- In Massachusetts only a master or journeyman electrician licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Electricians can legally be hired for electrical work at a home or business.
- Master: a Massachusetts journeyman license, at least one year of work experience and 150 hours of board approved education. Journeyman: 600 hours of approved education, a 15 hour code update class and 8,000 hours of work over at least four years under a licensed Massachusetts journeyman.
- Plan for two exams: the trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Pay runs from about $22.59 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of electricians to $61.64 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 11.3% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally.
The path in Massachusetts, step by step
Massachusetts licenses electrical work at the state level through the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, Division of Occupational Licensure. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Finish 600 hours of board approved education and 8,000 hours of work over four years, then pass the journeyman exam.
- Work at least one year as a journeyman and complete 150 hours of approved master level education.
- Apply in eLIPSE with the $66 application fee and schedule the PSI exam.
- Pass the trade and business portions, then pay the $155 license fee.
- If you run a corporation or LLC, apply for an electrical business license with yourself as licensee of record.
- Renew before July 31 each renewal cycle.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: electrical license in Massachusetts.
Finding an apprenticeship in Massachusetts
Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts
The license to aim for: Master Electrician (A) license.
Trade exam. Yes. The exam is given by PSI after the board approves your application. The trade portion costs $80.
Business exam. Yes. The exam has a business and practical portion, which costs $55.
Keeping it. Licenses expire July 31, and you can renew online in eLIPSE starting 90 days before. The master renewal fee is $117.
Coming from another state. Massachusetts has a reciprocity agreement with New Hampshire.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Master Electrician (A) | Run an electrical business as an individual, firm or corporation and employ journeymen and apprentices. |
| Journeyman Electrician (B) | Do electrical work as an individual. |
| Systems Contractor (C) | Fire warning and security system business. |
| Systems Technician (D) | Fire warning and security system work. |
| Electrical/systems business license | Business entities with a Massachusetts master or systems contractor as licensee of record. |
What the Massachusetts license costs
The fees the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, Division of Occupational Licensure lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Master electrician application | $66 |
| Master electrician license | $155 |
| Exam, both portions (paid to PSI) | $135 |
| Master electrician renewal | $117 |
| Electrical business license application | $233 |
What electricians earn in Massachusetts
The median electrician in Massachusetts earned $38.18 an hour in May 2025, 6th of 51 states, with 17,810 on payrolls. The national median was $30.38.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of electricians in Massachusetts earned under $27.82 an hour and a tenth under $22.59. At the top, a quarter earned over $48.31 and a tenth over $61.64.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.59 | $46,990 |
| 25th percentile | $27.82 | $57,860 |
| Median | $38.18 | $79,420 |
| 75th percentile | $48.31 | $100,480 |
| 90th percentile | $61.64 | $128,210 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: electrician salary in Massachusetts.
Jobs ahead in Massachusetts
Massachusetts's labor market office projects jobs for electricians growing from 6,820 in 2022 to 7,590 in 2032, a change of 11.3%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 700 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 11.3% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally, ranking 29th 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 Massachusetts
To contract on your own in Massachusetts, the license is the Master Electrician (A) license.
Insurance. The board's consumer page says liability insurance is required by state law.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Massachusetts median of $38.18 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $137.64 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.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is Massachusetts's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians (checked 2026-10-08)
- Electricians consumer fact sheet (checked 2026-10-08)
- Apply for an individual electrical or systems license (checked 2026-10-08)
- Renew an electrician license (checked 2026-10-08)
- Apply for an electrical/systems business license (checked 2026-10-08)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2111
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Electricians (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become an electrician.