Steps to become an electrician
Becoming an electrician takes five steps, and the apprenticeship in step 2 is the long one. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education and an apprenticeship as the typical training, usually 4 or 5 years with about 2,000 paid hours a year.[ooh_elec]
- Finish high school or a GED. It is the entry education BLS lists for electricians.[ooh_elec]
- Get into training. Join a registered apprenticeship (paid, rising wage schedule, at least 2,000 hours, 144 classroom hours a year recommended) or work as a helper while you take classes.[ecfr295] Programs are on Apprenticeship.gov.[ra]
- Register as an apprentice if your state requires it. Texas licenses apprentices before they work, for a $20 fee and no experience.[tdlr_app]
- Log your hours and pass the journeyman exam. Texas requires 8,000 hours, with the exam open from 7,000.[tdlr_jour] Use the calculator above to see your date.
- Go further if you want. A master license (12,000 hours and 2 years as a journeyman in Texas) or a contractor license comes after.[tdlr_master] Pay at that level is on master electrician salary.
How long it takes and what it costs
It takes most people 4 to 5 years to become a journeyman electrician, because that is how long a typical apprenticeship lasts.[ooh_elec] Registered inside-wireman programs in Washington, for example, run 4 years and 8,000 hours and list no tuition.[s_cb4185][s_cb4191] The cost is low on that route; a school certificate costs more but can shorten the search for a first job.
| Route | Length | Paid while training? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered apprenticeship[ecfr295] | 4–5 years | Yes, rising wage schedule | Often $0 tuition (see Washington programs) |
| Helper job + classes | Varies by state hours rule | Yes; helpers’ median $42,670[onet_helpE] | Class fees |
| Electrical school certificate, then a job | School months + license hours | No, during school | See electrician school cost |
Time is the main cost: at 40 hours a week for 50 weeks, 8,000 hours take 4 years. Detailed timelines and part-time cases are on how long it takes to become an electrician, and apprentice pay on electrician apprenticeship.
How to become an electrician in Texas, Florida and California
Licensing is set by states and sometimes cities, so the path depends on where you work. Texas runs a statewide license ladder; Florida leaves journeyman licenses to counties and cities; California’s state contractor board licenses electrical contractors.
| State | Who licenses electricians | Key requirement | Median pay (BLS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | TDLR, statewide[tdlr_jour] | Journeyman: 8,000 hours; master: 12,000 hours + 2 years | $58,570 |
| Florida | Counties and municipalities issue journeyman licenses[fl5335] | Approved apprenticeship, or 12,000 hours plus an exam | $57,250 |
| California | CSLB licenses contractors[cslb_exp] | Contractor exam: 4 years of journey-level experience in the class | $76,160 |
How to become an electrician in Florida: finish an apprenticeship program approved under state rules, or log 12,000 hours of experience, then pass the exam your county or city uses for its journeyman license.[fl5335] A state electrical contractor certificate is a separate, later step.[fl511]
How to become an electrician in California: train through an apprenticeship or as a trainee under an employer, and to run your own business take the CSLB contractor exam after 4 years of journey-level experience (application fee $450, initial license $200).[cslb_exp][cslb_fees] We could not verify California’s separate state electrician certification rules from the state site, so we do not list its hours.
Texas has its own step-by-step page: how to become an electrician in Texas.
Is becoming an electrician worth it?
Yes for most people who like hands-on work: electricians earn a median $63,190, the top 10% earn over $108,510, and BLS projects 9% job growth from 2025 to 2035 against 3% for all occupations, with about 72,700 openings a year.[onet_elec][ooh_elec] BLS counted 757,220 electrician jobs in May 2025.[oews_api] Compare with other trades on highest paying trades.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to become an electrician?
Usually 4 to 5 years, the length of a typical apprenticeship with about 2,000 paid hours a year (BLS). Texas requires 8,000 hours for a journeyman license.
How do you become an electrician in Florida?
Complete an approved apprenticeship or 12,000 hours of experience, then pass the journeyman exam used by your county or city, which issues the license.
How do you become an electrician in California?
Train through an apprenticeship or as a trainee; to run a contracting business, take the CSLB exam after 4 years of journey-level experience.
Can you become an electrician without an apprenticeship?
In many places, yes: you can work as a helper or trainee and document the hours your state or city requires. Florida, for example, accepts 12,000 hours of experience instead of an apprenticeship.
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians (4- or 5-year apprenticeship; projections 2025–35)
- 29 CFR 29.5, Standards of apprenticeship (2,000-hour minimum term; 144 hours related instruction recommended; progressive wage schedule)
- Registered Apprenticeship Program (paid job, progressive wages, related instruction, national credential)
- Apprentice Electrician license (no experience required; $20 fee; renew yearly)
- Journeyman Electrician license (8,000 hours on-the-job training; exam eligibility at 7,000 hours; $30 fee)
- Master Electrician license (journeyman for 2 years and 12,000 hours; $45 fee)
- Inside Wireman apprenticeship, Columbia Basin Electrical Training Alliance Committee (4 years, 8,000 hours)
- Inside Wireman apprenticeship, Southwest Washington JATC (4 years, 8,000 hours)
- Local Wages: 47-3013.00 Helpers, electricians (state and metro percentiles)
- Florida Statutes s. 489.5335, Journeyman electrical licenses (counties and municipalities; apprenticeship or 12,000 hours and exam)
- Florida Statutes s. 489.511, Certification of electrical contractors (experience requirements)
- Experience requirements for the contractor exam (4 years journey-level experience in the class)
- CSLB fees (original application $450; initial license $200 sole owner)
- Local Wages: 47-2111.00 Electricians (state and metro percentiles)
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2