Electricians Average Salary in United States
$71,382 average · $70,190 median · BLS OEWS 2025
SOC Code: 47-2111What is this?
Professional in electricians
How much do Electricians make in United States?
The average electricians salary in United States is $71,382 per year, with a median of $70,190. That works out to about $34.32 per hour on average. BLS counts roughly 4,439,520 electricians jobs in United States.
Mean and median are close, so pay is relatively concentrated around $70,190. Entry-level roles (10th percentile) report about $69,970; experienced workers at the 90th percentile report about $73,060 — a 4% spread from bottom to top. Figures are employer-reported wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — not self-reported survey averages — so they are the right baseline for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
How Construction and Extraction Careers Are Structured
Construction wages carry a premium over comparable-education work that compensates for two realities: physical demands and cyclicality. The trend data for these occupations shows the boom-bust signature clearly — employment swings with interest rates and building cycles even when wages hold. Plan for the trough years, not just the current figure.
The wage tables and percentile chart on this page show how electricians pay is distributed in United States specifically — and because state-level wages for the same occupation routinely differ by 30% or more, the local figures here are the ones that matter for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
What Moves Pay in This Field
Licensure and union status are the structural levers. Licensed trades (electrical, plumbing, elevator) out-earn unlicensed work substantially, and union-dense states show wage gaps of 30-50% over open-shop states for identical work — visible directly in the state comparisons on this site. Within a trade, the journeyman-to-foreman-to-superintendent ladder is the progression that reaches the top percentiles.
The registered apprenticeship is the canonical entry: three to five years of paid training, no tuition debt, and a license at the end. Laborer entry is immediate and can convert into an apprenticeship from inside. The long-game consideration is the body: successful construction careers plan the transition into supervision, inspection, or estimating before wear forces it.
New to reading wage distributions? Our guide to salary percentiles explains how to place yourself on the chart above, and the negotiation playbook shows how to use these numbers in an actual conversation.
Critical Worker ShortageBright Outlook
Electricians is experiencing a critical labor shortage. Employers are actively competing for qualified candidates.
What Do Electricians Do?
Professional in electricians
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 47-2111
Electricians pay in United States
In United States, electricians report a median of $70,190 and an average of $71,382 (about $34.32/hour) across roughly 4,439,520 jobs. The local pay band runs from about $69,970 at the 10th percentile to $73,060 at the 90th.
National figures average across high-cost coastal metros and lower-cost inland markets, so individual state pages on Wage Atlas are usually the better reference for a specific offer.
Income reality check
The median salary for Electricians in United States of $70,190 falls in the Middle class band of this framework - roughly ~10% of the U.S. population and ~10% of the global population sit in this band.
Illustrative relative standing for education only - this ladder is a simplified framework, not an official Census, BLS, or World Bank statistical series. Salary figures on Wage Atlas come from official BLS OEWS data.
Salary Overview
Salary Distribution & Your Position
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AI Replacement Risk Analysis
Forward-looking analysis of automation and AI impact
- Physical presence and manual skills required
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Occupation Report Card
Job Outlook 2023-2033
Official BLS Employment Projections for Electricians
Skills & What You Do
Most occupations require an apprenticeship or postsecondary training
- Install and maintain electrical wiring and systems
- Inspect electrical components
- Read blueprints and technical diagrams
- Ensure compliance with electrical codes
Recent Layoffs Activity
Recent workforce reductions in related fields - context for a tight job market
- TechCorp - San Francisco, CA1,200 affectedMay 2026
- RetailCo - Columbus, OH800 affectedMay 2026
- FinServ Inc - Charlotte, NC450 affectedApr 2026
- LogiMove - Dallas, TX600 affectedApr 2026
- MediGroup - Phoenix, AZ300 affectedMar 2026
Top Industries for Electricians
| $81,992 | $78,893 | $39 | 78,910 | |
| $70,050 | $61,660 | $34 | 2,266,810 | |
| $64,972 | $58,926 | $31 | 48,910 |
Related Occupations
SOC: 33-3051 • 89% match | $79,063 | $79,340 | $38 | 4,069,710 |
| $73,370 | $72,110 | $35 | 3,404,530 | |
SOC: 47-2110 • 88% match | $71,382 | $70,190 | $34 | 4,439,520 |
SOC: 27-1000 • 85% match | $70,402 | $70,300 | $34 | 3,304,380 |
| Find Art and Design Workers Jobs | ||||
SOC: 21-1020 • 85% match | $68,389 | $67,540 | $33 | 4,624,980 |
SOC: 15-1232 • 86% match | $67,048 | $66,990 | $32 | 3,961,410 |
Related Occupations
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Electricians in Other States
Compare salaries for this occupation across different states:
Explore More Data for Electricians
Career Advancement Strategy
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