1Pay
$63,190
Middle-of-the-pack pay
2025 national median. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.
Construction and Trades · Career brief
Electrician
Is it a good career to pursue?
The 30-second read
Electrician at a glance
Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.
2Demand
9.2%
Strong projected growth
Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Top 10% for growth among careers on ChooseField.
3Openings
72,700
Exceptional hiring volume
Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Top 10% for openings among careers on ChooseField.
4Route in
Apprenticeship
Training happens largely on the job
High school diploma or equivalent + apprenticeship. Prior related work is not typically required.
5The work
Hands-on
Practical work with tools, systems, or physical environments
Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
6The catch
Know this first
What could make this a poor fit
Standing, kneeling, cramped spaces, and sometimes heights. Electrical hazards require safe working procedures.
ChooseField take
The strongest national signals are growth and opening volume; each ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if hands-on work appeals to you and you are comfortable with an apprenticeship. Main tradeoff: Standing, kneeling, cramped spaces, and sometimes heights. Electrical hazards require safe working procedures.
National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.
Compare Electrician with another field
Explore rankings in Construction and Trades
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Want the evidence behind the snapshot?
Market and path
Pay, outlook, and the route in
National median pay (2025)
$63,190
A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.
2025–2035 outlook
9.2%employment growth72,700openings per year
Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.
Typical entry route
Most enter through a four- or five-year apprenticeship with paid work and classroom instruction. Apprentice pay starts below qualified-worker pay; check local licensing requirements.
BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.
BLS qualification guidance · Reviewed September 6, 2026.
2025 employment
821,000
Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.
Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Electricians (47-2111).
Actual responsibilities
What you would be trusted to own
Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.
- Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
- Place conduit, pipes, or tubing, inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas, and pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between boxes.
- Work from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
- Use a variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.
Decision-changing realities
What could make this a poor fit
- Standing, kneeling, cramped spaces, and sometimes heights. Electrical hazards require safe working procedures.
- Overtime, evenings, and weekends can occur; ask about the apprenticeship's combined work and class schedule.
Work profile
What the work emphasizes
O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
- Performing General Physical Activities4.7
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.6
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.5
- Getting Information4.5
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.4
Interest profile
Career interests
O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional4.1
- Investigative2.7
- Enterprising1.8
- Social1.3
- Artistic1.2
Preparation
What the training must make you competent at
Subject matter
Building and Construction
Mechanical
Mathematics
Design
Before choosing the major or training
Run a cheaper test first
- Take a supervised shop, maker, or trade class and finish one project while following its measurement, cleanup, and safety rules.
- Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.
Field-specific evidence
What changes the picture
You can enter without a four-year degree
HS + apprenticeship
Typical entry is a high school diploma or equivalent followed by apprenticeship training.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Current profile ↗Employers say electricians are hard to find
77%
Among construction firms with electrician openings, 77% reported difficulty filling them.
AGC/NCCER Workforce Survey · 2025 ↗The shortage is industry-wide
92%
Construction companies reporting difficulty hiring for open positions.
NCCER · 2025 ↗This is almost entirely an on-site career
<0.5% routine telework
BLS Occupational Requirements Survey reported routine telework for fewer than 0.5% of electricians.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 ↗The fuller career guide
How the evidence fits together
The tradeoff that matters most
The economics are attractive partly because the work is physically anchored. Employer hiring difficulty, apprenticeship-based entry, and almost no routine telework all point in the same direction: this is a durable hands-on field, but the work setting is part of the bargain.
Working conditions and hours
Standing, kneeling, cramped spaces, and sometimes heights. Electrical hazards require safe working procedures.
Overtime, evenings, and weekends can occur; ask about the apprenticeship's combined work and class schedule.
BLS: entry routes, workplace, and schedules · Reviewed September 6, 2026. BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this career
Is electrician a good career?
It can be a strong option without a four-year degree: national pay and continued openings are attractive, and the common apprenticeship route includes paid work. The tradeoff is physically demanding work, including standing, climbing, confined spaces, and travel between job sites. Compare local apprenticeship availability, apprentice wages, and licensing requirements before committing.
Electrician salary
The national median annual wage in May 2025 was $63,190. This is a benchmark rather than an expected starting salary; actual compensation varies by experience, location, employer, specialty, credentials, and hours.
Electrician vs plumber
Consider Electrician if you want to install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Consider Plumber / Pipefitter if you would rather assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. Compare a sample task and the qualification requirements for each before choosing between them.
Is electrician work hard on your body?
It can be. Work may involve standing, kneeling, cramped spaces, climbing, and electrical hazards. Ask an apprentice and a qualified electrician about the tasks in the setting you are considering, protective procedures, equipment handling, and how duties change with experience.
Adjacent options
Compare before committing
The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for HVAC Technician, Plumber / Pipefitter, Industrial Engineer, Glaziers.
HVAC Technician
- Median pay
- $61,010
- Growth
- 10.9%
Postsecondary nondegree award
Compare side by side →Plumber / Pipefitter
- Median pay
- $63,800
- Growth
- 6.8%
High school diploma or equivalent + apprenticeship
Compare side by side →Industrial Engineer
- Median pay
- $102,440
- Growth
- 12.4%
Bachelor's degree
Compare side by side →Glaziers
- Median pay
- $57,080
- Growth
- 1.9%
High school diploma or equivalent + apprenticeship
Compare side by side →Sources
- BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections and worker characteristics: pay, employment, openings, education, experience, and training for occupation 47-2111.
- O*NET 47-2111.00 occupation summary: tasks, knowledge, work context, and technologies.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Current profile.
- AGC/NCCER Workforce Survey: 2025.
- NCCER: 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 2025.