What is the salary and career path for a electrical contractor?
An electrical contractor maps to First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (SOC 47-1011), a broad match for the supervisor/business-owner tier of the electrical trade; the OEWS May 2025 median for that code is $79,920 a year ($38.42 an hour), from $53,280 at the 10th percentile to $128,260 at the 90th, and self-employed contractors' earnings turn on business profit beyond the wage code. BLS projects 5.3% employment growth for these supervisors over 2024–2034 with about 74,400 openings a year. The path runs through a licensed-electrician apprenticeship (typically 4–5 years), a journeyman then master electrician license, and a state electrical-contractor license and business registration to bid work and pull permits.
- Electrical Contractors earn a national median $79,920/yr ($38.42/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-1011); the top 10% clear $128,260.
- It is a broad-match role: BLS First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades (SOC 47-1011) covers the electrical trade's supervisor and business-owner tier at a $79,920 median, with self-employed profit beyond the wage code.
- Entry is licensing, not a degree: a 4–5 year apprenticeship, a journeyman then master electrician license, and a state electrical-contractor license to bid and pull permits.
- BLS projects 5.3% growth for SOC 47-1011 through 2034 with about 74,400 openings a year, and the ladder runs journeyman to foreman ($79,920) to master ($101,460) to contractor at the $128,260 top decile.
Career Path
How do you become a electrical contractor?
Apprentice / journeyman electrician
Learning the trade in a 4–5 year apprenticeship and working as a licensed journeyman; feeder pay for this tier sits below the supervisor 10th percentile of $53,280 early on.
Electrical foreman / supervisor
Directing an electrical crew's installation, safety and code compliance around the $79,920 median for SOC 47-1011.
Master electrician / senior estimator
Holding a master license and running estimating and multiple crews pays toward the 75th percentile of $101,460.
Electrical contractor / business owner
Holding the contractor license and running the business reaches the 90th percentile of $128,260 and, through profit, beyond it.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays electrical contractors the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-1011. National median: $79,920. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does electrical contractor pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles electrical contractors most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: electrical contractors rank 1 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +5.3% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly electrical contractors clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-1011 (electrical contractors) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do electrical contractors need?
State or local license to perform electrical work, earned by exam after a 4–5 year apprenticeship; the entry credential of the trade. See all state licences →
The advanced state license, earned by exam after journeyman experience, that most states require to qualify an electrical-contracting business.
A state contractor license (typically requiring a master of record, insurance and a bond) needed to bid electrical work, pull permits and run the business.
Ongoing National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) continuing education and OSHA 30-hour construction safety, both standard for supervising electrical work.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do electrical contractors use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 47-1011
Salary Levers
How do electrical contractors earn above the $79,920 BLS median?
License level
Moving from journeyman to master and to a contractor license lifts pay from the $53,280 band toward and past the $79,920 median
Business ownership
Owning a licensed electrical-contracting firm is what carries earnings to the $128,260 top decile and beyond through profit
Sector and complexity
Industrial, data center and high-voltage work pays above residential service
Union scale and region
IBEW scale and high-cost metros pay above non-union residential markets
This Route vs. College
Is becoming an electrical contractor worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-1011. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Electrical Contractor Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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