What does an electrician make in the biggest states?
California, Texas, Florida, New York and Michigan had the most electrician jobs in the last BLS state ranking we read. Pay across those five spreads wide. Our 2026 model puts the median at about $78,800 in California and $81,500 in New York. Michigan sits near $79,000. Texas comes in near $60,600 and Florida near $59,300, both a little under the US median of about $65,400.
Hourly figures make the gap plain. At 2,080 hours a year, a $60,600 salary works out to roughly $29 an hour, and $81,500 works out to about $39. That is a big spread for the same trade, and moving states changes your take-home more than almost anything else you can do in your first ten years.
Why does pay differ so much from state to state?
Union density is the biggest driver. The states at the top, Oregon, Illinois, Washington and Hawaii, all have strong inside wireman locals, and union scale pulls up what everyone else pays. BLS reports that state union membership rates ranged from below 5 percent to nearly 25 percent in 2025. Across all jobs, nonunion workers earned 84 percent of what union members earned each week, though BLS notes that figure does not control for occupation or region.
Cost of living matters too, but it does not explain everything. Illinois pays more than California at the median, and Michigan pays more than its living costs alone would predict. Large industrial employers, public sector work and prevailing wage jobs on government projects all raise the floor in a region.
What else moves your paycheck?
Overtime is the first thing. BLS says overtime is common, and electricians on construction sites or scheduled maintenance should expect to work it. A shutdown or a big commercial job can push a year's earnings well past the salary tables. Travel work also pays: BLS notes the job often means local or long-distance commuting, and traveling hands who chase big projects usually earn more.
Industry matters. In May 2025 the BLS median was $79,820 for electricians in government and $74,550 in manufacturing, against $61,570 at electrical contractors, where most of the trade works. License level matters as well. Apprentices earn less and get raises as they progress, and journeyman and master licenses open the higher-paying foreman, contractor and inspection jobs.
How should you read these numbers?
Start with the middle half. The 25th percentile is roughly a newer journeyman or someone in a lower-paying region of the state. The 75th percentile is a seasoned hand, often union or in industrial work, getting steady hours. Our state figures start from the BLS May 2025 survey and are adjusted to 2026 with a wage index, so they are estimates, not official BLS numbers.
Remember that a statewide median blends metro and rural pay. Chicago pays differently from southern Illinois, and Houston differently from West Texas. Before you move for money, look at the local union scale and posted job wages in the city you are considering.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. Ranges show the 25th to 75th percentile, built from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, and moved to 2026 with a wage index. State figures are modeled. Union scale, overtime, travel work and license level move individual pay. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- ApprenticeshipMost electricians train in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship. Apprentices typically get about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training each year plus classroom instruction.
- State licenseMost states require electricians to hold a license. The exams cover the National Electrical Code and state and local codes.
- Continuing educationMany states require continuing education to keep a license current. Courses usually cover safety, code changes and product training.
- Willingness to travelElectricians work at different sites and often commute locally or long distances. Travel work on big projects tends to pay more.
- Overtime availabilityOvertime is common on construction jobs and during scheduled maintenance. Hands who take it earn more than the base salary figures.
State by state
| California | 2026 modeled median about $78,800, with the middle half from $61,400 to $106,600. It is the largest electrician job market in the country. |
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| Texas | 2026 modeled median about $60,600, with the middle half from $48,300 to $73,600. It has the second-largest electrician workforce but pays below the US median. |
| Florida | 2026 modeled median about $59,300, with the middle half from $49,300 to $64,100. The top quarter starts lower here than in most big states. |
| New York | 2026 modeled median about $81,500, with the middle half from $62,600 to $110,200. Pay climbs steeply at the top end. |
| Illinois | 2026 modeled median about $103,100, with the middle half from $76,100 to $121,600. That is one of the highest medians in the country. |
| Washington | 2026 modeled median about $98,600, with the middle half from $69,000 to $125,800. The top quarter here is among the best paid anywhere. |
| Oregon | 2026 modeled median about $104,900, the highest of any state. The middle half runs from $81,900 to $126,000. |
| Arkansas | 2026 modeled median about $50,800, the lowest of any state. The middle half runs from $39,900 to $64,600. |
How to get there
- Years 1-5ApprenticeYou start with paid on-the-job training plus classroom hours. The 2026 modeled US median for apprentices and trainees is about $44,200, and pay rises as you progress.
- After apprenticeshipJourneymanYou pass your state exam and work on your own. The US middle half is about $51,200 to $86,900 depending on state, sector and union status.
- Years 5-10Experienced handOvertime, travel work, and industrial or government jobs push earnings toward the 75th percentile and above.
- Years 8+Foreman or supervisorRunning crews brings a US modeled median of about $82,700 for field supervisors in 2026.
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Questions people ask
Which state pays electricians the most?
Oregon has the highest modeled median for 2026, at about $104,900 a year. Illinois is close behind at about $103,100, followed by Hawaii and Washington.
Which state pays electricians the least?
Arkansas has the lowest modeled median, at about $50,800 a year. Alabama, North Carolina and Florida are also near the bottom of the list.
Why is your US median higher than the BLS figure?
BLS reported a median of $63,190 for electricians in May 2025. Our figure of about $65,400 starts from that survey and is moved to 2026 with a wage index, so it estimates current pay.
Do union electricians make more?
Generally yes, and the highest-paying states tend to have strong union locals. Across all occupations, BLS found nonunion workers earned 84 percent of union members' weekly pay in 2025, though that broad comparison does not control for job type or region.
Which industries pay electricians best?
In May 2025, BLS put the median at $79,820 in government and $74,550 in manufacturing. Electrical contractors, which employ most electricians, paid a median of $61,570.
