.
• Industrial Electrician, Parker Water & Sanitation District: $47,674-$71,781/yr.
• Journeyman Electrician, Montgomery Electric: $25-$30/hr.

Houston

• Electrician, The Onin Group: $20-$30/hr.
• Electrician, Houston Independent School District: $38,042/yr.
• High-Voltage Electrician, Wind Turbine, Atlas Field Service: $60,000/yr.
• Journeyman Electrician, Mr. Electric: $24-$27/hr.

Austin

• Electrician II, City of Austin: $20.32-$25.79/hr.
• Electrician, Powerhouse Retail Services: $200/day
• Electrician, University of Texas at Austin: $3,203/mo.
• Local Industrial Electrician, RRSI: $21-$24/hr.

Philadelphia

• Electrician Apprentice, JDV Electric: $14/hr.
• Journeyman Electrician, JDV Electric: $52,000/yr.
• Electrician, Rose Tree Construction: $35/hr.
• Electrician, Spectrum Energy Inc.: $45,000-$55,000/yr.

Kansas City

• Electrician, Service Residential, CLP Resources: $55,000/yr.
• Electrician Apprentice, ProEnergy Crafts: $16-$20/hr.
• Journeyman Electrician, Ultimate Group: $30/hr.
• Service Electrician, Tann Electric: $30/hr.
• Electrician, Missouri Department of Transportation: $2,690-$3,150/mo.

Minneapolis

• Maintenance Electrician, WestRock: $36.48/hr.
• Licensed Electrician, LightSource Unlimited: $50/hr.
• Electrical Apprentice, Sky Electric Inc.: $20-$30/hr.
• JW Electrician, Electric City Corp.: $35/hr.

Atlanta

• Service Electrician, Mr. Electric: $50,000-$80,000/yr.
• Journeyman Electrician, LMI Systems: $40,000/yr.
• Electro-Mechanical Technician, Fosber America: $75,000/yr.
• Electrical Foreperson, Georgia State University: $35,159-$52,817/yr.

Baltimore

• Electrician, John Hopkins University: $19.70/hr.
• Electrician, General Motors: $33.71/hr.
• Electrician, Kolb Electric: $45,000-$60,000/yr.
• Electrical Technician, Wireworx Electric: $50,000/yr.

Washington D.C.

• Electrician, General Services Administration: $26.22-$30.62/hr.
• Electrician, Legislative Branch: $26.22-$30.62/hr.
• Low-Voltage Technician, Powers Energy Solutions: $65/hr.
• Master Electrician, American University: $30-$38/hr.

Boston

• Electrician, SES: $30/hr.
• Wiring Inspector, Commonwealth of Massachusetts: $27.77-$35.89/hr.
• Maintenance Electrician, ENGIE Services: $56,000/yr.
• Journeyman Electrician, Continental Inc.: $22-$24/hr.

New York City

• Electrician, Daven Electric Co.: $35/hr.
• Electrical Foreman, Queue Electrical Contractors: $65,000/yr.
• Electrician, SES: $28/hr.
• Mechanic-Electrician, Columbia University: $26.35-$32.93/hr.

Chicago

• Electrician, All Industrial Electrical: $20-$37/hr.
• Journeyman Electrician, Advance Electric Company: $30/hr.
• Electrician, Chicago Park District: $93,600/yr.
• Commercial Electrician, Rogers Electric: $25-$28/hr.

State-by-State Guide to Electrician Salaries

The table shown below provides a full state-by-state analysis of salaries for electricians (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015):

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