- New Jersey requires electrical contractors to hold a state license and a business permit from the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors.
- You must document your hands-on electrical installation work with work experience certifications from people who supervised you. Check with the board for the hours and years needed.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $23.35 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of electricians to $62.91 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 9.9% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally.
The path in New Jersey, step by step
New Jersey licenses electrical work at the state level through the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Gather work experience certifications from your supervisors.
- Apply online for the electrical contractor exam.
- Pass all three exams, then wait for board approval.
- Apply for the business permit with the fee, surety bond and $300,000 liability insurance certificate.
- Renew every three years with your continuing education done.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: electrical license in New Jersey.
Finding an apprenticeship in New Jersey
New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey
The license to aim for: Electrical Contractor License plus Business Permit.
Trade exam. Yes. Contractor exam applicants must pass all three exams before the board approves the license.
Keeping it. Every three years for the business permit. License renewal needs 34 hours of continuing education, including a 10-hour course on the latest National Electrical Code.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Electrical Contractor | License held by the qualifying contractor; needed for a business permit. |
| Class A Journeyman | Licensed journeyman electrician. |
| Class A Electrical Apprentice | Apprentice electrician. |
| Class B Wireman | Entry level wireman license. |
What the New Jersey license costs
The fees the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Initial business permit, first year of the three-year cycle | $150 |
| Initial business permit, second year | $100 |
| Initial business permit, third year | $50 |
What electricians earn in New Jersey
The median electrician in New Jersey earned $37.14 an hour in May 2025, 11th of 51 states, with 13,520 on payrolls. The national median was $30.38.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of electricians in New Jersey earned under $30.00 an hour and a tenth under $23.35. At the top, a quarter earned over $58.23 and a tenth over $62.91.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.35 | $48,570 |
| 25th percentile | $30.00 | $62,400 |
| Median | $37.14 | $77,250 |
| 75th percentile | $58.23 | $121,110 |
| 90th percentile | $62.91 | $130,860 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: electrician salary in New Jersey.
Jobs ahead in New Jersey
New Jersey's labor market office projects jobs for electricians growing from 17,290 in 2022 to 19,000 in 2032, a change of 9.9%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 1,750 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 9.9% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally, ranking 35th 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 New Jersey
To contract on your own in New Jersey, the license is the Electrical Contractor License plus Business Permit.
Insurance. General liability insurance of at least $300,000, or a bank letter of credit of at least $300,000. The Board must be the certificate holder.
Bond. A $1,000 surety bond in favor of the State of New Jersey.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the New Jersey median of $37.14 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $135.81 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 New Jersey'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.
- NJ Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (checked 2026-10-08)
- Initial Business Permit application (checked 2026-10-08)
- License reinstatement application (CE and renewal rules) (checked 2026-10-08)
- Application phases and timeline (checked 2026-10-08)
- Work Experience Certification form (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.