Executive Summary

About 742,580 electricians work nationally, and $62,350 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 1.3% annual growth; much hiring sits in construction.

Electricians: what the data shows

Common questions about electricians careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a electricians?

Electricians is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2111.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 742,580 workers.

What does a electricians do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a electricians make?

BLS national median annual wage: $62,350 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $88,301 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$48,001
25th percentile$61,167
Median (50th)$78,790
75th percentile$106,769
90th percentile$140,728

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Troubleshooting, Repairing, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Installation, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Mechanical, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is electricians in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: 6.6%.

Ten-year projected employment change: 13.7%.

Current U.S. headcount: 742,580.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do electricianss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry742,58017.1%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only711,21016.3%
Construction582,13013.4%
Specialty Trade Contractors548,89012.6%
Building Equipment Contractors544,27012.5%
Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors526,88012.1%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Electricians in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Electrical and Electronics Repairers59,990$71,300
Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment7,310$82,730
Helpers--Electricians64,440$39,890
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers123,680$92,560
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay23,040$100,940
Electrical Engineers188,790$111,910
Carpenters697,740$59,310

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Electricians workforce.

Employment Over Time

742,580 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Electricians grew from 233,020 in 2009 to 286,320 in 2025 (22.9%).

Historical employment for Electricians from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$62,350 Median pay (BLS national)

Electricians earn $62,350 as the BLS national median annual wage.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Electricians.

Salary distribution for Electricians.

Employment Growth Projections

1.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

305,356 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 6.6%

325,659 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 13.7%

This occupation is projected to grow at 1.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Electricians.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Electricians and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Electricians employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Electricians.

Wage Trends by Industry

4.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Electricians.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Electricians.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 73,420 employees, $85,780 avg wage
  • TX: 71,880 employees, $57,250 avg wage
  • FL: 47,980 employees, $55,490 avg wage
  • NY: 40,380 employees, $83,350 avg wage
  • OH: 27,150 employees, $65,970 avg wage
  • MI: 24,670 employees, $71,060 avg wage
  • VA: 24,300 employees, $66,630 avg wage
  • NC: 23,660 employees, $55,370 avg wage
  • IL: 22,880 employees, $89,190 avg wage
  • PA: 21,860 employees, $73,510 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Electricians.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 38,890 employees, $85,440 avg wage
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 21,070 employees, $81,940 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 20,770 employees, $59,400 avg wage
  • Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 17,860 employees, $59,060 avg wage
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 16,740 employees, $61,530 avg wage
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 16,690 employees, $92,320 avg wage
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 16,520 employees, $78,580 avg wage
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 12,570 employees, $57,370 avg wage
  • Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 12,540 employees, $83,410 avg wage
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 12,220 employees, $63,680 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Electricians.

Diversity

Demographic information on Electricians in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Electricians is about 742,580 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Electricians.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Electricians.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Electricians.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Electricians in 2023 were Electrical Technology, Electrical Engineering, Technical Training.

Common majors for Electricians.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Electricians workers.

Education level distribution for Electricians.

Skills

Electricians need many skills, but most especially Troubleshooting, Repairing, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking.

Required skills for Electricians.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Electricians.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Electricians include Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Mechanical, Mathematics, Design.

Knowledge areas required for Electricians.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Electricians include Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, Finger Dexterity.

Required abilities for Electricians.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Electricians.

Daily Activities

Electricians spend their time on activities such as Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.

Most important work activities for Electricians.

About

Electricians

Electricians earn $62,350 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

47-2111 - Electricians

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Electricians reports an average salary of $88,301.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 742,580 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.