Statewide pay Government data
Electricians in California earn a statewide median of $76,160 a year, 22% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #15 of 50 states and DC. About 73,310 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near California
See all states on the electricians nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes electrician pay for 25 California metros: Bakersfield, Chico, El Centro, Fresno, Hanford, Los Angeles, Merced, Modesto, Napa, Oxnard, Redding, Riverside, Sacramento, Salinas, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Vallejo, Visalia and Yuba City.
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Pay outside the cities Government data
BLS also reports pay for California's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.
BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.
The job (national)
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 9.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 72,700 openings a year. Typical training: apprenticeship.
Nationally, electricians have 97 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, about the same as all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
What the work is like Government data
How often electricians deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Getting started: registered apprenticeship Government data
Most electricians train through a paid apprenticeship: you work and earn under experienced pros while taking classes, and pay usually rises as you progress. 727,586 people were active registered apprentices nationwide in FY2026, up 87% since FY2016, and construction is the largest field with 290,043 of them (40%), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Search apprenticeship openings ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for electricians.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for electricians vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Cities in California
All trades in California.