Electrician Salary Statistics 2026: Pay, Openings, and Injury Rates
Key takeaways (copy these)
- Electricians had a $63,190 median annual wage ($30.38 an hour), with 757,220 employed in May 2025. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
- Electrician pay ran from $42,640 at the 10th percentile to $108,510 at the 90th. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
- The middle half of electricians earned between $49,430 (25th percentile) and $83,940 (75th). BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
- Oregon had the highest electrician state median, $101,310, with 10,590 jobs reported. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
- Kankakee, IL led metros at $105,500, with 140 electrician jobs reported. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($105,090, 7,340 jobs) and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ($102,350, 17,720 jobs) were the large-market metro leaders. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
- Electrician employment is projected to grow 9.5% from 2024 to 2034, versus 3.1% for all occupations. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
- BLS projected 81,000 electrician openings a year over 2024-2034. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
- Projected electrician employment rises from 818,700 jobs in 2024 to 896,100 in 2034. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
- Electricians had a $63,190 median, $2,180 above HVAC mechanics and installers at $61,010. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
- Electricians had a DART injury rate of 146.9 cases per 10,000 FTE workers, less than half of HVAC at 330.3. BLS SOII, 2023-2024. https://www.bls.gov/iif/nonfatal-injuries-and-illnesses-tables.htm
- The electrician mean wage was $71,490, $8,300 above the median, which means the average is pulled up by the top of the scale. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
- Arkansas had the lowest electrician state median among published states, $49,070. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
These figures are occupation medians for Electricians (SOC 47-2111), not starting pay and not a promise of what any graduate earns. Outcomes vary by location, overtime, union scale, and the local job market. Compiled by the TradeCareerPath editorial team.
What is the electrician median salary?
The national median is the number most writers want. The mean sits above it because the top of the scale pulls the average up. Premium vs all occupations uses the same OEWS May 2025 all-occupations median ($50,980), not the Employment Projections 2024 wage column.
How that pay is earned, and what license sits in front of it, is on how to become an electrician. National cuts that mix electricians with other trades are on skilled trade salary statistics 2026. City and state tables are on electrician salary by metro.
What is the electrician pay range?
Percentiles describe the occupation, not a school. The 10th percentile is a floor for the lower end of the distribution, not an apprentice starting wage. The 90th is the upper tail, often including overtime, industrial work, or high-cost metros.
Which state and metro pay electricians the most?
State ranks use the May 2025 state file. Oregon led at $101,310. Illinois was next at $99,560 with 23,120 jobs, the largest high-pay state on the list. Hawaii, Washington, and Alaska round out the top five.
| State | Median wage | Employment | State guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $101,310 | 10,590 | Oregon electrician |
| Illinois | $99,560 | 23,120 | Illinois electrician |
| Hawaii | $96,460 | 3,070 | Hawaii electrician |
| Washington | $95,220 | 19,380 | Washington electrician |
| Alaska | $89,440 | 1,870 | Alaska electrician |
Metro ranks use OMB metropolitan statistical areas. Kankakee, IL reported 140 electrician jobs, so treat that dollar ranking as a small-sample lead. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro (7,340 jobs) and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (17,720 jobs) are the large markets near the top of the same list. For programs in those markets see electrician schools near you.
Is electrician employment growing?
Percent change and openings come from Employment Projections 2024-2034. Openings include growth plus replacement. Electrician is the fastest of the three common licensed trades on the national hub (electrician, plumber, HVAC).
OEWS employment (757,220 in May 2025) and the EP stock (818,700 in 2024) come from different surveys. Do not mix them in one sentence as if they were the same count.
How does electrician compare with HVAC on pay and injuries?
Pay is close. Injury reporting is not. DART is cases per 10,000 full-time-equivalent workers that involved days away, restricted duty, or a job transfer (BLS SOII, 2023-2024). A higher rate means more reported cases per worker, not that any one jobsite is unsafe. HVAC’s full cut is HVAC technician salary statistics 2026.
Lineworkers (electrical power-line installers and repairers, SOC 49-9051) are a different occupation. Their May 2025 median was $95,320.
Arkansas had the lowest electrician state median among published states, $49,070.
How do I train as an electrician?
Most people enter through a registered apprenticeship or a trade school program, then sit a state licensing exam. The steps, hours, and exam rules are on how to become an electrician. Compare programs on electrician schools near you.
How to cite these figures
Copy a takeaway line and keep the agency, survey, and date. Example: Electricians, median annual wage $63,190, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm.
Charts on this page are free to republish with the embed code under each figure. Method notes are on data sources.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national, state, and MSA files.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-2034.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023-2024, table R98.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
| CPI inflation & JOLTS labor turnover | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | latest release (updated 2026-06-14) |
| Fair Market Rents (rent by county/metro) | U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development | FY2025 (updated 2026-06-14) |
| O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones) | U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.) | O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the electrician median salary?
Electricians had a $63,190 median annual wage ($30.38 an hour) in May 2025, with 757,220 employed (BLS OEWS). That median was 24% above the $50,980 median for all U.S. occupations.
What is the electrician pay range?
May 2025 electrician pay ran from $42,640 at the 10th percentile to $108,510 at the 90th. The middle half earned between $49,430 and $83,940 (BLS OEWS).
Which state and metro pay electricians the most?
Oregon had the highest electrician state median, $101,310, with 10,590 jobs. Kankakee, IL led metros at $105,500, with 140 jobs reported (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is electrician employment growing?
BLS Employment Projections put electrician growth at 9.5% from 2024 to 2034, versus 3.1% for all occupations, with 81,000 openings a year. Projected employment rises from 818,700 jobs in 2024 to 896,100 in 2034.
How does electrician pay compare with HVAC?
Electricians had a $63,190 median, $2,180 above HVAC mechanics and installers at $61,010 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Electricians' DART injury rate was 146.9 cases per 10,000 FTE workers, less than half of HVAC at 330.3 (BLS SOII, 2023-2024).
Which state has the lowest electrician median?
Arkansas had the lowest electrician state median among published states, $49,070 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How do I train as an electrician?
Most electricians enter through a registered apprenticeship or a trade school program plus on-the-job hours. Licensing is set by the state. See how to become an electrician and electrician schools near you.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.