How to Become
a Electrician.
Pulls wire, bends conduit, makes everything that uses electricity work. The flagship trade.Here's the honest path — from zero to journeyman, with the numbers and warnings that nobody puts in the brochure.
The Path.
The union apprenticeship is the gold standard — earn while you learn, no debt, progressive wage increases. Here's the honest step-by-step for the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) path.
Meet the minimum requirements — age 18+, high school diploma or GED, one year of algebra with a passing grade.
Prep for the aptitude test — 33 algebra questions + 36 reading comprehension, scored 1–9. Most IBEW programs require a minimum of 4. Two weeks of Khan Academy + our free practice test is all you need.
Find and apply to a JATC in your area — Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees are the IBEW's apprenticeship programs. Most require official sealed transcripts, a birth certificate, and a Social Security card at application.
Pass the aptitude test and panel interview — the test is administered by the JATC after you apply. The panel interview is typically informal.
Get indentured — once selected, you sign your indenture papers and start the 5-year apprenticeship.
Work as a first-year apprentice — 40–50% of journeyman scale. Learn on the job, attend 2 nights/week of class.
Progress through the steps — wage increases every 1,000 hours. By year 5, you're at 90–95% of journeyman scale.
Pass your journeyman exam — in most states, completing the apprenticeship qualifies you for the state journeyman license exam.
Become a journeyman — full union wages, full member rights, and the ability to travel to any IBEW local.
The Money.
| State | Highest metro | Median hourly | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Kankakee | $50.72/hr | $101,440 |
| Oregon | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $50.53/hr | $101,060 |
| Washington | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $50.53/hr | $101,060 |
| Indiana | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $49.21/hr | $98,420 |
| Hawaii | Urban Honolulu | $48.21/hr | $96,420 |
| New Jersey | Trenton-Princeton | $47.21/hr | $94,420 |
| Alaska | Fairbanks-College | $47.05/hr | $94,100 |
| Missouri | St. Joseph | $46.8/hr | $93,600 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025. These are median wages across all workers — union scale typically runs 20–40% above these figures.
Programs Accepting Applications Now.
What the Brochure Leaves Out.
IBEW aptitude test (NJATC) is competitive — algebra is non-negotiable.
Some locals have multi-year application waitlists. Apply to multiple locals.
Non-union 'helper' jobs may cap out as helpers — confirm there's a real apprenticeship path before signing on.
Master license requires journeyman experience hours that vary wildly by state (TX: 12,000 hrs; CA: different rules entirely).
Requirements by State.
Every state has different licensing requirements, exam providers, and code editions. Choose your state for the specific path in your market.