HANDS-ON / ELECTRICAL TRADE · Salary
Electrician salary: pay and its limits
One number can orient you; it cannot price your first offer, a freelance project or your cost of living.
This median includes trained workers across specialties. It is not an apprentice wage, a local contractor charge-out rate or a promise of available hours.
One BLS occupation · one unit
Three wage reference points.
These are annual U.S. employee wage thresholds from May 2025, shown on the same $0–$150,000 scale. They are not a minimum, maximum or career progression. Below the 10th threshold are 10% of measured workers; above the 90th are 10%.
- 10th-percentile threshold$42,640
- Median$63,190
- 90th-percentile threshold$108,510
U.S. electricians · May 2025 · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The chart does not show individual offers or self-employment income.
Read the figure carefully
What is—and is not—being measured.
BLS's May 2025 median and national outlook cover electricians across construction, maintenance, and other settings. They are neither an apprentice wage nor a residential rate or town forecast. Local projects and apprenticeship places vary. BLS treats line installers separately.
A median places half the measured workers above and half below it. It does not describe a beginner’s wage or explain the mix of hours, benefits, geography and experience in an individual offer. If your path is self-employment, revenue and profit are different again.
Before you compare offers
Three questions worth asking.
- 01
Find published apprentice pay steps, not only qualified-worker wages.
- 02
Compare travel, overtime, site type and benefits in actual contracts.
- 03
Check whether an advertised job requires a license you do not yet hold.
Make it local
Use real postings as a second source.
Compare apprenticeship notices, contractor postings, and local wages for your intended work. Verify training pay steps, travel, overtime, license pathway, and whether a posting expects an existing credential. The national median cannot tell a new entrant how many paid hours are available nearby.
Save two or three listings with similar duties and location. Write down the advertised range, required experience, contract type and what is not stated. This comparison is more useful than converting a U.S. national median into another country’s currency.
Evidence and limits
Sources and scope
U.S. electricians · May 2025
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians ↗United States duties, hazards, apprenticeship and licensing overview, May 2025 national pay, and national outlook.
- O*NET OnLine: Electricians ↗Occupation-wide tasks and reported physical and safety-related work context.
The sources describe electricians across specialties and states. They do not establish the pay, apprentice rules, license class, permit authority, or exact work mix in any one locality. Confirm those with the relevant board and employer.
O*NET® occupation information is adapted under CC BY 4.0. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested Ikigain’s editorial interpretation. Sources checked 29 September 2026. This is U.S. occupational context, not a personal career assessment or local employment advice.
Keep the whole picture in view.
Pay, demand, preparation, the daily work and AI affect a decision differently. Compare them before making a commitment.
Saved paths and work-sample notes stay in this browser. Fictional exercises are for exploration, not professional assessment.