How to become a master electrician: hours, exam, rights

What a master can do that a journeyman cannot

A journeyman can install and wire on their own, but somebody has to answer to the state for the company's work. In most states that person is the master. Texas will not issue an electrical contractor license unless the business assigns a master electrician as its Master Electrician of Record. That master can be the owner or an employee. Colorado has the same rule. A contractor there must hold or employ a licensed master as the responsible individual, and that master can stand behind one company only.

Colorado also says outright that a journeyman cannot be a signatory authority for a company. In Washington, a master electrician can be assigned as the administrator for an electrical contractor. That role makes the master responsible for keeping the company's work in line with state electrical law and rules. A master can also still work with the tools as an installer. That is the real step up: you can run work and put your license behind a business.

Master license versus contractor license

These are two separate things. The master license belongs to you as a person and shows you passed the exam and logged the hours. The contractor license or registration belongs to the business. In Texas the contractor license needs no exam. The business only needs a master assigned to it. If that master leaves, the company has thirty business days to tell the department and name a replacement.

So a master who never wants to own a shop can still earn a living by being the license holder of record for an employer. A journeyman who wants to open their own shop usually has to become a master first or hire one. Colorado contractors must also file an Acknowledgment of Responsibility signed by the master and the company owner. Expect business paperwork on top of the master license.

The master exam

Every state below uses an exam, and most require approval before you can book it. In Texas, you mail in the application, TDLR checks your experience, and then you are cleared to test. In Virginia, the Board for Contractors has to approve you first. Washington also checks your eligibility before PSI schedules you, and the fee depends on the specialty.

Utah is different. You take a Master Electrician Law and Rule exam plus the Utah Electrician Practical exam. If you already passed the practical as a journeyman, you skip it. Plan on study time for code calculations, the law and rules, and the business side. The master exam goes past what you were tested on as a journeyman.

Does the master license pay?

The federal wage survey does not break masters out from other electricians. Nobody has an official figure for a master's premium. The best guide is the spread inside the electrician numbers. Nationally the 75th percentile sits about $21,500 a year above the median. Masters, foremen and shop owners tend to sit in that upper band.

The bigger money usually comes from what the license lets you do. You can be the license holder of record, run jobs, or start your own contracting business. A master who stays on the tools for the same employer may see only a modest raise. One who qualifies a company or bids work can do much better, but takes on the risk that comes with it.

Pay

United States, all electricians (25th to 75th percentile)

$51,200–86,900

Texas

$48,300–73,600

Colorado

$50,600–81,200

Utah

$50,100–82,100

Virginia

$51,100–80,900

Washington

$69,000–125,800

USD a year, before tax. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2025, adjusted to 2026 with a wage index. State figures are modeled. These cover all electricians, since BLS does not report master electricians separately. Masters who run work or qualify a contractor usually earn toward the top of each range. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.

What you need

Journeyman license firstMost states require a set period as a licensed journeyman before you can sit the master exam. That runs from one year in Virginia to four years in Washington.
Documented hoursSupervisors sign off on your experience. Texas wants a verification form from each master who supervised you, adding up to 12,000 hours.
Colorado experience routesExperience routes in Colorado: 10,000 hours over at least 5 years, an electrical engineering bachelor's degree plus 2,000 construction hours over at least 1 year, or trade school plus 8,000 hours over at least 4 years.
Master examPass the state's master exam after the board approves your application. Utah uses a law and rule exam plus a practical exam.
Continuing educationMasters renew on a cycle with code-update training. Washington requires 24 hours every 3 years, Colorado 24 hours per 3-year period, and Virginia a 3-hour course each 2-year term.

State by state

Texas	You must have held a Journeyman Electrician license for at least two years and log 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas master. Journeyman Industrial time does not count. The application fee is $45, and the license renews every year.
Colorado	The standard route is 10,000 hours earned over no less than 5 years. Other routes are an electrical engineering degree plus 2,000 construction hours, or trade school plus 8,000 hours. You cannot go straight from apprentice or residential wireman to master on experience alone.
Utah	The standard route is 8,000 hours as a licensed journeyman. An EAC/ABET-accredited electrical engineering degree plus 2,000 hours as a licensed apprentice also qualifies, as does an applied science associate degree plus 4,000 journeyman hours. You must also pass the law and rule exam and the practical exam.
Washington	You must hold L&I certification as a general journey level electrician for at least 4 years before taking the master exam. Specialty masters need 2 years in their specialty. The certificate renews every 3 years.
Virginia	One way to qualify for the master tradesman exam is one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyman in the trade. The Board for Contractors must approve you before you take the exam.

How to get there

Years 1-4ApprenticeRegister as an apprentice, work under supervision and finish your classroom hours. Colorado, for example, requires 288 classroom hours for the journeyman license.
About year 4Journeyman licensePass the journeyman exam. Colorado's journeyman route is 8,000 hours over at least 4 years, with 2,000 of those in commercial or industrial work.
Years 5-8Journeyman experienceBuild time on the license and get into layout, planning and running crews. Keep signed records of all your hours.
Year 6-8Master application and examSubmit your experience for approval, then book and pass the master exam with the state's test provider.
After licensingQualify a contractorAssign your license to an employer as master of record or administrator, or use it to open your own shop.

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Questions people ask

Can I go straight from apprentice to master?

Generally no. Colorado says plainly that you cannot jump from apprentice or residential wireman to master using experience alone. Texas requires two years holding a journeyman license first.

Do I need a master license to own an electrical contracting company?

In Texas and Colorado you either hold the master license yourself or employ a master who assigns their license to the company. In Washington, a contractor needs an assigned administrator or master electrician.

Does an engineering degree shorten the path?

In some states, yes. Colorado accepts a bachelor's in electrical engineering plus 2,000 construction hours. Utah accepts an EAC/ABET-accredited electrical engineering degree plus 2,000 hours as a licensed apprentice.

Is the contractor license a separate exam?

In Texas it is not. Contractor licenses there require no exam, only an assigned master and the required insurance. Other states set their own rules for the business license.

Can I keep both my journeyman and master cards in Washington?

No. In Washington, passing the master exam replaces your existing electrician certificate for that same certification.

How often does a master license renew?

It depends on the state. Texas renews every year, Colorado and Washington every 3 years, and Virginia on a 2-year term. Each one requires code-update continuing education.

How do you become a master electrician?