- Nebraska requires anyone who wires or installs electrical equipment for others to be licensed by the State Electrical Board.
- At least one year, acceptable to the board, as a licensed journeyman electrician. A four year electrical engineering graduate also needs one year as a licensed journeyman.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $19.42 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of electricians to $45.21 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 14% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally.
The path in Nebraska, step by step
Nebraska licenses electrical work at the state level through the Nebraska State Electrical Division and State Electrical Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get a journeyman electrician license and work at least one year as a licensed journeyman.
- Apply for the electrical contractor exam online or by mail with the $180 application fee and the citizenship attestation form.
- After approval, schedule and pass the PSI exam.
- Pay the license fee and keep public liability insurance in force.
- Register as a contractor with the Nebraska Department of Labor.
- Renew by December 31 of each even numbered year with 12 hours of continuing education.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: electrical license in Nebraska.
Finding an apprenticeship in Nebraska
Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska
The license to aim for: Electrical Contractor License.
Trade exam. State exam given by PSI after the board approves you. It covers the 2023 National Electrical Code, basic electrical theory, the Nebraska State Electrical Act, and emergency and fire alarm circuits.
Keeping it. Licenses expire December 31 of even numbered years. To renew you need 12 hours of approved continuing education, at least 6 on the National Electrical Code.
Coming from another state. Nebraska has electrical contractor reciprocity with Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas. You must have scored 75 percent or more on that state's exam.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Electrical Contractor | Plans, lays out, installs and supervises electrical wiring and equipment. |
| Class A Master Electrician | Plans, lays out and supervises electrical installations. |
| Class B Electrical Contractor | Systems up to 400 amps in homes up to four-family, in towns under 100,000 people. |
| Journeyman Electrician | Does the wiring while employed by a licensed contractor. |
| Residential Wireman | Residential license. |
What the Nebraska license costs
The fees the Nebraska State Electrical Division and State Electrical Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Electrical contractor application fee | $180 |
| License fee if issued in an even numbered year | $187.50 |
| License fee if issued in an odd numbered year | $375 |
What electricians earn in Nebraska
The median electrician in Nebraska earned $29.24 an hour in May 2025, 42nd of 51 states, with 6,440 on payrolls. The national median was $30.38.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of electricians in Nebraska earned under $23.14 an hour and a tenth under $19.42. At the top, a quarter earned over $38.04 and a tenth over $45.21.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.42 | $40,400 |
| 25th percentile | $23.14 | $48,140 |
| Median | $29.24 | $60,820 |
| 75th percentile | $38.04 | $79,130 |
| 90th percentile | $45.21 | $94,040 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: electrician salary in Nebraska.
Jobs ahead in Nebraska
Nebraska's labor market office projects jobs for electricians growing from 6,370 in 2022 to 7,260 in 2032, a change of 14%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 680 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 14% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally, ranking 18th 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 Nebraska
To contract on your own in Nebraska, the license is the Electrical Contractor License.
Insurance. Electrical contractors and master electricians must keep public liability insurance in force as the board requires.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Nebraska median of $29.24 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $121.94 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 Nebraska'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.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division (checked 2026-10-08)
- Electrical contractor license (checked 2026-10-08)
- 2025 to 2026 license fees (checked 2026-10-08)
- Exam information and applications (checked 2026-10-08)
- License renewal (checked 2026-10-08)
- State Electrical Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-2101 to 81-2145 (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.