BLS electrician pay a year and an hour by percentile and state, apprentice to journey-level, with overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
Electricians earned a median of $63,190 a year in May 2025, or $30.38 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count of 757,220 electricians on payrolls. Apprentices start near the bottom tenth (under $20.50 an hour) and the top tenth earn over $52.17. Overtime, common in construction, comes on top of these figures.
This is the BLS line for electricians (SOC 47-2111) on an employer's payroll; self-employed electricians are not in the survey. Power-line workers are a separate occupation with their own calculator. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.50 | $42,640 | $3,553 | $36,441 |
| 25th percentile | $23.76 | $49,430 | $4,119 | $41,897 |
| Median | $30.38 | $63,190 | $5,266 | $52,953 |
| 75th percentile | $40.36 | $83,940 | $6,995 | $67,882 |
| 90th percentile | $52.17 | $108,510 | $9,043 | $85,167 |
Oregon ($48.71) and Illinois ($47.87) pay electricians the most, then Hawaii ($46.38); Arkansas pays the least at $23.59. Texas employs more electricians than any other state, 76,770, at $28.16 an hour.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $48.71 | $101,310 | 10,590 |
| Illinois | $47.87 | $99,560 | 23,120 |
| Hawaii | $46.38 | $96,460 | 3,070 |
| Washington | $45.78 | $95,220 | 19,380 |
| Alaska | $43.00 | $89,440 | 1,870 |
| Massachusetts | $38.18 | $79,420 | 17,810 |
| District of Columbia | $37.97 | $78,970 | 2,440 |
| New York | $37.86 | $78,750 | 40,130 |
| Minnesota | $37.58 | $78,160 | 14,350 |
| Connecticut | $37.28 | $77,540 | 7,710 |
| New Jersey | $37.14 | $77,250 | 13,520 |
| Montana | $36.90 | $76,760 | 2,750 |
| Wisconsin | $36.80 | $76,540 | 14,310 |
| Michigan | $36.67 | $76,270 | 23,530 |
| California | $36.62 | $76,160 | 73,310 |
| Wyoming | $36.59 | $76,120 | 2,960 |
| Maine | $36.24 | $75,380 | 3,780 |
| Rhode Island | $35.62 | $74,090 | 2,420 |
| Nevada | $35.37 | $73,570 | 8,350 |
| Maryland | $35.33 | $73,490 | 13,690 |
| Indiana | $32.93 | $68,490 | 19,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $32.50 | $67,600 | 22,730 |
| Kansas | $31.66 | $65,860 | 6,350 |
| North Dakota | $31.59 | $65,710 | 3,570 |
| Missouri | $31.45 | $65,410 | 12,780 |
| West Virginia | $31.16 | $64,810 | 4,290 |
| Ohio | $31.11 | $64,700 | 28,950 |
| Delaware | $30.63 | $63,700 | 2,260 |
| Vermont | $30.49 | $63,430 | 1,270 |
| Idaho | $30.29 | $63,000 | 5,690 |
| Virginia | $30.24 | $62,900 | 23,630 |
| New Hampshire | $30.21 | $62,840 | 3,330 |
| Colorado | $29.92 | $62,230 | 17,010 |
| Utah | $29.81 | $62,000 | 11,450 |
| Louisiana | $29.59 | $61,540 | 10,550 |
| South Dakota | $29.51 | $61,390 | 2,980 |
| Tennessee | $29.37 | $61,090 | 17,070 |
| Arizona | $29.36 | $61,060 | 21,140 |
| Oklahoma | $29.33 | $61,010 | 8,500 |
| Iowa | $29.26 | $60,860 | 10,310 |
| Mississippi | $29.26 | $60,860 | 6,610 |
| Nebraska | $29.24 | $60,820 | 6,440 |
| Kentucky | $28.71 | $59,720 | 11,030 |
| South Carolina | $28.24 | $58,740 | 8,010 |
| Texas | $28.16 | $58,570 | 76,770 |
| New Mexico | $28.07 | $58,390 | 5,020 |
| Georgia | $28.04 | $58,320 | 21,650 |
| Florida | $27.52 | $57,250 | 49,700 |
| North Carolina | $27.31 | $56,800 | 21,640 |
| Alabama | $26.78 | $55,690 | 10,900 |
| Arkansas | $23.59 | $49,070 | 7,500 |
Government ($79,820) and manufacturing ($74,550) pay electricians more than electrical contractors ($61,570), though contractors employ 66% of electricians (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $79,820 |
| Manufacturing | $74,550 |
| Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors | $61,570 |
| Employment services | $57,760 |
Almost all electricians work full time; schedules may include evenings and weekends, and overtime is common. Self-employed electricians often work in residential construction and may set their own schedule (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS's wage figures exclude overtime pay, so in busy construction seasons an electrician's year can run well above the salary in the tables.
Hourly electricians are non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and owed time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor). Union agreements often set daily overtime and double time on top; set the multiplier to match.
Most electricians learn in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training a year, sponsored by unions, contractor associations or employers. Most states require electricians to pass a test on the National Electrical Code and local codes and be licensed, and licenses may need continuing education (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Pay climbs through the apprenticeship; BLS doesn't publish apprentice or journey-level wages separately, so read the 10th percentile as the nearest official guide to starting pay.
More ways to work with your electrician pay:
$63,190 a year ($30.38 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $49,430 to $83,940.
Oregon ($48.71 an hour, $101,310 a year), then Illinois and Hawaii; Arkansas pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
BLS doesn't publish an apprentice wage; apprentices are paid for about 2,000 hours of on-the-job training a year and their pay rises as they progress. The 10th percentile is the closest official guide to starting pay.
Nationally they are close: compare the two medians on this page and the plumber calculator, both from BLS's May 2025 survey. State and industry move pay more than the trade does.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.