How Much Does An Electrician Make
5min read
|
Sep 04, 2026
Ever looked at an electrician wage online and wondered whether it has anything to do with what you should actually charge?
That is a fair question. A payroll wage, a contractor’s labor rate, and the price on a customer invoice are three different numbers. Still, local wage data gives electricians and small electrical contractors a useful baseline for comparing markets, planning hires, and spotting when labor may be underpriced.
This guide breaks down electrician pay across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., using the latest data available in 2026.
Quick Answer: Electrician Salary in 2026
- U.S. median salary: $63,190 per year
- Median hourly wage: $30.38 per hour
- Highest-paying states: Oregon, Illinois, and Hawaii
- Lowest-paying states: Arkansas, Alabama, and North Carolina
- Job outlook: 9% employment growth from 2025 to 2035
These figures describe wage-and-salary employees. Self-employed electricians and electrical business owners are not included, and overtime, benefits, and contractor profit are not reflected.
Electrician Salary by State
Electrician Salary by State (2026 Benchmark)
Below is a state-by-state breakdown of electrician wages based on the latest available U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data .
These figures represent median hourly wages and annual earnings for employed electricians. Actual pay may vary based on factors such as experience, licensing level, location, overtime opportunities, union membership, project type, and employer type.
Top-Paying States
| State or District | Median Hourly Wage | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $48.71 | $101,310 |
| Illinois | $47.87 | $99,560 |
| Hawaii | $46.38 | $96,460 |
| Washington | $45.78 | $95,220 |
| Alaska | $43.00 | $89,440 |
| Massachusetts | $38.18 | $79,420 |
| District of Columbia | $37.97 | $78,970 |
| New York | $37.86 | $78,750 |
| Minnesota | $37.58 | $78,160 |
| Connecticut | $37.28 | $77,540 |
| New Jersey | $37.14 | $77,250 |
| Montana | $36.90 | $76,760 |
| Wisconsin | $36.80 | $76,540 |
| Michigan | $36.67 | $76,270 |
| California | $36.62 | $76,160 |
| Wyoming | $36.59 | $76,120 |
Upper-Mid States
| State | Median Hourly Wage | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Maine | $36.24 | $75,380 |
| Nevada | $35.37 | $73,570 |
| Maryland | $35.33 | $73,490 |
| Indiana | $32.93 | $68,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $32.50 | $67,600 |
| Kansas | $31.66 | $65,860 |
| North Dakota | $31.59 | $65,710 |
| Missouri | $31.45 | $65,410 |
| West Virginia | $31.16 | $64,810 |
| Ohio | $31.11 | $64,700 |
| Delaware | $30.63 | $63,700 |
| Vermont | $30.49 | $63,430 |
| Idaho | $30.29 | $63,000 |
| Virginia | $30.24 | $62,900 |
Mid-Range States
| State | Median Hourly Wage | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $30.21 | $62,840 |
| Colorado | $29.92 | $62,230 |
| Utah | $29.81 | $62,000 |
| Louisiana | $29.59 | $61,540 |
| South Dakota | $29.51 | $61,390 |
| Tennessee | $29.37 | $61,090 |
| Arizona | $29.36 | $61,060 |
| Oklahoma | $29.33 | $61,010 |
| Iowa | $29.26 | $60,860 |
| Mississippi | $29.26 | $60,860 |
| Nebraska | $29.24 | $60,820 |
| Kentucky | $28.71 | $59,720 |
| Texas | $28.16 | $58,570 |
| South Carolina | $28.24 | $58,740 |
| New Mexico | $28.07 | $58,390 |
| Georgia | $28.04 | $58,320 |
Lower-Paying States
| State | Median Hourly Wage | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | $27.52 | $57,250 |
| North Carolina | $27.31 | $56,800 |
| Alabama | $26.78 | $55,690 |
| Arkansas | $23.59 | $49,070 |
These categories are useful for comparison, but a city-level wage may be very different from the statewide median.
Why Electrician Pay Varies So Much by State
Licensing, Union Coverage, and Project Mix
Electrical work is regulated at the state or local level. The path from apprentice to journeyman or master electrician differs by market.
Areas with strong union coverage, prevailing-wage projects, and large commercial or industrial workloads often offer higher employee wages than markets dominated by smaller residential jobs.
The type of electrical system also matters. Routine residential service, industrial controls, utility work, solar installations, data centers, and high-voltage projects require different skills and carry different levels of risk.
Cost of Living and Labor Supply
High nominal pay does not automatically mean more purchasing power. Housing, transportation, insurance, licensing, and taxes may absorb much of the difference.
A state with rapid construction growth and too few licensed electricians may also push wages higher, even if its overall cost of living is moderate.
For contractors, local labor supply can affect both hiring costs and customer pricing.
Experience and Responsibility
Apprentices earn less while they train. Journeyman electricians who can work independently usually move into a higher wage band.
Master electricians, foremen, estimators, and project managers may earn more because they carry additional code, scheduling, customer, and supervisory responsibilities.
How Electricians Earn Beyond the Employee Median
Service and Troubleshooting
Diagnostic work can produce a higher effective rate than straightforward installation because customers are paying for accurate problem identification, not only time on site.
Emergency and after-hours calls may also carry additional premiums. However, these opportunities can create irregular schedules and higher pressure.
Specialized Commercial and Industrial Work
Controls, instrumentation, generators, fire alarms, renewable-energy systems, and data-center infrastructure can reward technicians who combine electrical fundamentals with specialized training.
Specialized work may require additional certifications, safety training, or experience with specific equipment.
Running an Electrical Business
Business revenue is not personal salary.
Customer rates must cover nonbillable travel, estimating, permits, vehicles, tools, payroll taxes, insurance, callbacks, office work, and profit.
An employee median of approximately $30 per hour does not mean that a contractor should bill customers $30 per hour.
How to Use Salary Data to Price Electrical Work
Treat the local median as a labor-cost benchmark, not a selling price.
Start with the wage needed to hire or retain qualified workers. Then add payroll burden, overhead, expected utilization, job risk, and a sustainable margin.
A clean panel replacement with known conditions can be priced more predictably than troubleshooting an old building with incomplete drawings.
Quotes should rise when access is difficult, shutdown windows are tight, material lead times are uncertain, or coordination with other trades increases risk.
Electrician Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects electrician employment to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with approximately 72,700 openings per year.
Building electrification, renewable generation, grid upgrades, data centers, and the continued need to install and replace power systems are expected to support demand.
Conclusion
Electrician pay in 2026 depends on much more than the state line. Licensing level, project type, local labor supply, and responsibility can all move earnings above or below the published median.
For employees, the table provides a market comparison. For contractors, it provides a floor for labor planning, not a customer billing rate.
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