Electrician career
BLS occupation: Electricians (47-2111). Updated September 27, 2026.
Pay
Electricians in the U.S. earn a median of $63,190 a year, or $30.38 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data.
What electricians do
- Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
- Place conduit, pipes, or tubing, inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas, and pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between boxes.
- Work from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
- Use a variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.
- Assemble, install, test, or maintain electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, apparatus, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.
- Connect wires to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components.
- Maintain current electrician's license or identification card to meet governmental regulations.
- Plan layout and installation of electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures, based on job specifications and local codes.
The most important tasks, as rated by workers in the occupation. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Job outlook
BLS projects electrician jobs will grow 9.2% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% for all U.S. jobs, with about 72,700 openings a year as people join, retire, and change careers.
- Jobs in 2025
- 821,000
- Projected for 2035
- 896,900
- Openings a year
- 72,700
- Self-employed
- 7.1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035. Job counts include self-employed workers.
Training
- Typical education to start
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Experience in a related job
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
Source: BLS Employment Projections. Licensing rules vary by state; confirm with your state's licensing board.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Other trades
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Excludes self-employed electricians.