Electrician salary in San Diego, CA
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Electricians in the San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad, CA area earn a median of $76,160 a year, or $36.62 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $126,260. Statewide, electricians earn a median of $76,160; San Diego is right at that level.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $23.03/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 8,060
- After cost of living
- $68,070
- Median hourly pay
- $36.62/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +21%
- vs California median
- 0%
Apprentice, journeyman and master electrician pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $47,890–$60,110$23.03–$28.90/hr | |
| Journeyman | $76,160$36.62/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $101,760–$126,260$48.92–$60.70/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How San Diego, CA compares
- San Diego ranks 12th of 25 California metro areas for electrician pay.
- Electricians hold about the same share of jobs in the San Diego area as nationally: 5.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $126,260, is 2.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,890: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other California metro areas
Other trades in San Diego, CA
Questions
- How much do electricians make in San Diego, CA?
- Electricians in the San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad, CA area earn a median of $76,160 a year, or $36.62 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $126,260.
- How much do electricians make an hour in San Diego, CA?
- The median hourly wage is $36.62. The middle half earn between $28.90 and $48.92 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice electricians make in San Diego, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.03 an hour ($47,890 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.90.
- How much does a journeyman electrician make in San Diego, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $76,160 a year ($36.62 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $101,760–$126,260.
- Do electricians make more in San Diego or San Francisco?
- San Francisco pays more: the median is $76,160 in San Diego and $92,830 in San Francisco, a 18% difference.
- How does San Diego pay compare with the rest of California?
- The San Diego median of $76,160 is about the same as the California median of $76,160.
About this data
Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 47-2111 (Electricians), area code 41740 (San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed electricians and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (111.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures