Electricians

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$63,190

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$49,430 – $83,940

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

757,220

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+9.2%

Growing at twice the all-jobs rate or more (7%+)

Openings a year (projected)

72,700

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.

Main tasks

• 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.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Training once hired: apprenticeship

O*NET Job Zone 3

Medium preparation

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• Lighting Technicians

  $68,060 median · -4.8% projected

• Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

  $63,800 median · +6.8% projected

• Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

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• Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers

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• Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment

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• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay

  $103,020 median · +9.7% projected