For electricians · 97 guides
Know what your card is worth.
Pay by state, per diem, travel work, licenses and reciprocity, and how to tell when a move is worth it.
97guides, written for the trade
50state license guides
9topics
997sources cited
Topics
9 sections. Pick one, or search everything below.
01
Pay and knowing your worth
What electricians make by state, metro, union scale and type of work.
7 guides02
Per diem and travel work
How per diem is paid and taxed, and what to ask before you travel.
6 guides03
Data center work
Pay, hours, badging and what the work is really like.
4 guides04
Licenses and exams
Getting your card, the exam, CE and taking it to another state.
7 guides05
Career moves
Foreman, service, commercial, going out on your own.
6 guides06
Union and open shop
Wage sheets, benefits and how to compare the whole package.
3 guides07
Making a move
Comparing offers, asking for a raise and quitting the right way.
10 guides08
Rights and safety on the job
Overtime, travel time, tools and staying in one piece.
3 guides09
License guides by state
Levels, hours, exams, reciprocity and pay in every state we cover.
51 guides017 guides
Pay and knowing your worth
What electricians make by state, metro, union scale and type of work.
Journeyman electrician pay in 2026: what the numbers sayJourneyman electrician pay in 2026 from BLS May 2025 data: percentiles, top states and metros, union scale, industry, and where a carded hand sits.12 minCommercial vs residential vs industrial electrician payCommercial vs residential electrician pay in the US: BLS May 2025 medians by employer, union residential vs inside scale, and hours and overtime by lane.8 minHighest paying states and metros for electriciansHighest paying states for electricians on BLS May 2025 data, mean and median labeled, plus top metros, rural areas, lowest states and cost of living.8 minHow much does an electrical foreman make?Electrical foreman salary in the US: union foreman and general foreman ratios by local, BLS supervisor pay, an open-shop ad, and whether foremen get OT.10 minHow to ask for a raise as a journeyman electricianHow to ask for a raise as an electrician: get three market numbers, pick your timing, ask for one figure, and know what to do if the answer is no.8 minHow to tell if you're underpaid as an electricianAm I underpaid as an electrician? Check three numbers: your metro's BLS percentile, the union or Davis-Bacon rate, and live ads. Then the signs to watch.10 minIs a master electrician license worth it on the tools?Is a master electrician license worth it if you never pull permits? What the card lets you do, hours by state, and when shops pay more for one.9 min
026 guides
Per diem and travel work
How per diem is paid and taxed, and what to ask before you travel.
Traveling electrician guide: pay, per diem and what to askTraveling electrician guide: the whole check on a road job, overtime on 6-10s, per diem by the day, Book 2 vs open shop, licenses and what to ask first.12 minHow per diem works for electriciansElectrician per diem explained: what current ads pay, per day worked vs 7 days, hotel vs cash, distance rules, and GSA FY2027 rates to measure it against.8 minHow union electricians travel: Book 1 vs Book 2IBEW Book 2 traveling explained: Book 1 vs Book 2, the travel letter and papers to bring, signing, re-signing and how calls go out at three real locals.10 minIs per diem taxable for electricians?Is per diem taxable for electricians? The IRS tax home test, the overnight rule, the one-year rule, W-2 box 12, and the rate cut trap explained.8 minTravel vs local electrician work: the whole-check mathTravel vs local electrician pay worked out side by side: rate, 6-10s overtime, per diem, road costs and weeks worked, so you can see what's really left.9 minWhat 6-10s really pay: overtime math for electriciansElectrician overtime pay on 6-10s, worked out: federal OT after 40, which states add daily OT, union double time, per diem and the new overtime deduction.9 min
034 guides
Data center work
Pay, hours, badging and what the work is really like.
Data center electrician work: pay, hours and what it's likeData center electrician work, straight: the scope, long-hour schedules, what happens when a phase ends, why spending is up 73% and who gets the work.11 minData center vs local commercial: which is the better move?Data center vs commercial electrician work: the whole check on 6-10s, how long the phase runs, the gap after it ends, and when a steady local shop wins.10 minHow much do data center electricians really make?Data center electrician pay, the sober version: union base rates, what 6-10s and 7-12s add, per diem, and how the $240,000 headline checks get built.9 minMoving to a data center job: badging, phases, what's nextHow to get on a data center job from the one you have now: the right card for the state, site access checks, how phases end, and lining up the next job.8 min
047 guides
Licenses and exams
Getting your card, the exam, CE and taking it to another state.
How to get your journeyman electrician licenseHow to get a journeyman electrician license: the hours most states want (about 8,000), classroom rules, the exam, proving hours, and states with no card.12 minCan you get an electrician license with a felony?An electrician license with a felony is often possible. What boards weigh, Arkansas and Delaware rules, how to get a review first, and site access.9 minElectrician continuing education requirements by stateElectrician continuing education requirements by state for 2026: CE hours, renewal cycle, code hours, online limits and what a lapse will cost you.10 minHow to move your electrician license to another stateTransfer an electrician license to another state in 9 steps: reciprocity vs endorsement vs testing, the one-year rule, fees, timing and the traps.10 minHow to pass the journeyman exam while working full timeJourneyman electrician exam guide: who gives it in your state, tabbing rules, NEC editions, the calcs that show up, retake waits, and a 10-week study plan.9 minStates with no statewide journeyman electrician licenseStates without a journeyman electrician license, as of 2026: who licenses instead (county, city or contractor board) and what it means if you move later.10 minWhich states have electrician license reciprocity?Electrician license reciprocity by state for 2026: each board's journeyman list, the one-year and exam rules, NERA, and the states that take no one.13 min
056 guides
Career moves
Foreman, service, commercial, going out on your own.
Electrician career paths: where a journeyman goes nextElectrician career path options for a carded journeyman, with BLS pay for each: industrial, service, foreman, data centers, own shop, inspector and PM.11 minElectrical work after 50: jobs that are easier on the bodyElectrician jobs for older electricians: service, maintenance, inspection, estimating and training, with BLS pay, injury data and retirement math.9 minGoing out on your own: journeyman to electrical contractorHow to become an electrical contractor from journeyman: license steps by state, insurance minimums, side work rules, and what you give up for it.8 minHow to become an electrical foremanHow to become an electrical foreman: what the job is day to day, what shops look for before they hand you a crew, and when to run work elsewhere.9 minHow to go from residential to commercial electrical workResidential to commercial electrician: the skills shops test (bending, prints, raceway, terms), license class rules, and whether the first year pays less.8 minIs service electrician work worth it? Pay, commission, on-callService electrician pay, commission and on-call: how service pay plans work, the overtime rule shops miss, and who does better in service work.9 min
063 guides
Union and open shop
Wage sheets, benefits and how to compare the whole package.
Union vs non-union electrician pay: the full packageUnion vs non-union electrician pay with real numbers: BLS weekly earnings, three IBEW wage sheets next to local medians, and how to compare the packages.12 minHow to read a union wage sheet and compare an open-shop offerUnion electrician wage sheet explained line by line with IBEW Local 46's 2026 sheet, then an open-shop offer converted into the same columns.9 minWhat benefits should an open-shop electrician expect?Non-union electrician benefits by the numbers: what most shops offer for health, 401k, PTO and holidays, and when a lower rate with benefits wins.9 min
0710 guides
Making a move
Comparing offers, asking for a raise and quitting the right way.
How to compare two electrician job offers: the whole checkCompare electrician job offers on the whole check: rate, guaranteed hours, OT, per diem, job length, benefits, truck and foreman, with a worked example.10 minAgency vs direct hire: which is better for an electrician?Staffing agency vs direct hire for an electrician: pay, benefits, how long the work lasts, and the conversion clause that decides when a shop can hire you.9 minHow electrical recruiters get paid (and what you never pay)Do recruiters charge electricians? A real one is paid by the contractor. How placement fees and agency spreads work, state law, and what never to pay.10 minHow to quit an electrical job without burning bridgesHow to quit an electrician job right: lock in the new offer, give notice, return tools and the truck, know when your last check is due, handle a counter.10 minQuestions to ask an electrical contractor before you take the jobQuestions to ask before taking an electrician job: 15 a J-man should ask, from job length and OT to per diem days, tools, truck and insurance start.9 minRed flags at an electrical companyElectrical company red flags: a 1099 while they set your hours, late checks, tool deductions, cash pay, per diem cuts, and how to check a shop first.10 minShort-termed: how to tell if an electrical job will lastShort termed electrician? Construction lays off faster than most work. The questions on job length, backlog and the next job that show if it will last.10 minShould you switch electrical companies for $3 more an hour?Switch electrical companies for $3 more an hour? It's $6,240 a year at 40 hours, but vesting, PTO, a health wait and layoffs can eat it all.8 minWhat contractors check before they hire a journeymanJourneyman electrician interview prep from the contractor's side: the license lookup, bending test, terminations, prints, references and what to bring.11 minWhat is your electrician license worth?What is my electrician license worth? Find your market rate from BLS metro data, wage determinations and job ads, quietly, and lower the risk of a move.9 min
083 guides
Rights and safety on the job
Overtime, travel time, tools and staying in one piece.
Electrician rights on the job: overtime, travel time, tools, payElectrician rights at work: overtime over 40, paid travel between jobs, tool deductions, who pays for PPE, your final check, 1099s and unsafe work.12 minCan your boss make you work hot? Your rights on an unsafe siteYour rights when told to work hot or on an unsafe site: what OSHA requires, when you can refuse, NFPA 70E permits, and how to report retaliation.11 minOSHA 10, OSHA 30, NFPA 70E: which cards matterOSHA 10 for electricians is voluntary under federal law, but Nevada, some public jobs and many GCs require it. Which cards matter and how long they last.11 min
0951 guides
License guides by state
Levels, hours, exams, reciprocity and pay in every state we cover.
Click a state for its license guide. Hover for median electrician pay.
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
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