- In Michigan only a licensed individual may install electrical wiring, and you need an electrical contractor license from LARA to do business as an electrician.
- Master: at least age 22, 12,000 hours of experience over at least six years, and a journeyman license held for at least two years. Journeyman: 8,000 hours and four years as an apprentice.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $20.66 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of electricians to $49.58 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 4.9% from 2022 to 2032, slower than the 6.5% projected nationally.
The path in Michigan, step by step
Michigan licenses electrical work at the state level through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Register as an electrical apprentice with a master and contractor, and enroll in related technical instruction.
- Complete 8,000 hours and four years, then pass the journeyman exam.
- Hold the journeyman license two years and reach 12,000 total hours over six years.
- Get LARA approval and pass the master electrician exam with PSI.
- Apply for the electrical contractor license with yourself as the master.
- Renew the master yearly and the contractor license every three years.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: electrical license in Michigan.
Finding an apprenticeship in Michigan
Michigan 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 Michigan 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.
License levels and exams in Michigan
The license to aim for: Electrical Contractor license (with a Master Electrician license).
Trade exam. Yes for master and journeyman, given by PSI, with a passing score of 75%. The electrical contractor license has no exam.
Keeping it. The contractor license renews every three years by December 31. The master license renews every year by December 31, and a code update course is needed within one year of a new code.
Coming from another state. Michigan does not hold reciprocity with any other state. Out of state applicants send their license and their state's requirements for review.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Electrical Contractor | Required to do business as an electrician; needs an associated master electrician. |
| Master Electrician | In charge of code compliance for the contractor's installations; one contractor at a time. |
| Electrical Journeyman | Electrical work after an apprenticeship. |
| Apprentice registration | Employed by a master and contractor and enrolled in related technical instruction. |
What the Michigan license costs
The fees the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Master electrician exam | $100 |
| Electrical contractor license (3 years) | $300 |
| Master electrician renewal (yearly) | $50 |
| Late fee | $50 |
What electricians earn in Michigan
The median electrician in Michigan earned $36.67 an hour in May 2025, 14th of 51 states, with 23,530 on payrolls. The national median was $30.38.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of electricians in Michigan earned under $24.21 an hour and a tenth under $20.66. At the top, a quarter earned over $44.38 and a tenth over $49.58.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.66 | $42,980 |
| 25th percentile | $24.21 | $50,360 |
| Median | $36.67 | $76,270 |
| 75th percentile | $44.38 | $92,300 |
| 90th percentile | $49.58 | $103,120 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: electrician salary in Michigan.
Jobs ahead in Michigan
Michigan's labor market office projects jobs for electricians growing from 27,560 in 2022 to 28,900 in 2032, a change of 4.9%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 2,590 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 4.9% from 2022 to 2032, slower than the 6.5% projected nationally, ranking 47th 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 Michigan
To contract on your own in Michigan, the license is the Electrical Contractor license (with a Master Electrician license).
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Michigan median of $36.67 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $134.99 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 Michigan'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.
- LARA electrical licensing information (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.5731, license required (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.5713, master electrician (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.5707, fees (checked 2026-10-08)
- LARA license renewals (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.