Best Electrician Jobs
The highest-paying electrician job depends on what you count as an electrician. In the latest national wage data, electrical and electronics repairers who work on powerhouses, substations, and relays earned an average of $100,760 per year. Electrical power-line installers and repairers averaged $91,970. Workers classified simply as electricians averaged $71,490.
There is an important date note here: this is our 2026 guide to the latest available data, not a claim that the wage survey was conducted in 2026. The figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) May 2025 wage estimates, published in May 2026.
For a deeper location comparison, see our free Electrician Payoff Report 2026. It compares electrician pay, living costs, housing pressure, work hours, commutes, and job concentration across every state and 100 metro areas.
One current market deserves separate treatment. Published 2026 data center construction offers advertise licensed journeymen at $64 to $65 per hour, 50 to 70 hours a week, and more than $1,100 in weekly per diem. Under those conditions, a field electrician can approach or pass $280,000 without becoming a foreman. Read our calculation of how a data center electrician can make $280,000. It is an overtime-and-travel total, not a normal base salary.
Highest-paying electrician jobs and salaries at a glance
| Electrical occupation | Average annual wage | Median hourly wage | What the work covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerhouse, substation, and relay electrical repairer | $100,760 | $49.53 | Testing and maintaining equipment in generating stations, substations, and relay systems |
| Electrical power-line installer and repairer | $91,970 | $45.83 | Installing and repairing power-distribution lines and related equipment |
| Electrician | $71,490 | $30.38 | Installing, maintaining, and repairing wiring, lighting, controls, and electrical equipment |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025. The annual figures are mean wages. The hourly figures are medians. BLS measures these as separate occupations, so they are useful comparisons but not interchangeable job titles.
What type of electrician makes the most money?
For a direct answer based on national government data, powerhouse, substation, and relay electrical repairers are the highest-paid group in this comparison. Their average annual wage passed $100,000 in the May 2025 BLS data.
These workers inspect, test, repair, and maintain electrical equipment in power plants and substations. The work often calls for high-voltage knowledge, careful switching procedures, testing skills, and strict safety training.
A substation role is not the same as a standard commercial or residential electrician job. Employers may ask for utility experience, relay-testing knowledge, a commercial driver’s license, or training specific to their system. Read each posting closely before treating the pay as a reason to change fields.
Job, occupation, role, or license: what are we comparing?
These terms are often mixed together, but they are not the same:
- An occupation is a government category such as electrician or electrical power-line installer.
- A job title is the name an employer uses, such as industrial electrician, data center electrician, or maintenance electrician.
- A role describes responsibility, such as foreman, superintendent, estimator, or project manager.
- A license level may be apprentice, journeyman, or master, depending on local rules.
BLS data is strongest for comparing occupations. It does not publish one national wage for every employer title, license level, or supervisory role. That is why a claim such as “master electrician is the highest-paying electrician job” cannot be proved with one national number.
What is the electrician pay range?
The national median tells only part of the story. Our Payoff Report uses the full BLS wage distribution for electricians:
| National pay point | Hourly wage | 2,080-hour annual equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.50 | $42,640 |
| 25th percentile | $23.76 | $49,421 |
| Median | $30.38 | $63,190 |
| 75th percentile | $40.36 | $83,949 |
| 90th percentile | $52.17 | $108,514 |
The annual equivalents are hourly wages multiplied by 2,080 hours. They do not include overtime, bonuses, per diem, or periods without work. The 90th percentile also does not mean every electrician with a certain title will earn $108,514. It means 10% of workers in the national electrician occupation earned that hourly rate or more.
Which states pay electricians the most?
These were the five highest state median wages in the Electrician Payoff Report 2026:
| State | Median hourly wage | 2,080-hour annual equivalent | Electrician employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $48.71 | $101,317 | 10,590 |
| Illinois | $47.87 | $99,570 | 23,120 |
| Hawaii | $46.38 | $96,470 | 3,070 |
| Washington | $45.78 | $95,222 | 19,380 |
| Alaska | $43.00 | $89,440 | 1,870 |
Nominal pay is not the same as buying power. The report adjusts wages with the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. Illinois slightly passed Oregon on cost-adjusted hourly pay, while Wyoming and Wisconsin moved higher after local prices were considered.
Licensing also changes by state. A strong wage number does not help if your license will not transfer or if the available work requires a different classification.
Which cities pay electricians the most?
Among the 100 metro areas in our report, these had the highest electrician median wages:
| Metro area | Median hourly wage | 2,080-hour annual equivalent | Electrician employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $50.53 | $105,102 | 7,340 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49.21 | $102,357 | 17,720 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48.93 | $101,774 | 9,750 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $48.21 | $100,277 | 2,290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44.63 | $92,830 | 9,060 |
Portland and Chicago remained the top two in our cost-adjusted comparison. Some expensive markets dropped after local prices were included. Use the report’s state and metro filters to compare nominal pay, real pay, rent, commute time, and employment concentration before planning a move.
How much do industrial electricians make?
The BLS does not publish a separate national wage category named “industrial electrician.” Most workers with that title are included in the broader electrician category, which had:
- An average annual wage of $71,490
- A median hourly wage of $30.38
- About 757,220 jobs in May 2025
An industrial electrician may earn more than that national baseline. Plant location, shift schedule, overtime, controls experience, union terms, and the equipment being maintained can all change the offer.
Be careful with articles that give every industrial electrician a salary of $110,000 to $160,000. There is no national BLS figure that supports that range for the occupation as a whole. Some workers can reach it, but it is not a sound starting estimate.
If industrial work interests you, compare live job postings by hourly rate, expected overtime, shift differential, travel, and benefits. The base rate alone does not show total compensation.
Is a lineworker an electrician?
Lineworkers and electricians both work around electrical systems, but the BLS treats them as different occupations.
Electricians usually work on wiring and equipment in buildings, facilities, or construction projects. Electrical power-line installers and repairers work on the lines that carry electricity through the power grid. Linework often takes place outdoors, at height, and during outages or severe weather.
The distinction matters when comparing pay. A lineworker’s $91,970 average should not be presented as the average salary for all electricians.
Can an electrician make $100,000, $150,000, or $280,000 a year?
Yes, but the route to each number matters.
At a steady 40 hours a week, $100,000 equals about $48.08 per hour. That is close to the national 90th-percentile electrician wage and above the median in most markets.
A field electrician can reach $150,000 with a lower base rate plus overtime and travel per diem. The most aggressive 2026 data center offers can produce $240,000 to $280,000, but only when high hourly pay is combined with 58- to 70-hour weeks and large per diem payments.
For example, one current journeyman offer advertises $65 per hour, 60 hours a week, and $160 per day in per diem. Assuming time-and-a-half after 40 hours, 50 weeks at those terms would equal $227,500 in wages plus $56,000 in per diem, or $283,500 combined. That does not make it a $283,500 salary. The electrician must qualify for the per diem, keep the overtime, pay travel expenses, and stay on the project.
See the live offers, weekly calculations, and tradeoffs in our article: Can Data Center Electricians Really Make $280,000?
An electrician can cross $100,000 through one or more of these paths:
- Working in a higher-paying city or on a prevailing-wage project
- Taking overtime, night shifts, shutdown work, or travel assignments
- Moving into substation, relay, high-voltage, controls, data-center power, or utility work
- Working a high-demand construction project as a licensed field electrician
- Moving into foreman, superintendent, estimator, or project-management work
- Earning a master license where the state or city offers one
- Running an electrical contracting business
Business revenue is not personal salary. Owners pay for labor, insurance, vehicles, tools, permits, taxes, and gaps between projects. Compare net income with employee pay and benefits before deciding that ownership pays more.
Use our overtime pay calculator to compare a base rate with expected overtime. You can also use the salary converter to turn an hourly offer into weekly, monthly, and annual pay.
What changes electrician pay the most?
Location
Electrician wages vary by state and metro area. Licensing rules, construction demand, union agreements, and living costs differ across markets. A larger paycheck may not leave more money after housing, travel, and taxes.
Overtime and shift pay
Shutdowns, service calls, storm response, and night work can add a large amount to yearly earnings. Ask whether overtime is steady, seasonal, or available only during a project.
License level
A journeyman or master license can qualify you for work that an apprentice cannot perform alone. License names and requirements differ by state and city, so check the local licensing authority.
Technical specialty
Employers may pay more for skills that are hard to replace. Examples include PLC troubleshooting, instrumentation, relay testing, medium-voltage switching, fire alarm, building controls, and data center electrical work.
Responsibility
Crew leadership, scheduling, code compliance, commissioning, and customer contact can move a worker into a higher pay band. The title may change to foreman, superintendent, service manager, estimator, or project manager.
How to move toward higher-paying electrical work
- Check the required license. Do not assume your current license transfers to another state or utility.
- Read ten real job postings. Write down the skills that appear most often in the better-paying roles.
- Close one skill gap at a time. Controls, instrumentation, medium voltage, and relay testing are different paths. Pick the one that matches the work available near you.
- Track total compensation. Include overtime rules, per diem, health coverage, retirement, paid travel, and tool costs.
- Ask about the schedule. A high yearly figure may depend on nights, long rotations, or heavy overtime.
- Show specific work on your resume. Name the systems, voltages, equipment, and project types you have handled.
Our electrician resume guide explains how to describe field experience without vague claims.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest-paid electrician job in 2026?
Powerhouse, substation, and relay electrical repairers had the highest average pay among the electrical trade occupations compared here. Their average annual wage was $100,760 in the latest BLS national data, which covers May 2025 and was published in 2026.
Do master electricians make the most money?
Not always. “Master electrician” is a license level, and the rules differ by location. A master license can lead to higher-paid supervision or contracting work, but the title alone does not set the wage.
Are industrial electricians the highest paid?
Some industrial electricians earn six figures, especially with overtime or specialized controls experience. The BLS does not publish a separate national industrial-electrician wage, so claims about one standard six-figure salary should be treated carefully.
Can a data center electrician really make $280,000?
Yes, under unusually strong project terms. Current 2026 offers show licensed journeymen at $64 to $65 per hour with heavy overtime and more than $1,100 a week in per diem. The resulting total can approach $280,000, but it is not a typical 40-hour salary or a national average.
What electrical skill pays the most?
There is no single skill with one national rate. Substation and relay work has strong national wage data. Controls, instrumentation, medium voltage, and commissioning can also lead to better offers when employers need those skills.
Where can I find high-paying electrician jobs?
Browse current electrician and electrical jobs, then compare the full offer rather than the title alone. Pay, overtime, schedule, travel, licensing, and benefits all affect the value of a job.
Data and methodology note
This guide was reviewed on August 23, 2026. It uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, released May 15, 2026. The location tables come from our 2026 Payoff Report, which combines those wages with BEA 2024 Regional Price Parities, HUD FY2026 rent data, and Census ACS 2020–2024 estimates.
OEWS wage data excludes self-employed workers. The report does not separate apprenticeship level, license level, union status, overtime, taxes, benefits, or bonuses. Job titles used by employers do not always match BLS occupation names, and an individual offer may be above or below a published estimate.
