Electrician salary in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Electricians in the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area earn a median of $75,930 a year, or $36.50 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $121,570. Statewide, electricians earn a median of $78,970; Washington is 4% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $21.49/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 16,580
- After cost of living
- $69,730
- Median hourly pay
- $36.50/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +20%
- vs District of Columbia median
- −4%
Apprentice, journeyman and master electrician pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $44,690–$59,080$21.49–$28.40/hr | |
| Journeyman | $75,930$36.50/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $103,270–$121,570$49.65–$58.45/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV compares
- Electricians hold about the same share of jobs in the Washington area as nationally: 5.3 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $121,570, is 2.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,690: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other trades in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV
Questions
- How much do electricians make in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV?
- Electricians in the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area earn a median of $75,930 a year, or $36.50 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $121,570.
- How much do electricians make an hour in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV?
- The median hourly wage is $36.50. The middle half earn between $28.40 and $49.65 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice electricians make in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.49 an hour ($44,690 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.40.
- How much does a journeyman electrician make in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $75,930 a year ($36.50 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $103,270–$121,570.
- How does Washington pay compare with the rest of the District of Columbia?
- The Washington median of $75,930 is 4% less than the District of Columbia median of $78,970.
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 47900 (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV). 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 (108.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures