How to Become an Electrician in the USA (Apprenticeship Guide)
Becoming an electrician is one of the best no-degree career moves in the US: you train through a paid apprenticeship, finish with a respected licence, and earn a strong, stable income for the rest of your working life. Here’s exactly how the apprenticeship path works, how to get in, and what you’ll earn.
The apprenticeship path (earn while you learn)
You don’t pay for college to become an electrician — you get paid to train. A registered apprenticeship combines:
- On-the-job training — roughly 8,000 hours (about 4–5 years) working under licensed electricians, and
- Classroom instruction — usually a few hundred hours a year on theory, code and safety.
Your wage starts at a percentage of a fully-qualified journeyman’s pay and steps up as you complete hours — so you’re earning a rising income the whole time, with no tuition debt at the end.
How to find an apprenticeship
There are two main routes, and both are good:
- Union — through IBEW/NECA joint apprenticeship programs. Structured, well-paid, with strong benefits.
- Non-union (merit shop) — through programs like IEC or ABC, and many local contractors.
Start at Apprenticeship.gov (the US Department of Labor’s official finder), search local IBEW locals and electrical contractors, and apply to several. Some people first take an entry helper/laborer job with an electrical company to get a foot in the door.
Hours and licensing
The path to your licence is hours-based:
- Complete your on-the-job hours plus the required classroom instruction.
- Apply to sit your state or local journeyman licensing exam (covering the National Electrical Code, safety and practical knowledge).
- Pass it to become a licensed journeyman electrician — qualified to work independently.
- Later, with more experience, qualify as a master electrician (the top licence, needed to pull permits and run jobs).
Licensing rules vary by state and city, so check your local requirements.
Typical pay and progression
Electricians earn a solid middle-class-and-up wage, and pay rises clearly with each step — apprentice → journeyman → master. Specializing (industrial, high-voltage, controls) or running your own contracting business pushes earnings higher still. It’s one of the trades where $20+/hour with no degree is just the starting point, not the ceiling.
Tip: Apply to both union and non-union programs at once. Apprenticeship slots are competitive and intake windows are limited — casting a wide net gets you started months sooner.
Official resources
Ready to start in the trade? Browse current electrician jobs in Chicago and other USA jobs.
Frequently asked questions
Do you get paid as an apprentice electrician?
Yes. Registered apprenticeships pay you from day one, and your wage rises in steps as you complete hours and classroom work — typically starting around 40–50% of a journeyman's pay and climbing to near-full by the end. You earn while you learn, with no tuition debt.
How long does it take to become a licensed electrician?
A typical apprenticeship runs about 4 to 5 years, combining roughly 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction, before you sit your state's journeyman licensing exam.