Electrician pay in 2026 by state and specialty

What do the 2026 electrician pay numbers actually measure?

Start with the occupation and the date. This guide covers electricians, Standard Occupational Classification 47-2111. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, publishes Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, or OEWS. Its latest tables checked for this November 5, 2026 review describe May 2025 wages. Calling a page a 2026 pay guide does not turn that survey into a measurement of wages paid throughout 2026.

The median is the midpoint: half earn less and half earn more. It differs from the mean, which is the arithmetic average. O*NET OnLine supplies the state and national tables used here and identifies their source as BLS 2025 wage data. Its national 10th and 90th percentile annual figures are $42,640 and $108,510. Those percentiles describe the wage distribution; they are not official apprentice and master rates.

OEWS measures gross straight-time pay and excludes overtime premiums, shift differentials, and employer benefit costs. It also excludes self-employed workers. Apprentices are classified with the occupation they are training for, so the electrician category mixes experience levels. Annualizing an hourly figure at 2,080 hours describes a full-year equivalent, not a promise of continuous work. Keep these limits beside any comparison you take to a hiring meeting.

How much do electricians make in each state?

The table covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Every row uses the same occupation, reference year, and statistic: May 2025 median hourly and annual wages. Figures are transcribed from the corresponding O*NET state wage page. Annual values are retained as published rather than recomputed from rounded hourly values.

Use your state row as a starting point, then select your metropolitan or nonmetropolitan area in the source. A statewide figure blends different labor markets and employers. It cannot tell you what a particular contractor pays a fourth-year apprentice, what a local agreement requires, or how many weeks a project will run. Ask for those details separately.

Source: O*NET OnLine state wage pages, BLS May 2025 data. Select a state through the national wage source below to inspect its local areas. Values are gross wages, before taxes and deductions.

Which states pay the most, and is moving worth it?

Oregon leads this state-median comparison at $101,310, followed by Illinois at $99,560, Hawaii at $96,460, Washington at $95,220, and Alaska at $89,440. This ranks median wages only. It does not rank take-home purchasing power, hiring prospects, or individual offers. A higher statewide median is useful evidence for further research, not enough reason to pack the truck.

Build a relocation comparison from two actual offers. Anvilfield's relocation model compares $40 an hour for 2,000 paid straight-time hours near home with $46 for the same hours in another market. Gross pay rises from $80,000 to $92,000, a $12,000 difference. If the move adds a $700 monthly cost in housing and $200 a month in commuting, those added expenses total $10,800 a year. Only $1,200 remains before tax differences, moving costs, and benefit changes.

Now compare a shorter paid year. If the $46 job provides only 1,800 paid hours, gross wages fall to $82,800. The nominal hourly raise is still real, but the annual comparison changes sharply. Get the expected project duration, dispatch conditions, licensing path, and benefit eligibility dates in writing. Treat a recruiter's full-year estimate against the hours and terms in the written offer.

Which electrical specialties have published pay benchmarks?

BLS publishes useful electrician wages by employer industry, but that is a different cut from specialty certification. The table below reproduces May 2025 annual medians from its Electricians Occupational Outlook Handbook profile. Manufacturing is a reasonable starting benchmark when comparing plant electrician jobs; it is not a published salary for every controls technician or industrial troubleshooter.

Read the employer category literally. An electrician employed by an electrical contractor on a factory project belongs to a different employer group from an electrician employed directly by the factory. Likewise, an electrical contractor working at a school does not become a government employer. These differences matter when comparing a project opening with a permanent maintenance position.

The figures show an observed difference across industries. They do not establish that moving to a particular specialty will produce the same raise for you. Check the employer, region, schedule, required experience, and benefit package. A specialist offer needs its own current evidence, especially where the title mixes electrical work with programming, mechanical maintenance, or supervision.

How should you compare residential, commercial, and specialist offers?

Price the responsibilities in the offer. A title such as industrial electrician can mean maintenance rounds, construction installation, instrumentation support, or several of those duties. Ask which tasks occupy a normal week, which skills must be demonstrated at hiring, and who approves work beyond your authority. The comparison below is a hiring worksheet, not another wage survey.

For residential and commercial roles, ask how the company handles callbacks, travel between jobs, material pickup, training, and customer documentation. For specialist work, ask who supplies the test equipment, software access, mentoring, and paid training. A course completion certificate is useful evidence of training, but the employer still needs to establish the responsibilities you can perform.

Do not attach a universal dollar premium to an EV charging, solar, data center, or controls label. The cited national sources do not isolate those exact electrician specialties. Request a written pay band for the actual job and compare it with local electrician wages. A documented progression from assisted work to independent responsibility gives both sides a clearer basis for the next review.

What should apprentices, journeymen, and masters compare?

An apprentice needs the starting wage and the written progression schedule. The Department of Labor describes registered apprenticeship as paid experience with mentoring, instruction, and progressive wage increases. Ask what triggers each increase: credited hours, demonstrated competencies, coursework, or a combination. Record who verifies completion and when the new rate enters payroll.

Anvilfield's apprentice progression calculation applies 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% to a $40 journey-worker rate. The stages pay $20, $24, $28 and $32 an hour. Read the sponsor's actual progression, effective dates, benefits and advancement conditions when evaluating a program.

A journey worker should compare the duties and independence expected, not just years since graduation. A master license or foreman assignment can add supervisory or business responsibilities, but neither title supplies a national salary schedule. Clarify crew size, estimating duties, inspection coordination, scheduling authority, and time allowed for paperwork. If promotion adds duties, ask for the rate, review date, training, and authority together.

Do union electricians earn more than nonunion electricians?

A useful comparison needs two current local offers or pay schedules. The state wage table does not separate union and nonunion workers, so it cannot establish a union wage premium. For a represented job, obtain the applicable agreement and classification. For another employer, obtain the written compensation terms. Compare the same work, location, experience, and expected paid hours.

Anvilfield's compensation comparison uses offer A at $42 an hour in wages plus $14 in employer benefits and offer B at $46 plus $6. At 2,000 eligible paid hours, A provides $84,000 in gross wages and $28,000 in benefits; B provides $92,000 and $12,000. The combined amounts are $112,000 and $104,000, while B provides the larger cash wage.

Benefit contributions are not automatically spendable wages or equal-value benefits. Check health coverage dates, dependent costs, retirement vesting, employee contributions, dues where applicable, and the effect of periods without work. Confirm which hours earn each benefit. Compare paid leave consistently so you do not count holiday wages once in annual paid hours and again as extra compensation.

Can an electrician make $100,000 with overtime?

Yes. Anvilfield's overtime calculation gives $104,000 in annual gross wages at $40 an hour, with 40 straight-time hours and eight overtime hours weekly for 50 weeks. The regular rate is $40 and overtime pays $60. Straight-time wages are $80,000 and overtime adds $24,000 for 2,400 worked hours.

Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, covered nonexempt employees generally receive at least 1.5 times their regular rate after 40 hours worked in a workweek. The regular rate can include compensation beyond the base hourly wage. State rules and agreements can require more. Have payroll apply the actual rules and compensation terms before relying on a simplified calculation.

Ask whether overtime is scheduled, optional, seasonal, or dependent on outages. Remove it from the budget and check whether the base offer still works. For comparison, $100,000 over 2,080 straight-time hours requires about $48.08 an hour. Neither calculation is take-home pay. Both exclude taxes, deductions, reimbursed expenses, and employer benefits.

How does prevailing-wage work change the paycheck?

On a covered public construction project, the applicable wage determination can establish minimum basic wages and fringe benefits for the work classification. The governing document depends on the project and its coverage. A statewide BLS median cannot substitute for it. Read the contract's determination, classifications, geographic coverage, construction type, and applicable revision before pricing labor or interpreting an offer.

Anvilfield's prevailing-wage calculation uses $40 an hour in basic wages plus $15 in fringe benefits. For 40 straight-time hours, that is $1,600 in basic wages and $600 in fringe obligations. If allowable employer benefit contributions satisfy the entire fringe obligation, the worker does not necessarily receive $2,200 in cash. If the fringe is paid entirely as cash, gross cash compensation differs. Payroll must check allowable credits and the actual arrangement.

The Department of Labor's Davis-Bacon guidance also places conditions on apprentice rates below the listed prevailing rate, including qualifying registration, progression, and applicable ratios. Calling someone a helper or apprentice does not itself establish eligibility. Keep classification and hours tied to the work performed. Resolve uncertainties with the contracting agency or payroll specialist before using a rate in the estimate.

Which licenses and code editions matter in 2026?

Verify the license and exam requirements for the jurisdiction where you will work. A qualification accepted by one employer or state does not establish permission everywhere. Separate the installation code used for a permitted job from the reference edition used by an examination provider. Ask the licensing authority about reciprocity, scope limitations, continuing education, and the edition applicable to your application.

For this November 5, 2026 review, Texas adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code, or NEC, effective September 1, 2026, with a limited exception concerning certain outdoor-outlet ground-fault circuit-interrupter requirements. Washington's electrical rules page identifies NEC 2023 as its current edition and describes the planned NEC 2026 transition for December 31, 2026. Those dates are jurisdiction-specific; verify the permit and any transition provisions with the authority having jurisdiction.

This guide uses NEC 2026 where adopted and NEC 2023 for the Washington example. It does not use either edition to set wages. In a pay review, document current qualifications, completed work, troubleshooting results, and responsibility for accurate records. A higher wage does not authorize work beyond your training, license, employer authorization, or approved safety arrangements.

What does a $40 wage cost an electrical contractor?

Anvilfield's contractor-cost model starts with a $40 hourly wage plus $12 per paid hour for employer taxes, insurance, benefits and paid-time costs, across 2,080 paid hours. Build the actual selling rate from the employer's cost records and productive hours.

That produces $52 per paid hour and $108,160 in annual employment cost. Recovering those costs through 1,600 billable hours gives $67.60 per billable hour. Adding $20 in allocated overhead gives $87.60. Dividing by 0.80 for a 20% gross margin produces a $109.50 selling rate. Multiplication by 1.20 applies markup and gives a different margin.

Check billable hours against time records for training, shop work, travel, warranty work and gaps between jobs. Keep the $12 burden and $20 overhead cost categories distinct so no expense is counted twice. Reconcile the model with the business's records before quoting.

How should wage research shape hiring and market plans?

Set a hiring range against the work you can support. Compare the employee's duties, expected hours, benefit package, and development path with the actual backlog. A contractor bidding specialist work needs to allow for supervision, training, documentation, and the equipment required to deliver it. An impressive quoted billing rate alone does not establish enough paid work for another employee.

For electrical contractors planning the next crew's workload, PorchRocket's Bid Control brings city, county and school electrical bids into one place. Read each owner's current scope and staffing terms before treating a notice as potential crew hours. Bid availability is not an award, and a contract's total value is not the electrician's wage.

Compare labor cost per completed scope as well as hourly wages. Anvilfield's wage-only production comparison gives $3,200 for either 100 hours at $32 or 80 hours at $40. That does not prove either electrician is more productive; the hours and completed scope must be observed under comparable conditions. Add burden, supervision, rework, and documentation before deciding which staffing plan serves the job.

What should you document before accepting or advertising pay?

Put the offer on one sheet and keep the source documents with it. Record the employer, location, duties, effective date, wage basis, benefits, and inputs behind the annual total. Save the job posting or agreement version you actually reviewed. A later conversation should be able to identify exactly which term changed.

Use this checklist during a job-offer review or before an employer publishes a compensation range. Mark unresolved items and assign a person to answer them. Separate confirmed compensation from projected overtime and discretionary payments so both sides understand the commitment.

What mistakes make electrician salary comparisons unreliable?

The most expensive mistake is comparing different measures without noticing. A median employee wage, a contractor's hourly charge, a cash-and-benefits package, and a business owner's profit can all be described casually as pay. Label the measure before comparing numbers. Keep reimbursed travel expenses separate from compensation available for ordinary household spending.

Other common errors are treating the 90th percentile as a master rate, counting 52 working weeks without checking layoffs, and counting projected overtime as committed hours. A state median also cannot establish a specific specialty's rate. For a raise discussion, bring the local benchmark, your current responsibilities, completed training, and examples of reliable work. Ask for a defined next level and review date.

Methodology

Anvilfield checked O*NET's national and all 51 state/DC wage views and BLS's Electricians profile on November 5, 2026. These are May 2025 OEWS estimates. Hourly and annual medians are retained as independently rounded published values. No inflation adjustment is applied. BLS defines the occupation and wage exclusions; Department of Labor sources supply overtime, apprenticeship and prevailing-wage requirements.

Anvilfield's comparison models select their own inputs: relocation at $40 and $46 for 2,000 hours, with $700 housing and $200 commuting monthly and an 1,800-hour sensitivity; apprentice stages of 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% of $40; wage/benefit offers of $42/$14 and $46/$6 for 2,000 hours; overtime at $40 with eight premium hours weekly for 50 weeks; and $40 plus $15 prevailing-wage components. They are calculation cases, not surveyed offers or issued wage determinations. The contractor model uses $40 wages, $12 burden, 2,080 paid hours, 1,600 billable hours, $20 overhead and 20% gross margin.

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Sources checked

• O*NET OnLine: electrician national and state wages BLS May 2025 wage data, SOC 47-2111.00. Use the state selector for each state, DC, and local areas. All 51 state/DC views reviewed November 5, 2026.
• BLS: Electricians Occupational Outlook Handbook May 2025 national and employer-industry medians; occupation and training context.
• BLS: OEWS concepts and wage definitions Occupation coding, apprentices, excluded pay, self-employment, and annualization basis.
• U.S. Department of Labor: registered apprenticeship Paid experience, instruction, mentoring, and progressive wages.
• U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet 23 Federal overtime and regular-rate principles.
• U.S. Department of Labor: Davis-Bacon FAQs Wage determinations, basic wages, fringe obligations, classifications, and apprentices.
• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: NEC 2026 adoption September 1, 2026 effective date and limited exception.
• Washington Labor and Industries: electrical laws and rules Current NEC 2023 and planned December 31, 2026 transition reviewed November 5, 2026.