Electrician Salary by Metro 2026: 40 Metros Ranked (BLS)
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — Electricians, SOC 47-2111. Tables computed by Salario from the published metro estimates; take-home estimates use 2026 tax rules.
The electrician pay map looks nothing like the software or nursing maps. The Bay Area barely makes the top 25; the Pacific Northwest, Chicago, Hawaii and a string of small Illinois and Washington metros lead, while the fastest-growing Sun Belt cities sit at or below the national median. The BLS median runs from $105,090 in Portland, OR-WA to $44,490 in Gadsden, AL — a 2.4x spread across 339 metros for the same trade.
Quick answer
- National electrician median: $63,190 ($30.38/hour); mean $71,490; 757,220 employed (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- Highest-paying metro: Portland, OR-WA — $105,090, 66% above the national median. Then Mount Vernon, WA $104,510, Chicago, IL-IN $102,350, Seattle, WA $101,780.
- 17 of the top 40 metros are in Oregon or Washington; 6 are in Illinois. San Jose ranks only #24 ($91,030), just 8% above that metro's all-occupations median.
- Lowest published median: Gadsden, AL at $44,490; six of the ten lowest are in Texas.
The 40 highest-paying metros for electricians
Ranked by the BLS median annual wage for Electricians in each metropolitan statistical area. “Premium” compares the electrician median with the same metro's all-occupations median — where it is high, an electrician's license buys a lot of local purchasing power. Click a metro for its full salary and cost-of-living page.
| # | Metro area | Median (annual) | Hourly | Premium vs. all jobs | Est. take-home 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $105,090 | $50.52 | +73% | $74,139 |
| 2 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $104,510 | $50.25 | +75% | $82,353 |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $102,350 | $49.21 | +87% | $75,767 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $101,780 | $48.93 | +40% | $80,432 |
| 5 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $100,320 | $48.23 | +98% | $74,439 |
| 6 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $100,270 | $48.21 | +75% | $73,466 |
| 7 | Albany, OR | $100,230 | $48.19 | +102% | $71,145 |
| 8 | Corvallis, OR | $99,880 | $48.02 | +73% | $70,930 |
| 9 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $99,850 | $48.00 | +74% | $79,074 |
| 10 | Bend, OR | $99,200 | $47.69 | +82% | $70,511 |
| 11 | Salem, OR | $98,850 | $47.52 | +79% | $70,295 |
| 12 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $98,480 | $47.35 | +71% | $72,343 |
| 13 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $98,210 | $47.22 | +55% | $73,791 |
| 14 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $97,860 | $47.05 | +58% | $77,675 |
| 15 | Bellingham, WA | $97,590 | $46.92 | +69% | $77,485 |
| 16 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $96,860 | $46.57 | +69% | $76,971 |
| 17 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $96,600 | $46.44 | +56% | $76,788 |
| 18 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $94,680 | $45.52 | +91% | $67,726 |
| 19 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $93,560 | $44.98 | +90% | $74,649 |
| 20 | Rockford, IL | $93,280 | $44.85 | +98% | $69,835 |
| 21 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $92,830 | $44.63 | +25% | $69,595 |
| 22 | Medford, OR | $92,410 | $44.43 | +85% | $66,328 |
| 23 | Kokomo, IN | $91,290 | $43.89 | +86% | $70,359 |
| 24 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $91,030 | $43.76 | +8% | $68,496 |
| 25 | Grants Pass, OR | $88,140 | $42.38 | +74% | $63,698 |
| 26 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $86,040 | $41.37 | +78% | $65,449 |
| 27 | Springfield, IL | $84,780 | $40.76 | +61% | $64,276 |
| 28 | Mankato, MN | $83,120 | $39.96 | +68% | $63,176 |
| 29 | Walla Walla, WA | $82,910 | $39.86 | +56% | $67,157 |
| 30 | Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $82,510 | $39.67 | +69% | $63,846 |
| 31 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | $82,170 | $39.50 | +70% | $63,625 |
| 32 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $81,990 | $39.42 | +57% | $63,025 |
| 33 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $81,890 | $39.37 | +38% | $62,394 |
| 34 | Carson City, NV | $81,880 | $39.37 | +44% | $66,433 |
| 35 | Ann Arbor, MI | $81,450 | $39.16 | +47% | $62,668 |
| 36 | Decatur, IL | $81,020 | $38.95 | +58% | $61,817 |
| 37 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $80,990 | $38.94 | +28% | $65,806 |
| 38 | Billings, MT | $80,980 | $38.93 | +65% | $62,585 |
| 39 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $80,480 | $38.69 | +52% | $62,027 |
| 40 | Peoria, IL | $80,460 | $38.68 | +62% | $61,451 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 47-2111, metropolitan statistical areas. Premium = electrician median ÷ metro all-occupations median − 1. Computed by Salario.
Estimated take-home is for a single filer taking the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100): federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45%), plus estimated state income tax using the first state listed for multi-state metros. Local taxes, pre-tax benefits and credits are not modeled — use the paycheck calculator for your own situation.
What the ranking shows
Small Northwest and Midwest metros lead on purchasing power. Albany, OR (+102%), Champaign-Urbana, IL (+98%) and Rockford, IL (+98%) pay electricians roughly double the local all-occupations median. In San Jose, CA and San Francisco, CA, by contrast, the electrician median is only 8% and 25% above the local median — good pay in absolute terms, but ordinary pay for those metros.
Chicago is the standout big city. At $102,350 it is the only one of the five largest U.S. metros in the top 20, well ahead of New York ($79,020) and more than $28,000 above Los Angeles.
No-income-tax states win after taxes. Mount Vernon, WA, Seattle, WA and the other Washington metros net roughly $4,700–$8,200 more than Oregon and Illinois metros with similar gross medians. Check your own numbers in the paycheck calculator.
Electrician pay in the 25 largest job markets
The same ranking restricted to the 25 largest metropolitan areas by total employment — the markets with the most electrician jobs.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Computed by Salario.
The bottom third of this table is the Sun Belt: Phoenix, Austin, Houston, Charlotte, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, Orlando all post medians between $50,820 and $61,210 — every one below the $63,190 national median, despite these being some of the busiest construction markets in the country. Orlando, FL, at $50,820, is the lowest of the 25.
The 10 lowest-paying metros
| Metro area | Electrician median | vs. national median |
|---|---|---|
| Gadsden, AL | $44,490 | -30% |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $46,080 | -27% |
| Laredo, TX | $46,140 | -27% |
| Hot Springs, AR | $46,650 | -26% |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $46,930 | -26% |
| Lubbock, TX | $47,000 | -26% |
| Abilene, TX | $47,400 | -25% |
| Rome, GA | $47,550 | -25% |
| Longview, TX | $47,580 | -25% |
| Dothan, AL | $47,630 | -25% |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, lowest published metro medians for SOC 47-2111. Computed by Salario.
Six of the ten are in Texas, including three of the border metros that also anchor the bottom of the all-occupations ranking. Local housing costs are low, but so is the ceiling — compare with the cost of living calculator before relocating for a trade job.
How to read these numbers
- →Straight-time wages, no overtime. OEWS excludes overtime, which is a large share of income for many construction electricians, and excludes employer-paid benefits such as union health and pension contributions.
- →All experience levels. SOC 47-2111 pools apprentices, journeymen and masters; a metro with many apprentices in training will show a lower median. See the electrician salary guide for pay by level.
- →Employees only. Self-employed electrical contractors are not covered by the OEWS survey.
- →Reference period May 2025, published by BLS in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which metro area pays electricians the most?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA has the highest median wage for electricians of any U.S. metro: $105,090 per year ($50.52 per hour) in the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, 66% above the national electrician median of $63,190. Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA ($104,510), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin ($102,350), Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue ($101,780) and Champaign-Urbana, IL ($100,320) complete the top five.
What is the national median salary for an electrician?
The BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for Electricians (SOC 47-2111) is $63,190 per year, or $30.38 per hour; the mean is $71,490. BLS counts 757,220 electricians employed nationally and publishes metro medians for 339 metropolitan areas — more than for almost any other skilled trade.
Why do electricians in the Pacific Northwest and Chicago earn so much more than in the Sun Belt?
BLS publishes wages, not causes, but the pattern is consistent: 17 of the 40 highest electrician medians are in Oregon or Washington and 6 are in Illinois, while the fastest-growing Sun Belt metros — Phoenix, Austin, Houston, Charlotte, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Tampa and Orlando — all post medians of $61,210 or less, near or below the national median. Higher union coverage in construction, state prevailing-wage rules and licensing requirements are the factors most often cited for the high-wage metros. OEWS does not report union status.
How much does a big-city electrician keep after taxes?
Using Salario's 2026 single-filer estimate (federal income tax, FICA and state income tax), the Portland median of $105,090 nets about $74,139 under Oregon tax, while Mount Vernon, WA's $104,510 nets about $82,353 — more than Portland — because Washington has no state income tax. Seattle nets about $80,432 and Chicago about $75,767. Overtime, which is common in construction, is not included in the BLS median.
Turn a metro median into your own numbers
Convert any figure above to hourly pay, take-home pay or a cost-of-living-adjusted equivalent in another city.
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