- North Carolina requires a state license to do electrical contracting.
- Limited and SP-SFD: 3,000 hours of experience, with at least 2,000 hours of primary experience. Intermediate: 5,750 hours, at least 5,000 primary. Unlimited: 9,000 hours, at least 8,000 primary, plus two written statements about your ability to supervise.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $19.29 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of electricians to $36.09 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 13.2% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally.
The path in North Carolina, step by step
North Carolina licenses electrical work at the state level through the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get the hours of electrical experience your license class needs.
- Read the exam handbook and send the exam application with the $125 fee.
- After board approval, schedule the exam with PSI within your 90-day window.
- Pass the exam with a score of 70 or higher.
- Send the new license application with the license fee for your class, and a bonding ability statement for Intermediate or Unlimited.
- Renew every year and finish your continuing education hours.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: electrical license in North Carolina.
Finding an apprenticeship in North Carolina
North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina
The license to aim for: Electrical Contractor License (Limited, Intermediate or Unlimited).
Trade exam. Yes. A computer-based, open book exam given by PSI. Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited exams have 100 questions and 6 hours. You need a score of 70 to pass.
Keeping it. Every year. Licenses expire one year after issue. Qualified individuals on Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited and SP-SFD licenses need 8 hours of continuing education a year (4 hours for other special restricted licenses). Half must be in a classroom.
Coming from another state. The board lists reciprocity with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Limited (L) | One project up to $60,000, equipment rated 600 volts or less. |
| Intermediate (I) | One project up to $150,000. |
| Unlimited (U) | Any project, no value limit. |
| SP-SFD Residential Dwelling | Special restricted license for single-family detached homes. |
| Other special restricted licenses | Fire alarm and low voltage, plumbing and heating, swimming pool, groundwater pump, electric sign and elevator work. |
What the North Carolina license costs
The fees the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application and exam fee | $125 |
| Limited license, per year | $100 |
| Intermediate license, per year | $150 |
| Unlimited license, per year | $200 |
| Special restricted license, per year | $100 |
| Late renewal fee | $25 |
What electricians earn in North Carolina
The median electrician in North Carolina earned $27.31 an hour in May 2025, 49th of 51 states, with 21,640 on payrolls. The national median was $30.38.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of electricians in North Carolina earned under $22.63 an hour and a tenth under $19.29. At the top, a quarter earned over $29.77 and a tenth over $36.09.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.29 | $40,130 |
| 25th percentile | $22.63 | $47,070 |
| Median | $27.31 | $56,800 |
| 75th percentile | $29.77 | $61,920 |
| 90th percentile | $36.09 | $75,060 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: electrician salary in North Carolina.
Jobs ahead in North Carolina
North Carolina's labor market office projects jobs for electricians growing from 24,770 in 2022 to 28,040 in 2032, a change of 13.2%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 2,630 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 13.2% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally, ranking 23rd 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 North Carolina
To contract on your own in North Carolina, the license is the Electrical Contractor License (Limited, Intermediate or Unlimited).
Bond. A statement of bonding ability is needed to activate an Intermediate or Unlimited license.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the North Carolina median of $27.31 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $118.55 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 North Carolina'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.
- NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (checked 2026-10-08)
- Licensing and classifications (checked 2026-10-08)
- Examinations (checked 2026-10-08)
- G.S. 87-43 (Article 4, license required) (checked 2026-10-08)
- Frequently asked questions (checked 2026-10-08)
- Title 21 NCAC 18B rules (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.