Electrician Salary in Wilmington, NC — 2026
Electrician salary data for Wilmington, NC — adjusted for local cost of living. Entry-level to senior pay ranges, take-home pay calculator, and local job market insights.
The median Electrician salary in Wilmington, NC is $54,080 per year ($4,507/month, $26.00/hr). That is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Electricians in the Wilmington, NC metropolitan area, which covers Wilmington. Salario's cost-of-living model (index 100) would have estimated $63,190; the entry, senior and top tiers below are Salario estimates rescaled to the BLS median.
Also known as: Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, Electrical Technician. The estimates on this page are used for these related job titles in Wilmington, NC, although actual pay can differ by title and scope.
Median: BLS OEWS May 2025, Electricians (SOC 47-2111), Wilmington, NC MSA. Entry, senior and top earner are Salario estimates rescaled to the BLS median.
Electrician Take-Home Pay in Wilmington
Tax Breakdown (Median Salary)
| Gross Annual | $54,080 |
| Federal Tax | -$4,310 |
| State Tax (3.0% eff.) | -$1,649 |
| FICA (SS + Medicare) | -$4,137 |
| Annual Take-Home | $43,984 |
| Monthly Take-Home | $3,665 |
Living Cost Comparison
Electrician Requirements
Key Skills
Electrician salary search terms in Wilmington
People comparing Electrician pay in Wilmington, NC may use related job-title wording. Salario keeps the main estimate tied to the Electrician role, then treats the terms below as comparison phrases that should be checked for licensing, employer type, seniority, and role scope.
| Comparison point | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Primary local answer | $54,080 median salary, $35,800-$77,000 modeled range, and $43,984 estimated take-home pay in Wilmington. |
| Title variants | Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, Electrical Technician can point to similar searches, but some variants may represent a narrower specialty or a higher/lower seniority band. |
| Offer comparison | Compare base salary, hourly equivalent, take-home pay, certifications, local cost of living, and whether the job is employee, contractor, public-sector, commission-heavy, or management-level. |
Wilmington Job Market Overview
Wilmington, North Carolina has a population of 115,451 and an unemployment rate of 3.2%. The top industries are Healthcare, Tourism, Film. The local job growth rate is 2.5%, and the average commute time is 20minutes. These local figures come from Salario's city dataset; verify current values with BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Census QuickFacts.
Electrician Salary in Nearby North Carolina Cities
Salary Percentile Breakdown — Electrician in Wilmington
Based on Salario's cost-of-living-adjusted salary tiers for Electrician in Wilmington, NC, here is an estimated percentile breakdown:
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Hourly Equivalent | Career Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest) | $35,800 | $17/hr | Entry-level, < 1 yr exp. |
| 25th | $44,940 | $22/hr | Junior, 1-3 yrs exp. |
| 50th (median) | $54,080 | $26/hr | Mid-career, 4 year apprenticeship |
| 75th | $77,000 | $37/hr | Senior, 5-10 yrs exp. |
| 90th (top) | $90,700 | $44/hr | Lead/Principal, 10+ yrs |
P50 is the measured BLS OEWS May 2025 metro median; P10, P25, P75 and P90 are approximations, not measured local percentiles: they map to Salario's entry, senior and top tiers rescaled to the BLS median, with P25 interpolated halfway between entry and median. Top earners (P90) typically include managers, specialists with rare skills, or those at high-paying employers in Wilmington's Healthcare sector.
5-Year Salary Trajectory
Salario's national dataset models approximately 13.0% salary growth for Electricians over the past 5 years. That national assumption is applied to the Wilmington estimate below; it is not a measured local trend, and it should be compared with cumulative CPI inflation before treating it as a real-terms gain:
Year-over-year, an average Electrician can expect a 10.0% annual increase moving from entry to senior level over 8 years in Wilmington. Negotiation, certifications (Journeyman License, Master Electrician), and changing employers strategically can accelerate this trajectory.
Wilmington vs National Average
The national median Electrician salary is $63,190 (BLS OEWS May 2025, Electricians). In the Wilmington, NC metro, the BLS median of $54,080 is 14.4% below the national figure. Wilmington's cost of living index is 100 (lower than the national average of 100), so the wage premium and the cost premium do not necessarily cancel out.
For Electricians, this means: rent typically consumes 35.5% of take-home pay (households spending >30% are considered rent-burdened), and a median home in Wilmington costs about 7.3× annual take-home. Homeownership in Wilmington on this salary is challenging — most experts recommend keeping home costs to 3-4× income.
Industry Context: Healthcare in Wilmington
Wilmington's economy is anchored by Healthcare, Tourism, Film, with 115,451 residents and an unemployment rate of 3.2% in Salario's city dataset. Pay for Electricians can differ by sector, so compare Healthcare employers with other local employers. The local job growth rate in Salario's city dataset is 2.5%, and Salario's job dataset lists a 7.0% growth outlook for Electrician roles; check the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for the official 2024-2034 projection for the closest matching occupation.
Methodology & Data Sources
How we calculate Electrician salaries in Wilmington, NC:
- Local median is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Electricians (SOC 47-2111) in the Wilmington, NC metropolitan statistical area, retrieved from the BLS Public Data API on September 17, 2026. BLS reports by metro area, so this is a regional figure, not a Wilmington-only wage.
- Cost-of-living adjustment is shown only for comparison ($63,190 modeled) using the Wilmington index of 100 relative to the national baseline of 100, with local rent, home price, unemployment, and tax inputs stored separately in Salario's city dataset.
- Percentile distribution (P10-P90) estimated from the entry, median, senior, and top compensation tiers in the Salario salary model rescaled to the BLS metro median rather than claimed as exact employer payroll data.
- Take-home pay calculated using 2026 federal tax brackets (10%-37%), NC 2026 state income tax brackets after the standard deduction (top rate 4.0%), and FICA (Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%).
- Tax brackets and standard deduction ($16,100 single filer for tax year 2026) sourced from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 and updated annually.
Authoritative data sources:
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — national and metro-area salary data
- O*NET OnLine — occupation tasks, alternate job titles, skills, and SOC crosswalks
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — occupation outlook where a matching profile is available
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) — regional inflation data (CPI measures price changes, not city-to-city price levels)
- U.S. Census Bureau — Wilmington QuickFacts — population and demographic data
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 summary — 2026 federal tax brackets and standard deductions
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics — official local unemployment rates to verify the Wilmington figure above
Last reviewed: 2026. Salario's salary dataset is refreshed periodically, not automatically; check the linked BLS releases for the latest official data. Electrician salaries can vary significantly based on employer, sector (Healthcare vs others in Wilmington), specific skill set (Wiring, NEC Code, Troubleshooting), and individual negotiation. Always verify current compensation through multiple sources before making career decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Electrician salary in Wilmington, NC?
How much does a Electrician take home in Wilmington after taxes?
Is Wilmington a good city for Electricians?
What skills are needed for a Electrician in Wilmington?
How does Electrician salary in Wilmington compare to the national average?
What job titles are similar to Electrician in Wilmington?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Electrician salary in Wilmington, NC?
The median Electrician salary in Wilmington, NC is $54,080 per year: the BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Electricians (SOC 47-2111) in the Wilmington, NC metropolitan area. BLS publishes wages by metro area, not by city. The entry-level estimate of around $35,800 and the senior estimate of $77,000 or more are Salario tiers calibrated to that BLS median, not BLS percentiles.
How much does a Electrician take home in Wilmington after taxes?
A Electrician earning the median salary of $54,080 in Wilmington, NC takes home approximately $43,984 per year ($3,665/month) after federal, state, and local taxes. The effective tax rate is 18.7%.
Is Wilmington a good city for Electricians?
Wilmington, NC has a cost of living index of 100 (below national average). Electricians here earn above the city median. The local unemployment rate is 3.2% and top industries include Healthcare, Tourism, Film.
What skills are needed for a Electrician in Wilmington?
Key skills for Electricians include Wiring, NEC Code, Troubleshooting, Blueprint Reading, Safety Protocols. Typical education requirement is High School Diploma + Apprenticeship. Valuable certifications include Journeyman License, Master Electrician, OSHA 10.
How does Electrician salary in Wilmington compare to the national average?
The national median for Electricians is $63,190 (BLS OEWS May 2025). In the Wilmington, NC metro, the BLS median is $54,080, which is 14.4% lower than the national figure. For comparison, Salario's cost-of-living model (index 100) would have estimated $63,190.
What job titles are similar to Electrician in Wilmington?
Related search terms for Electrician in Wilmington, NC include Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, Electrical Technician. Use them as comparison terms, not always exact matches: licensing, employer type, seniority, public-sector rules, and whether the role is W-2, contractor, clinical, technical, management, or sales-focused can change the salary range.