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Electricians in Texas: what they earn
Electricians in Texas earned a median $58,570 a year in May 2025, $28.16 an hour. 76,770 people held the job, 5.5 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 7% below the national figure of $63,190, and Texas ranks 45 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How to become an electrician in Texas — license tiers, required hours, exam and fees, sourced from Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). ↓
The full wage spread in Texas
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.23 | $37,920 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.44 | $46,670 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.16 | $58,570 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $34.20 | $71,130 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $38.61 | $80,300 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $28.50 | $59,280 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Texas against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | Nebraska | $60,820 | 6,440 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $59,720 | 11,030 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $58,740 | 8,010 |
| 45 | Texas | $58,570 | 76,770 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $58,390 | 5,020 |
| 47 | Georgia | $58,320 | 21,650 |
| 48 | Florida | $57,250 | 49,700 |
The complete ranking is on the Electricians page.
Against the national figure
| Texas | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $58,570 | $63,190 |
| Median hourly | $28.16 | $30.38 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $37,920 | $42,640 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $80,300 | $108,510 |
| Employed | 76,770 | 757,220 |
Other trades in Texas
Plumbers and pipefitters ($59,840) · HVAC technicians ($57,760) · Welders ($53,340) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($56,290)
See all five ranked by pay in Texas.
How to become an electrician in Texas
Texas requires a TDLR-issued license to do electrical work, in three tiers — apprentice, journeyman and master — each valid one year and renewed annually. The licensing authority is Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
| License | What it takes | Experience | Exam | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Apprentice | No experience and no exam. File an online application; the license is valid one year and renewed annually. | 0 hrs | — | $20 |
| Journeyman Electrician | 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas-licensed master electrician (you may sit the exam at 7,000 hours) and a passing exam. | 8,000 hrs (≈ 4 yrs) | PSI (TDLR exam vendor) | $30 |
| Master Electrician | Hold a journeyman license at least two years, complete 12,000 hours under a Texas-licensed master electrician, and pass the exam. | 12,000 hrs (≈ 6 yrs) | PSI (TDLR exam vendor) | $45 |
Reciprocity. TDLR has master-electrician reciprocity with Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina and Ohio, and journeyman reciprocity with Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming. No reciprocity for other license types.
Renewal. Annual, with 4 hours of continuing education.
Licensing sources: TDLR Electricians (retrieved 2026-09-16) · TDLR Journeyman Electrician application (retrieved 2026-09-16) · TDLR reciprocity (retrieved 2026-09-16). Requirements change — confirm with Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) before you act.
Compare the time and cost to get licensed across trades and states →
Common questions
Do you need a license to work as an electrician in Texas?
Texas requires a TDLR-issued license to do electrical work, in three tiers — apprentice, journeyman and master — each valid one year and renewed annually.
What does it cost to get licensed as an electrician in Texas?
Application and license fees run from about $20 to $45 depending on the tier, with separate exam fees in some cases — see the table above.
How long does it take to become an electrician in Texas?
You can be licensed as Journeyman Electrician after about 4 years of on-the-job training (8,000 hours); higher tiers take longer.
The pay and employment figures above are the May 2025 BLS estimates; the licensing detail is sourced separately from the state authority and dated inline. See how the numbers are built.