How much does a master electrician make?
A master electrician typically earns in the top quarter of electrician pay: $83,940 to $108,510 a year nationally, based on the 75th and 90th percentiles of BLS wage estimates for all electricians in May 2025.[onet_elec][oews] That is a proxy, not a license-level survey: BLS OEWS classifies workers by the work they do (SOC 47-2111, electricians), not by license grade, so apprentices, journeymen and masters sit in one distribution.[oews_faq] The table shows where each step of a career usually falls; the percentile labels are our mapping, the dollar figures are BLS.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $42,640 | $20.50 | $36,441 |
| 25th | $49,430 | $23.76 | $41,897 |
| Median | $63,190 | $30.38 | $52,953 |
| 75th (experienced, often master) | $83,940 | $40.36 | $67,882 |
| 90th (top earners) | $108,510 | $52.17 | $85,167 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Some master electricians also earn outside this table: OEWS covers employees only, so self-employed electricians and owners of contracting businesses are left out, and its wages exclude overtime pay.[oews_faq] See the full distribution, metros and states on the electrician salary page.
Master electrician requirements (Texas example)
A master electrician license takes the most documented experience of any electrical license. In Texas, TDLR requires 12,000 hours of on-the-job training and at least 2 years as a licensed journeyman electrician before the master exam, with a $45 license fee.[tdlr_master] The journeyman step before it requires 8,000 hours, with exam eligibility from 7,000.[tdlr_jour] Track your own count on how long it takes to become an electrician, and see the whole path on how to become an electrician.
| License | Experience | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice[tdlr_app] | None | $20 |
| Journeyman[tdlr_jour] | 8,000 hours (exam from 7,000) | $30 |
| Master[tdlr_master] | 12,000 hours and 2 years as a journeyman | $45 |
Apprentice electrician salary vs master
An apprentice electrician earns a share of the journeyman rate that rises each year. On a 4-year ladder from 50% to 90% of the $30.38 national median rate, year one pays $30,380 and year four $54,684 for 2,000 hours, against $108,510 for a top-decile electrician. Federal rules require that rising schedule in every registered program but do not set the percentages; model yours on the electrician apprenticeship calculator.[ecfr295]
Electrician salary in California and top-paying states
The electrician salary in California is $76,160 at the median and $140,340 at the 90th percentile, 15th of 51 for the median.[onet_elec] The states below pay the most at the 90th percentile, the level where many master electricians sit.
| State | 90th pct. | 75th pct. | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140,340 | $103,000 | $76,160 |
| Washington | $133,950 | $121,530 | $95,220 |
| Vermont | $132,080 | $80,390 | $63,430 |
| New York | $131,640 | $106,420 | $78,750 |
| Oregon | $131,530 | $121,680 | $101,310 |
| New Jersey | $130,860 | $121,110 | $77,250 |
| Massachusetts | $128,210 | $100,480 | $79,420 |
| District of Columbia | $125,790 | $122,050 | $78,970 |
| Area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $92,830 | $44.63 | $55,360 | $182,340 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $91,030 | $43.76 | $54,290 | $173,340 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $86,040 | $41.37 | $48,510 | $154,120 |
| Vallejo, CA | $79,490 | $38.22 | $48,860 | $142,240 |
| Salinas, CA | $78,780 | $37.88 | $47,740 | $131,450 |
| Napa, CA | $78,080 | $37.54 | $50,850 | $120,620 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $77,380 | $37.20 | $47,850 | $134,990 |
| Modesto, CA | $76,710 | $36.88 | $48,220 | $137,600 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $76,610 | $36.83 | $48,290 | $126,560 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $76,540 | $36.80 | $46,210 | $143,060 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $76,490 | $36.77 | $45,620 | $112,820 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $76,410 | $36.74 | $46,030 | $137,400 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $76,160 | $36.62 | $47,890 | $126,260 |
| Merced, CA | $76,120 | $36.60 | $44,510 | $139,600 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $76,090 | $36.58 | $47,710 | $135,300 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $75,860 | $36.47 | $46,770 | $123,940 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $75,290 | $36.20 | $48,170 | $113,520 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $75,090 | $36.10 | $47,480 | $128,300 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $74,830 | $35.98 | $46,230 | $130,020 |
| El Centro, CA | $74,450 | $35.79 | $45,570 | $121,310 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $73,810 | $35.49 | $46,140 | $131,680 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $72,790 | $35.00 | $45,360 | $139,430 |
| Fresno, CA | $71,710 | $34.48 | $46,090 | $119,800 |
| Redding, CA | $69,540 | $33.43 | $46,460 | $134,800 |
| Yuba City, CA | $65,660 | $31.57 | $46,030 | $142,650 |
| Chico, CA | $65,400 | $31.44 | $46,910 | $141,250 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $64,840 | $31.17 | $47,070 | $122,360 |
| Visalia, CA | $64,390 | $30.96 | $43,950 | $102,000 |
Union electrician salary and master plumber salary
A union electrician salary is set by the local’s contract, and BLS publishes no national union pay scale for electricians, so we do not print one; ask the local for its current inside-wireman rate. For the parallel trade, BLS puts plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters at $85,110 at the 75th percentile and $108,420 at the 90th, with master plumbing licenses in Texas requiring 2 years as a journeyman.[onet_plumb][tsbpe_master] Compare both trades on the plumber salary page. Factory, refinery and utility pay by industry is on industrial electrician salary.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a master electrician make a year?
Roughly $83,940 to $108,510 using the 75th and 90th percentiles of BLS electrician pay (May 2025). BLS does not publish a separate master figure.
How much does an apprentice electrician make?
A share of the journeyman rate set by the program; on a 50%-to-90% ladder at the national median rate, about $30,380 in year one for 2,000 hours.
What is the electrician salary in California?
$76,160 at the median and $140,340 at the 90th percentile (BLS May 2025).
How many hours do you need for a master electrician license?
In Texas, 12,000 hours of on-the-job training plus 2 years as a licensed journeyman. Other states set their own rules.
Sources
- Local Wages: 47-2111.00 Electricians (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- 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)
- 29 CFR 29.5, Standards of apprenticeship (2,000-hour minimum term; 144 hours related instruction recommended; progressive wage schedule)
- Local Wages: 47-2152.00 Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (state and metro percentiles)
- Master Plumber license (journeyman 2 years; $128.50 exam, $75 license)