Electricians keep Texas running—homes cooled, plants humming, data centers powered. It’s skilled, hands-on work with clear career steps and steady demand.
When people ask “How much do electricians earn in Texas?”, they’re really asking about a moving target. Pay shifts with experience, location, industry, hours, and credentials.
A good anchor is the market median. Nationally, electricians earned a median $62,350 in May 2024, with wide room to grow above that line.
Zoom into Texas and you’ll see a similar shape with Lone Star specifics. Statewide, the May 2024 median sits around $27.36 per hour—or about $56,920 a year at full-time hours—while the middle 50% cluster on either side of that and the top earners push well beyond it.
Credentials matter. Texas is a license state: you’ll train under a Master Electrician, typically logging 8,000 hours (you can sit for the exam after 7,000), then step up to Journeyman and, with added time and an exam, to Master. Each rung tends to unlock higher pay because you can do more and supervise others.
Pay also tracks where you work. Major metros with heavy construction or industrial footprints often post higher rates, but they can cost more to live in. Texas price levels hover just under the U.S. average overall, so your paycheck may stretch a bit farther here than in pricier states.
Industry and schedule count, too. Commercial build-outs, refineries, manufacturing, data centers, renewables, and service calls all price labor differently. Overtime is a major lever: covered, non-exempt workers must earn at least time-and-a-half after 40 hours in a workweek, which can meaningfully lift take-home pay.
Finally, Texas keeps training pipelines open. Registered apprenticeships let you earn while you learn, combining paid job hours with classroom training—and wage steps that rise as you progress.
With those basics set, let’s answer the ten most common, closely related questions people ask about Texas electrician pay—clearly, practically, and with the details you can actually use.
Start with the benchmark: in May 2024 Texas electricians posted a median of $27.36 per hour—about $56,920 a year assuming 2,080 hours. Entry-level workers tend to land below that line while experienced hands and specialty roles push above it.
At the edges, the distribution shows how wide outcomes can be. The 10th percentile sits near $17.87/hr, while the 90th percentile reaches roughly $37.55/hr. In annual terms that’s about $37,170 to $78,100, before overtime or differentials.
Nationally, the median is higher—$62,350—but Texas’ cost of living is lower than the U.S. average, so “real” take-home buying power narrows the gap more than sticker numbers suggest.
What moves you above the median? Experience, clean safety record, steady productivity, code knowledge, and reliability always count. Add in industry (industrial and heavy commercial often pay more than light residential), project location, overtime opportunities, and credentials (Journeyman/Master, OSHA-30, low-voltage or controls training), and you’ll see why two electricians with similar years can earn very different paychecks.
On hourly jobs, Texas electricians commonly negotiate around that statewide middle of ~$27/hr, with a floor and ceiling set by experience and local demand. Markets surge when big projects hit—think chip fabs, data centers, or energy buildouts—and soften when work slows.
To translate hourly to salary, multiply by 2,080. The state median of $27.36/hr becomes $56,920/yr; at $32/hr, that’s $66,560/yr; at $38/hr, $79,040/yr—before overtime, per diem, or bonuses.
Remember that “rate” isn’t just the number on your check. Total compensation can include employer-paid health insurance, retirement matches, paid drive time, tool or phone stipends, training pay, and per diem. On service work, call-out or on-call premiums can lift the effective rate. On construction, shift differentials (nights/weekends) and overtime rules—time-and-a-half after 40 hours for covered workers—often make the real hourly value higher than the posted base.
Journeyman status signals you can install, troubleshoot, and repair electrical systems under the National Electrical Code without direct, continuous oversight—and in Texas it’s the point at which many electricians see a step-change in pay. Employers value a Journeyman’s speed, accuracy, and ability to close permits without costly rework.
In practice, Journeymen generally sit above entry-level rates and at or above the statewide median—how far above depends on your niche and market. Large commercial or industrial projects, refinery turnarounds, manufacturing plants, and mission-critical builds (hospitals, data centers) tend to pay more than light residential or purely routine service calls.
A few things reliably push a Journeyman’s wage north: clean inspection history, strong conduit/layout skills, PLC or controls exposure, leadership on small crews, and a willingness to travel or work off-shifts. Conversely, long commutes without per diem, slowdowns, or purely residential pipelines can hold wages near the middle. State workforce data pegs the Texas average around the upper-20s per hour in 2024, lining up with typical medians.
If you’re chasing the next raise, make yourself the most useful person on site: master layout, know your tools, mentor apprentices, and be the tech a foreman trusts when schedules slip.
Master Electricians carry broader responsibility—planning and supervising installations, signing off on permits, ensuring code compliance, and often running crews or a business. That extra accountability typically commands a premium over Journeyman rates.
In Texas, eligibility usually follows time in grade plus an exam: at least two years as a licensed Journeyman, after completing the journeyman requirements, then passing the Master test. With the license, you can supervise electrical work and, if you’re entrepreneurial, open or qualify a contracting business. Pay can move from “high hourly” into “owner income,” where margins, bid discipline, and scheduling determine earnings more than a posted wage band.
For Masters who choose payroll roles, premiums often show up as higher base rates, foreman/superintendent pay, or salaried leadership posts with a truck, fuel card, and bonus tied to schedule and safety. Your market, track record, and the complexity of your projects will set the ceiling—Masters with strong industrial or controls backgrounds tend to command the highest packages.
Texas apprentices earn while they learn. Registered programs pair paid on-the-job training with classroom hours, moving apprentices through step raises as competencies are met. It’s a predictable path: you collect a paycheck, build skills, and progress toward Journeyman eligibility.
Exact rates vary by contractor and program. Many employers peg apprentice steps to a percentage of the local Journeyman rate—climbing each year as you pass classes and accumulate hours. Bigger contractors and industrial sites often pay more than small residential shops, and night shift/remote projects may add differentials or per diem.
Two big tips for maximizing apprentice pay: choose programs with strong job placement (steady hours beat a higher posted rate with sporadic work), and take every opportunity for additional certs (OSHA-10/30, scissor/lift, confined space) that make you safer and more versatile on day one. Keep clean attendance and tool care—foremen remember reliable apprentices when overtime opens up.
Texas is a patchwork. Houston’s petrochemical and industrial base, Dallas–Fort Worth’s commercial growth, Austin’s tech and data centers, and San Antonio’s mix of health care and defense work all create different pay landscapes. When mega-projects break ground, local demand spikes—and so do rates.
But costs matter, too. The state’s overall price level runs a bit below the national average, so a Houston or San Antonio wage may go further than the same number in many coastal metros. Always read offers in “real dollars”: base pay, overtime likelihood, travel/per diem, and your monthly burn (rent, fuel, insurance).
Tactically, watch where big GC awards and utility upgrades are landing—then time your move. If you like variety and pay upside, traveling with a reputable contractor to hot markets can add per diem and guaranteed OT; if you prize stability, a strong local service or facilities role may beat the road over a year.
Industrial environments—refineries, chemical plants, food & bev, steel, and heavy manufacturing—tend to price skills higher than light residential because the systems are larger, the stakes are higher, and downtime is expensive. Expect more motor controls, VFDs, PLCs, and instrumentation—plus stricter safety regimes and turnaround schedules.
That complexity usually translates into better base pay and richer overtime. Add certifications (LOTO mastery, arc-flash/coordination awareness, fall protection, confined space) and you become a first-call tech when critical paths slip. With Texas’ sizable energy and manufacturing footprint, industrial electricians who can read P&IDs, commission automation, and work safely around process hazards often sit well above the statewide median. Specialized industrial roles commonly outrun national medians locally when OT is steady.
Texas is a mix of union and open-shop work. Where projects are union, the wage and benefit package is transparent: a published scale for apprentices through Journeymen and foremen, plus health, pension, and training funds. That clarity helps you forecast real, all-in compensation—and raises are contractually scheduled.
On the open-shop side, rates can match union scales on hot projects, and some employers offset with bonus structures, profit sharing, or faster promotions. The right choice often comes down to your market, goals, and temperament. Union paths shine if you value predictable raises, strong benefits, and structured training; open-shop paths can appeal if you want flexibility to chase niche roles, jump to foreman early, or build a business.
Either way, compare total comp (wage + overtime expectations + insurance + retirement + per diem + travel) rather than an hourly number alone. A slightly lower base with guaranteed OT and paid drive time can beat a higher base with sparse hours over a year.
Overtime is one of the biggest levers on an electrician’s yearly income. Under federal law, covered, non-exempt employees must receive at least time-and-a-half for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. That’s a simple rule with big impact: a $30/hr base becomes $45/hr in OT, and on a 10- or 12-hour schedule those extra hours add up quickly.
Project types determine OT availability. Industrial turnarounds and data-center sprints often offer 50–72-hour weeks for defined stretches; maintenance roles may stay closer to 40 with occasional call-outs. Ask specific questions during hiring: is drive time paid, how is on-call handled, are Saturday/Sunday premiums offered, and what’s the realistic weekly hour range?
Guardrails matter, too. OT is great if it’s safe and sustainable. Choose employers who staff adequately, rotate crews, and enforce rest. Keep your body right—hydration, PPE discipline, and stretching—because injury risk climbs with fatigue.
Don’t leave money on the table by focusing on base wage alone. In Texas, total compensation frequently includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, retirement match, paid holidays, PTO, and tool or boot stipends. Some contractors cover travel time or pay a daily per diem—huge if you’re bouncing between sites. Others add safety bonuses, completion bonuses, or referral pay.
Training is a benefit, too. Programs that pay for continuing education to renew your license and add code updates, or sponsor OSHA-10/30, aerial lift, or confined space courses, raise your value without draining your wallet. Texas requires continuing education hours each year to keep licenses active, so employers who handle it are giving you time and money back.
If you’re choosing between offers with similar wages, project the year: hours, OT likelihood, commute, per diem, and benes. The “best paying job” on paper isn’t always the best earning job in practice.
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