Electrician states
51
Top quartile, highest
Occupational licensing · Construction · 51 state boards
Electrician Licensing Requirements by State
Electrician licensing rules differ by state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) compilation and responsible state boards (current as of May 15, 2026), this registry compares education hours, initial and renewal fees, exams, background checks and reciprocity notes across 51 boards. Use the table to compare differences, then verify the current rule with the responsible board before applying.
Electrician across 51 state boards. Nearest coverage peers (51-state band): Elevator Installer, Fire Sprinkler Installer, General Contractor.
- States regulated
- 51
- Avg initial fee
- $131
- Require an exam
- 100%
- Avg education hours
- 5,837
Board Pathway Strip
Electrician: 51 boards · ~5,837 avg pre-licensure hrs · exam on 100% · background check on 100% · avg first fee $131. Same-lane boards: Elevator Installer, Fire Sprinkler Installer, General Contractor.
- Elevator Installer
- Fire Sprinkler Installer
- General Contractor
- Glazier
- HVAC Technician
- Land Surveyor
Electrician vs. every tracked profession
Average confirmed pre-licensure education hours, board-sourced state requirements
5,837 2nd of 47 higher than 45 of 47 professions
professions with confirmed education-hour requirements, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more professions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCredential NCSL and state-board corpus · 2026
Installs and maintains electrical systems. Requires apprenticeship and journeyman license.
Electrician initial fees swing $30 (NH) to $247 (CA), a $217 spread across 51 boards ; Elevator Installer often lands on a different fee band.
Board thresholds for Electrician drift board-to-board; the same pattern shows up on Elevator Installer and Fire Sprinkler Installer in construction. Methodology notes live on our methods page.
Electrician edu hrs
5,837 hrs
Top 10% highest
Electrician first fee
$131
Below median
Electrician renewal
$105
Below median
Board gates for Electrician: exam on 51/51 (100%), background check on 51/51 (100%) , CE on 51/51 (avg 8 hrs/cycle) . Stack that against Elevator Installer / Fire Sprinkler Installer before calling this license soft or hard.
Other licenses near Electrician's board count
Coverage band
- Security Alarm Installer · 51 states
- Amusement Ride Operator · 51 states
- Animal Breeder · 51 states
- Arborist / Tree Surgeon · 51 states
Hour load
- Plumber · 5,837 avg hrs
- Psychologist · 5,919 avg hrs
- Veterinarian · 4,919 avg hrs
Cheapest vs priciest jurisdiction for Electrician
A $217 fee spread for the same credential
Initial licensing fees in New Hampshire ($ 30) and California ($ 247) bracket the field, a 8.2× spread for identical practice rights.
NH
New Hampshire
$30 initial licensing fee
CA
California
$247 initial licensing fee
Electrician boards vs Elevator Installer / Fire Sprinkler Installer - state table
51 statesCheapest / fastest Electrician boards (then check Elevator Installer)
Fee and processing extremes for Electrician. Same-lane peers Elevator Installer and Fire Sprinkler Installer can land on different boards even when the practice looks similar.
Lowest Electrician fee
Highest Electrician fee
- $150
- 2. Arizona$125
- 3. California$125
- 4. New Jersey$125
- 5. Alaska$100
Fastest Electrician process
- 1. Michigan3 wks
- 2. North Dakota3 wks
- 3. Nebraska3 wks
- 4. South Dakota3 wks
- 5. Wyoming3 wks
What to do with this
Electrician is regulated in 51 states -- here's how to use that before you act.
- Electrician ranks #2 of 47 professions by average pre-licensure education hours -- see how it compares to similar roles. Browse all professions
- #23 of 97 professions by number of states requiring a license -- see which states are strictest overall. State burden rankings
- Initial fees for Electrician range from $30 (NH) to $247 (CA) -- check whether your license transfers before assuming you'd need to pay again. Reciprocity guide
Requirements are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research and verified against state board sites where possible; always confirm current rules with the licensing board before relying on any single row.
Every figure on PlainCredential is rendered directly from NCSL and state occupational- licensing board data, no number is typed in by an editor. Electrician requirements from NCSL and state board schedules: 51 rows, no hand-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.