How much do electricians make in your state? An electrician salary database, shared with ServiceTitan by Payscale.com and current as of Jan. 1, 2024, has the answer.
Check out what the data shows about the average electrician salary based on state and experience:
State | Entry (<2 years) | Intermediate (2-4 years) | Senior (4-7 years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $55,200 | $64,800 | $69,900 |
| Alaska | $60,300 | $70,800 | $76,300 |
| Arizona | $57,600 | $67,600 | $72,800 |
| Arkansas | $54,400 | $63,800 | $68,800 |
| California | $63,800 | $74,800 | $80,700 |
| Colorado | $59,400 | $69,800 | $75,100 |
| Connecticut | $61,100 | $71,700 | $77,200 |
| Delaware | $59,200 | $69,500 | $74,900 |
| Florida | $56,400 | $66,200 | $71,300 |
| Georgia | $57,300 | $67,300 | $72,500 |
| Hawaii | $60,800 | $71,300 | $76,800 |
| Idaho | $56,100 | $65,800 | $70,900 |
| Illinois | $59,500 | $69,800 | $75,200 |
| Indiana | $56,300 | $66,100 | $71,200 |
| Iowa | $55,400 | $65,100 | $70,100 |
| Kansas | $56,200 | $66,000 | $71,100 |
| Kentucky | $55,400 | $65,000 | $70,000 |
| Louisiana | $56,500 | $66,300 | $71,500 |
| Maine | $57,200 | $67,100 | $72,300 |
| Maryland | $60,000 | $70,400 | $75,900 |
| Massachusetts | $62,000 | $72,800 | $78,300 |
| Michigan | $57,500 | $67,500 | $72,700 |
| Minnesota | $58,700 | $68,800 | $74,200 |
| Mississippi | $53,900 | $63,200 | $68,100 |
| Missouri | $56,600 | $66,500 | $71,600 |
| Montana | $55,600 | $65,300 | $70,300 |
| Nation | $58,500 | $68,600 | $74,000 |
| Nebraska | $55,900 | $65,500 | $70,600 |
| Nevada | $57,700 | $67,700 | $72,900 |
| New Hampshire | $59,600 | $70,000 | $75,400 |
| New Jersey | $62,700 | $73,600 | $79,200 |
| New Mexico | $57,200 | $67,100 | $72,300 |
| New York | $61,400 | $72,100 | $77,700 |
| North Carolina | $57,200 | $67,100 | $72,300 |
| North Dakota | $55,700 | $65,300 | $70,500 |
| Ohio | $56,500 | $66,200 | $71,400 |
| Oklahoma | $55,500 | $65,100 | $70,100 |
| Oregon | $59,600 | $69,900 | $75,400 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,500 | $68,600 | $73,900 |
| Rhode Island | $59,000 | $69,200 | $74,700 |
| South Carolina | $55,500 | $65,100 | $70,200 |
| South Dakota | $54,400 | $63,900 | $68,800 |
| Tennessee | $56,000 | $65,700 | $70,800 |
| Texas | $58,100 | $68,200 | $73,500 |
| Utah | $57,400 | $67,300 | $72,600 |
| Vermont | $55,900 | $65,600 | $70,700 |
| Virginia | $59,300 | $69,500 | $74,900 |
| Washington | $62,600 | $73,500 | $79,100 |
| West Virginia | $53,900 | $63,200 | $68,100 |
| Wisconsin | $57,100 | $67,000 | $72,200 |
| Wyoming | $54,400 | $63,800 | $68,700 |
Source: Payscale.com
Nationally, Payscale.com data shows the following trends for the average salary for an electrician:
For entry-level electricians, the median annual base salary is $58,500, or $28.13 per hour.
For intermediate electricians with 2-4 years of experience, the national average rises to $68,600, or $32.98 per hour.
At the senior level, defined as 4-6 years of experience, the average is $74,000, or $35.58 per hour.
Entry-level electrician salaries rose fastest in Florida (17.01%), Texas (16.2%), and Idaho (15.2%) since January 2023, the last time Payscale.com provided ServiceTitan with data. The salaries decreased in Minnesota (-2.33%) and rose slowest in Maine (6.32%) and Connecticut (6.82%) in that timeframe.
Nationally, since Jan. 1, 2023, salaries for entry-level electricians rose 9.14%.
In an ongoing trade shortage, it only makes sense that electrician salaries will continue to increase.
“Qualified, good tradespeople are incredibly difficult to find,” says Richard Flournoy, president of A-Total Plumbing in Atlanta. “Everybody and their brother wants electricians.”
ServiceTitan’s 2023 Residential Contractor Report found three-quarters of contractors planned to raise salaries for field technicians and other positions in 2024.
And the electrician jobs aren’t going anywhere. In fact, The electrician industry is expected to add 49,200 jobs by 2032, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
“If you’re having trouble keeping or finding employees, there’s somebody else in your market taking those employees,” says Keith Mercurio, ServiceTitan’s Director of Executive Success and the CEO of his company, Ethical Influence Global. “You pay for good people and then treat them well. Honoring and serving your employee base is something that has never gone out of style and never will.”
Payscale.com database shows electricians’ salary range
ENTRY LEVEL | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,200 | $20.77 |
| 50th percentile | $58,500 | $28.13 |
| 90th percentile | $81,000 | $38.94 |
The database of salaries comes from Payscale.com, which works with human resources and compensation specialists to modernize compensation and salary benchmarking through technology.
Based on more than 2,000 commercially available, reputable compensation surveys, each of which complies with generally accepted principles and practices of WorldatWork and U.S. Department of Justice compensation survey standards, the database covers all 50 states.
The data includes figures for the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles for various experience levels, providing a range for electrician salaries that informs hiring managers and job seekers alike. The 90th percentile figure is the electrician salary at which 90% of similar employees make less, and 10% make more.
To maintain congruence, each survey's average electrician salary data is aged to Jan. 1, 2024, using aging factors specific to the combination of the job's function, level, and geographic location. The figures include base salary only, so benefits, commissions, bonuses, spiffs, and similar enhancements are not included.
The data is broken down for electrician salaries by state, region, and for selected cities.
Among the findings from the most recent electrician salary data:
The 50th percentile salary for a full-time entry-level electrician (0-2 years experience) nationwide is $58,500, up 9.14% YoY.
For intermediate experience (2-4 years), it’s $68,600 (up 8.2% YoY), and for senior plumbers (4-6 years), it’s $74,000 (up 4.67% YoY).
The electrician salaries in the data fall in a wide range even in the same state, based on location and other factors. For entry-level technicians in California, for example, the 10th percentile is at $47,100, and the 90th percentile at $88,400.
The 50th percentile is higher than the national figure for entry-level electricians in 17 of the 50 states.
Entry-level electricians have the highest median pay in two of the nation’s biggest cities, with San Francisco ($69,400, $33.37 per hour) and New York City ($65,500, $31.49 per hour) topping the list. Next up is Newark, New Jersey ($64,700, $31.11 per hour).
Cost of living is an important factor to consider. San Francisco has the highest salary for entry-level electricians at $69,400 at the 50th percentile, but has a cost of living score 145.5% higher than the national average. Compared with San Francisco, the $51,800 entry-level electrician salary at the 50th percentile in Charleston, West Virginia, delivers more than twice the standard of living.
West Virginia ($53,900), Mississippi ($53,900), and South Dakota ($54,400) have the lowest median salary for entry-level electricians, while California ($63,800), New Jersey ($62,700), and Washington ($62,600) are the highest-paying states for electrical work.
Want to unlock personalized salary insights? Take the Payscale.com survey to participate in our research.
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Electrician salaries affected by need for qualified candidates
As with all jobs, electrical industry salaries are tied to supply and demand.
Electrical business owners, like others in the skilled trades, struggle to find qualified employees in a highly competitive climate. They also worry about investing time and money in training, only to see those electricians go off on their own or to work for another company.
Tommy Mello, a trade company owner and investor and host of a weekly podcast, The Home Service Expert, combats that by building a strong company foundation through extensive training and high expectations for every employee, and performance pay as an incentive for helping employees grow. He also offers a $1,500 bonus to employees for referring a new hire.
“Some people say ‘always be closing,’” Mello said. “I say, ‘always be recruiting.’”
Sometimes, inexperienced technicians can overestimate their worth without having the knowledge or sales experience to back it up. Make sure you know what you claim you know, hiring managers say, and find a company that will build on that knowledge.
Troubleshooting a problem and performing repairs or being part of an install crew requires technical skill but not sales ability. Recognizing, and capitalizing on, opportunity increases revenue for companies and earning potential for technicians.
It’s important for the electrician’s income, too.
Unlike most sales trainers, Chris Crew, President of The Blue Collar Success Group, believes he can teach a service tech with strong technical knowledge to sell, even if they show little interest in that part of the business.
“You give me the most technical technician, and I will teach them how to outsell the best salesperson,” he says. “The more comfortable I have a technician with the technical, the more comfortable and prone they are to talk about additional products and services.”
And, Crew’s not talking about the electrical job “lay-downs,” such as turning a “panel-smoking” or “lights-flickering” call into a big-ticket electrical system item.
“I’m talking about how I take, ‘needs outlet added,’ and create a very large ticket with it—without teaching my technicians to be high-pressure salespeople,” the master electrician explains.
“I’m not a fan of high-pressure sales. I’m a fan of consulting,” Crew adds. “To consult, I have to be very knowledgeable. That’s why I believe technical information can lead to a better sales force.”
And, likely, higher wages for those electricians.
How to Structure Your Compensation Packages to Attract Top Talent
Beyond an annual wage that aligns with industry standards, recruiting and retaining qualified electricians requires offering a positive company culture, attractive benefits, career development opportunities, and bonuses/incentives.
“You have to have a good program, you have to be willing to pay, and you have to have a very strong culture to keep them there. It’s a very competitive field,” says Mark Oertel, Territory Manager of Koch Air in Indianapolis. “The old days of not wanting to pay someone are gone. You really have to make your company appealing.”
Consider the following to attract top talent:
Company culture: Promote teamwork, ensure a safe and respectful workplace, and recognize and reward hard work. A supportive work environment can significantly impact job satisfaction and employee loyalty.
Benefits: Cover the basics in your benefits package, like health, vision, and dental insurance, a retirement plan, and paid time off. Then, factor in additional perks that make your company stand out, like gym memberships or wellness programs.
Career development: Offer training programs, certification opportunities, and a clear path for career advancement to show your company values employees and invests in their futures.
Bonuses and incentives: Performance-based bonuses and incentives can motivate employees to perform at their best. This could include project completion bonuses, safety bonuses, or profit-sharing plans.
Electrician salaries: Frequently asked questions
Check out the answers to common FAQs about electrician salaries.
How much does an electrician make?
The median electrician salary for a senior electrician in the United States is $35.58 per hour, or $74,000 per year.
An entry-level electrician, in the 50th percentile nationally, makes an average of $58,500, or an hourly wage of $28.13.
In the 10th percentile (where 90% of electricians make more, and 10% less), a senior electrician nationally makes $26.44 per hour, or $55,000 annually. At the 90th percentile, the numbers are $46.44 per hour and $96,600 annually.
Do electricians get paid well?
The electrical trades industry offers high earning potential for those who don’t want to go to college. Requiring only a high school diploma or the equivalent, the median annual salary for an entry-level electrician is $58,500, and for senior-level electricians the median figure rises to $74,000.
Whether an electrician makes good money depends on more than just the raw dollar figure.
If loans are necessary to attend college, that debt must be taken into consideration. Electricians often attend trade school and avoid most, if not all, of that debt.
Cost of living is another factor. Larger, urban areas generally have higher salaries, but the dollars don’t go as far in those locations.
What cities have the highest electrician salaries?
In the Payscale.com data, the top five cities in the survey for entry-level electrician salaries are: San Francisco; New York City; Newark, New Jersey; Seattle; and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Bigger cities tend to have higher salaries for electricians. San Francisco has the highest entry-level electrician salary at $69,400, or $33.37 per hour.
The average salary for an entry-level electrician in New York City is $65,500.
How do electrician salaries compare with those in other trades?
Electrician vs. plumber salary: Nationally, the 50th percentile salary for an entry-level electrician ($58,500) is higher than the 50th percentile salary for a plumber ($52,000).
Electrician vs. HVAC technician salary: Nationally, entry-level electricians ($58,500) make slightly more than entry-level HVAC technicians ($52,300), at the median.
Salaries for all three trades increase most rapidly—generally by about 20%-30%, although there are outliers—by the time the technician reaches the intermediate level (2-4 years). Licensed electrician salaries increase more slowly afterward, the data show.
Electrician salaries: Other factors to consider
Cost of living is also a factor not addressed in the database. For example, the median base pay for an entry-level electrician in Charleston, West Virginia, is $51,800. To have the same standard of living in San Francisco, you’d need to make $127,929. The median pay for an entry-level electrician in San Francisco is $69,400.
Licensing requirements vary slightly by state. Some states require lengthy apprentice periods. In Wisconsin, for instance, the requirement is five years. An apprentice electrician salary could be less than what licensed, entry-level electricians make. North Carolina requires two years of experience, including at least a year of primary experience, to take the limited licensing exam. The average electrician apprentice salary was not included in the data.
Industrial electrician salary vs. residential electrician salary: The Payscale.com database for electrician average salary did not divide electricians into industrial vs. residential.
Electrician unions and more: Other factors could be in play as well, such as experience level, skillset, whether the electrician is covered by a union, and more. A union electrician salary could vary from the median in the database at any experience level.
To find out more about how ServiceTitan can help you pay your electricians’ salaries and manage your electrical company, schedule a free demo here.
In the spirit of full disclosure, Richard Flournoy is now an employee of ServiceTitan. However, at the time these blog posts were published, Richard was not employed by ServiceTitan. All opinions expressed herein are his own.
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