How to become an electrician in Pennsylvania

The path in Pennsylvania, step by step

There is no state electrical license in Pennsylvania. Some of Pennsylvania's municipalities license electricians, so check with the city or township where you work. Philadelphia, for example, issues an Electrical Contractor license: you need four years of electrical work for a licensed company, a passing score on the Philadelphia Electrical Contractor exam given by the International Code Council, 8 hours of NFPA 70 coursework, $500,000 per occurrence general liability, $300,000 auto liability and workers comp. The license fee is $262 and renewal is $202. The training is the same as anywhere: learn the trade under someone experienced, ideally in a registered apprenticeship.

1. Ask the city or township where you will work whether it licenses electricians.
2. In Philadelphia, document four years of electrical work for a licensed company.
3. In Philadelphia, pass the Electrical Contractor exam given by the International Code Council and take 8 hours of NFPA 70 coursework.
4. Get the insurance the city requires and apply for the license online.
5. If you do home improvement work of $5,000 or more a year, register with the Attorney General.

The full license guide, with every fee and form: electrical license in Pennsylvania.

Finding an apprenticeship in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.

Licenses and exams around Pennsylvania

The license to aim for: None at state level.

What electricians earn in Pennsylvania

The median electrician in Pennsylvania earned $32.50 an hour in May 2025, 22nd of 51 states, with 22,730 on payrolls. The national median was $30.38.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of electricians in Pennsylvania earned under $26.51 an hour and a tenth under $21.92. At the top, a quarter earned over $45.92 and a tenth over $58.95.

Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: electrician salary in Pennsylvania.

Jobs ahead in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's labor market office projects jobs for electricians growing from 22,620 in 2022 to 24,200 in 2032, a change of 7%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 2,200 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 6.5% projected nationally, ranking 43rd 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 Pennsylvania

Some of Pennsylvania's municipalities license electricians, so check with the city or township where you work. Philadelphia, for example, issues an Electrical Contractor license: you need four years of electrical work for a licensed company, a passing score on the Philadelphia Electrical Contractor exam given by the International Code Council, 8 hours of NFPA 70 coursework, $500,000 per occurrence general liability, $300,000 auto liability and workers comp. The license fee is $262 and renewal is $202.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Pennsylvania median of $32.50 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $127.66 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.