How to become an electrician in Hawaii

The path in Hawaii, step by step

Hawaii licenses electrical work at the state level through the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Contractors License Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.

1. Build 5 years and 10,000 hours of wiring plus 240 hours of coursework and get your Journey Worker Electrician license.
2. Work 4 years as a licensed journey worker to qualify for Supervising Electrician.
3. Build 4 years of supervisory experience in electrical work within the past 10 years.
4. Apply to the Contractors License Board for the C-13 classification and pay the $50 application fee.
5. Once approved, pass Part I Business and Law and Part II Trade exams, then pay the license fee and file proof of insurance.
6. Renew the contractor license by September 30 of even years and your electrician license every three years.

The full license guide, with every fee and form: electrical license in Hawaii.

Finding an apprenticeship in Hawaii

Hawaii runs Registered Apprenticeship through its own State Apprenticeship Agency, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to register and oversee programs there. Its staff are state employees, and it may use the federal paperwork or forms of its own. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Hawaii State Apprenticeship Agency as the contact.

Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.

Across the country. Most electricians learn the trade in a 4 or 5 year apprenticeship. Each year brings about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training plus some classroom instruction.

License levels and exams in Hawaii

The license to aim for: C-13 Electrical Contractor (plus a Supervising Electrician license).

Trade exam. Yes. The contractor exam has a trade part (Part II). Electrician licenses also need the board exam, which covers the National Electrical Code.

Business exam. Yes. Part I of the contractor exam covers business and law.

Keeping it. Contractor licenses expire September 30 of even numbered years. Electrician licenses renew every three years by June 30 (2026, 2029, 2032) and need a National Electrical Code update course, except maintenance electricians.

Coming from another state. Hawaii has no reciprocity agreements. All applicants meet the same licensing and exam requirements.

What the Hawaii license costs

The fees the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Contractors License Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.

What electricians earn in Hawaii

The median electrician in Hawaii earned $46.38 an hour in May 2025, 3rd of 51 states, with 3,070 on payrolls. The national median was $30.38.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of electricians in Hawaii earned under $33.88 an hour and a tenth under $21.99. At the top, a quarter earned over $58.05 and a tenth over $59.90.

Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: electrician salary in Hawaii.

Starting your own electrician business in Hawaii

To contract on your own in Hawaii, the license is the C-13 Electrical Contractor (plus a Supervising Electrician license).

Insurance. Bodily injury liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence, property damage liability of $50,000, plus workers compensation if you have employees.

Bond. A bond only if the board requires one.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Hawaii median of $46.38 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $152.04 per billable hour. Try your own in the electrician labor rate calculator.

The full checklist is in how to start an electrical business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.