How to become an electrician in Indiana

The path in Indiana, step by step

There is no state electrical license in Indiana. The state guide says contractor licensing for trades other than plumbing is a local option, so rules vary by city and county. The Indiana Attorney General also says to check with your city or county building department. The training is the same as anywhere: learn the trade under someone experienced, ideally in a registered apprenticeship.

1. Call the building department for each city or county where you plan to work and ask about electrical licensing.
2. Meet that office's license, exam, bond and insurance rules.
3. Apply for the local license.
4. Pull permits through the local office and wait for the permit before starting work.
5. Use a written contract for home improvement jobs over $150.
6. Repeat for each city or county you work in.

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

Finding an apprenticeship in Indiana

Indiana has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, so the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs there through a state field office. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Indiana Apprenticeship Office 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.

Licenses and exams around Indiana

The license to aim for: None at state level.

What electricians earn in Indiana

The median electrician in Indiana earned $32.93 an hour in May 2025, 21st of 51 states, with 19,020 on payrolls. The national median was $30.38.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of electricians in Indiana earned under $24.04 an hour and a tenth under $20.76. At the top, a quarter earned over $43.89 and a tenth over $47.75.

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

Jobs ahead in Indiana

Indiana's labor market office projects jobs for electricians growing from 15,180 in 2022 to 16,310 in 2032, a change of 7.4%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 1,490 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 7.4% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 6.5% projected nationally, ranking 41st of the 50 states in the file.

These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group electricians.

Starting your own electrician business in Indiana

The state guide says contractor licensing for trades other than plumbing is a local option, so rules vary by city and county. The Indiana Attorney General also says to check with your city or county building department.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Indiana median of $32.93 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $128.42 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.