Electrician Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of electricians to grow 9.2% from 2025 to 2035 (about 75,900 more jobs), with about 72,700 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $63,190 a year ranks 384th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +9.2%
- Openings a year
- 72,700
- Median pay
- $63,190
- Pay rank
- 384th of 825
Is employment of electricians growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of electricians to rise 9.2% (about 75,900 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +5.1% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 60 construction and extraction occupations with a projection. That change ranks 75th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 821,000 |
| Employment, 2035 | 896,900 |
| Projected change | +9.2% |
| Openings a year | 72,700 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 821,000 jobs here differ from the 757,220 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 72,700 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 51st most of 830 occupations. About 90% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 7,590 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for electricians rank?
The median of $63,190 a year ranks 384th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: apprenticeship.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helpers--Electricians | +0.6% | 6,100 | $42,670 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | +6.8% | 42,000 | $63,800 |
| Boilermakers | -1.8% | 700 | $76,410 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | +2.4% | 4,400 | $42,360 |
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers | +36.5% | 4,200 | $53,140 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | +3.1% | 5,900 | $62,780 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | +2.5% | 9,800 | $61,800 |
| Carpenters | +3.9% | 62,800 | $60,580 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.