Journeyman Electrician Pay by State in 2026: What JEs Actually Earn Market by Market
Quick Answer
Journeyman electricians earn a national median of about $34 an hour, or close to $71,500 a year, based on the most recent government wage data available in 2026. Where you work moves that number more than almost anything else. Journeyman electricians in Illinois, Washington, Hawaii, and Oregon are clearing $85,000 to $89,000 a year, while journeyman electricians in Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi are often stuck in the high $40,000s. Union status, cost of living, and the type of work available in your market explain most of the gap, more than years on the job ever will.
The National Number, and Why It Only Gets You So Far
Every year the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a national wage figure for electricians, and every year that number gets quoted without much context. The current government data puts the median electrician wage at $34.37 an hour, with a mean annual wage of $71,490. That figure covers every electrician the government tracks, residential, commercial, industrial, and everything in between, at every experience level from newly licensed journeyman to master.
The median journeyman electrician wage nationally is $34.37 an hour, or about $71,490 a year, according to the most recent BLS wage data.
The problem with a national number is that it flattens out the two things that matter most to you: where you work and who you work for. A journeyman in Chicago and a journeyman in rural Alabama both show up in that $71,490 average, and neither one of them is actually earning it. The state by state breakdown below (see companion table) is a far more useful starting point for figuring out what you should be earning right now.
Table 1 · Where Journeyman Electricians Earn the Most and Least in 2026
National mean annual wage for electricians is $71,490 ($34.37/hr median). States below are ranked by average annual wage.
| Rank | State | Avg Annual Wage | Avg Hourly Rate | What's Driving It |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $88,900 | $42.74 | Heavy union density, industrial and data center construction around Chicago |
| 2 | Washington | $88,620 | $42.61 | Strong union locals, sustained commercial and tech-sector construction |
| 3 | Hawaii | $88,280 | $42.44 | High cost of living pushes wages up across every trade |
| 4 | Oregon | $85,330 | $41.02 | Union density plus a steady commercial construction pipeline |
| 5 | California | $83,800 | $40.29 | Large industrial and commercial market, high cost of living |
| 6 | New York | $81,340 | $39.10 | Deep union presence, major commercial and infrastructure work |
| ... | National mean: $71,490/yr ($34.37/hr median) | |||
| 45 | Delaware | $47,990 | $23.07 | Lower union density, smaller industrial base |
| 46 | Florida | $47,750 | $22.96 | Residential-heavy construction mix, low union density |
| 47 | South Carolina | $47,590 | $22.88 | Lower cost of living, limited industrial base |
| 48 | North Carolina | $47,310 | $22.75 | Residential-heavy market, low union density |
| 49 | Alabama | $47,040 | $22.62 | Low union density, lower cost of living |
| 50 | Arkansas | $46,180 | $22.20 | Lowest-paying state for electrical work nationally |
Figures reflect average annual and hourly wages for the electrician occupation broadly, the closest available government data to journeyman-level pay. Actual pay varies by metro area, employer, and union status within each state.
Where Journeyman Electricians Earn the Most in 2026
A small group of states consistently pay journeyman electricians well above the national number, and the reasons are pretty consistent across all of them: strong union density, a heavy industrial or data center construction pipeline, and a higher cost of living that pushes wages up across every trade, not just electrical.
Illinois pays journeyman electricians more than any other state, with average annual wages approaching $89,000, driven by union density and a heavy data center and industrial construction pipeline around Chicago.
Washington, Hawaii, and Oregon round out the top tier, each averaging $85,000 to $89,000 a year for journeyman-level electrical work.
If you're in one of the lower-paying states and thinking about relocating for a higher number, it's worth digging into why that state pays well before you commit. A state with strong union locals and a deep industrial base will likely keep paying well for years. A state riding a short-term construction boom might not. You should also consider the pay in the context of cost of living. A lot of states that pay higher wages are also more expensive to live in, making the balance between pay and cost something worth weighing before making any moves strictly for pay.
Where Journeyman Electricians Earn the Least in 2026
The bottom of the list is almost entirely Southern states, and the pattern is the mirror image of the top: lower union density, a construction mix weighted toward residential work, and a lower cost of living that keeps every trade wage compressed.
Six states, Delaware, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas, average under $48,000 a year for electricians, roughly $23,000 less than the national mean.
Lower cost of living narrows that gap in real terms, but it does not close it. A journeyman moving from Alabama to Illinois for electrical work is very likely to come out ahead even after accounting for a higher cost of living, which is why interstate moves for electrical work tend to flow from South to Midwest and West rather than the other direction.
Union Work vs. Non-Union Work: The Bigger Factor Than State Lines
State alone does not tell the full story. Inside almost every state, the gap between union scale and non-union pay for journeyman electricians is often larger than the gap between the best and worst paying states.
A union journeyman in a lower-paying state can often out-earn a non-union journeyman in a higher-paying state once wage scale, benefits, and pension contributions are factored in together.
Non-union shops can move faster on individual raises and are often more flexible on schedule and project type, which matters if you value control over which jobs you take. Union shops trade some of that flexibility for a fixed wage scale, structured progression, and benefits that are harder to negotiate for yourself as an individual. Neither one is automatically the better deal. The right answer depends on what a specific local offers in your specific market, not a national generalization about union versus non-union pay.
Pay by Experience Level: Apprentice to Master
License level and years of experience still matter, they just matter less than most electricians assume. The jump from apprentice to journeyman is the biggest single increase most electricians will ever see in their career. The jump from journeyman to master is real, but smaller, and it varies a lot by state licensing requirements.
Apprentice electricians average around $44,000 a year, with wages typically set at 40 to 50 percent of journeyman scale under a registered apprenticeship agreement.
Journeyman electricians with two to four years of licensed experience average $71,100 a year nationally, roughly $34.18 an hour.
The top 10 percent of earners in the trade, typically senior journeyman, foremen, and master electricians in specialized work, clear $100,000 a year or more.
Table 2 · Electrician Pay by Experience Level, National 2026
National averages across all states and markets. Apprentice wages are typically set by individual apprenticeship agreements and vary by program.
| Level | Avg Annual Wage | Avg Hourly Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $44,000 | $21.15 | Typically 40 to 50 percent of journeyman scale under a registered apprenticeship agreement, stepping up each year |
| Journeyman (2-4 yrs licensed) | $71,100 | $34.18 | National journeyman median, closely tracks the overall national electrician average |
| Senior Journeyman / Master-track (4-7+ yrs) | $76,600 | $36.83 | Premium reflects added responsibility, specialization, and readiness for a master license |
| Top 10% (Master, Foreman, Specialized) | $100,000+ | $48.08+ | Typically master electricians, foremen, or specialists in industrial and data center work |
Figures are national averages and do not reflect state-level variation shown in Table 1. Apprentice wages vary by individual program and local agreement.