How Much Do Electricians Make in 2026?
Electricians make $18 to $70 an hour in 2026 depending on license, union status, and region, and a self-employed contractor can net far more. Here is the real math.
Electricians make $18 to $70 an hour in 2026 depending on license, union status, and region, and a self-employed contractor can net far more. A first-year electrical apprentice in Ohio is making about $18 an hour. A journeyman lineman working storm restoration, chasing 70-hour weeks with double time on Sundays, can clear $180,000 in a year.
Both are electricians. That spread, roughly ten to one, is the entire story of electrician pay in 2026, and it is why the question has no honest one-line answer. Employee electricians in 2026 make somewhere between $18 and $50 an hour, and where you land inside that range depends on your license rung, union status, region, and specialty..