How to hire an electrician

How to hire an electrician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step electrician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an electrician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new electrician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an electrician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your electrician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an electrician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect electrician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents electrician salaries for various positions.

   Type of Electrician	Description	Hourly rate
   Electrician	Electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical power, communications, lighting, and control systems in homes, businesses, and factories.	$15-35
   Plumber Helper	A plumber helper is responsible for assisting the head plumber in installing plumbing systems, conducting preventive maintenance, and repairing broken components. Plumber helpers inspect and maintain the stability and condition of all the plumbing equipment to avoid potential hazards and ensure no delays in operations... Show more	$13-31
   Journeyman	A journeyman is an experienced worker whose role will vary on the line of industry where one is involved. They work without supervision from a master craftsman... Show more	$18-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hand Tools
   • Electrical Equipment
   • RUN Conduit
   • Transformers
   • Ladders
   • Switches
   • PLC
   • Electrical Components
   • OSHA
   • Test Equipment
   • Ac Dc
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • Circuit Breakers
   • EMT

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Remove, analyze, identify issue install properly working pressure transducers, effectively accomplishing priorities to go underway.
   • Diagnose malfunctioning devices including transformers, motor starters, motors, PLC's, VFD's, and light fixtures.
   • Install and repair receptacles, lights, light switches, ac motors, and panel boards.
   • Work on the civil underground team work on all the underground for the ac to dc plant.
   • Install all phases of electrical construction in according to the ADA, NEC, NFPA, as well as project specifications.
   • Terminate wires to circuit breakers, transformers and/or other components

   More electrician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your electrician job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An electrician salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an electrician in Oklahoma may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level electrician usually earns less than a senior-level electrician. Additionally, an electrician with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average electrician salary

   $48,850yearly

   $23.49 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level electrician salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 15, 2026

   Average electrician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$78,200	$38
   2	Massachusetts	$71,161	$34
   3	California	$70,913	$34
   4	Oregon	$67,981	$33
   5	Hawaii	$65,929	$32
   6	New York	$64,013	$31
   7	District of Columbia	$60,228	$29
   8	Wisconsin	$58,009	$28
   9	Illinois	$57,776	$28
   10	Pennsylvania	$55,804	$27
   11	Michigan	$55,212	$27
   12	Nevada	$54,183	$26
   13	Ohio	$52,976	$25
   14	Wyoming	$52,368	$25
   15	Maryland	$50,651	$24
   16	Maine	$50,487	$24
   17	Virginia	$49,856	$24
   18	Missouri	$49,761	$24
   19	Indiana	$48,716	$23
   20	West Virginia	$48,344	$23

   Average electrician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PBF Energy	$99,900	$48.03	1
   2	Pacific Gas and Electric	$99,606	$47.89	1
   3	Micron Technology	$97,195	$46.73
   4	General Motors	$95,972	$46.14	6
   5	REV Group	$95,240	$45.79	15
   6	Ameresco	$95,077	$45.71	7
   7	City of Detroit	$95,041	$45.69
   8	City of San Jos	$94,392	$45.38	1
   9	Amazon	$94,286	$45.33
   10	NV Energy	$93,900	$45.14
   11	Constellation Energy Partners	$93,403	$44.91	9
   12	City of Los Angeles	$92,886	$44.66	2
   13	Wabtec Corporation	$92,535	$44.49	3
   14	City of Seattle	$92,492	$44.47	1
   15	City of San Antonio	$92,459	$44.45
   16	City of Roanoke, Virginia - Government	$91,153	$43.82	1
   17	SMUD	$90,502	$43.51
   18	City of Louisville	$87,309	$41.98
   19	Arizona Public Service	$86,691	$41.68
   20	Nabors Industries	$86,593	$41.63	1

4. Writing an electrician job description

   An electrician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an electrician job description:

   Electrician job description example

   • U.S. Department of Labor Completion of Apprenticeship Certificate in Electrical trade or six (6) years of documented experience as an Electrician
   • Must be able to satisfactorily complete the General Motors hiring process requirements which include comprehensive assessments, hair drug testing, and a background check
   • At least 18 years of age
   • Eligible to work in the United States
   • Must be willing to work flexible shift hours and day, afternoon, or night shift as well as overtime hours daily, weekends and holidays on those shifts with little notice
   • If you are a current GM employee operating under a collective bargaining agreement, please contact your local HR/LR for employee placement opportunities.

   General Motors UAW hourly employment offers a very competitive compensation and benefit package. An annual incentive payout is also available, as qualified.
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find electricians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any electricians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level electricians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find electrician candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as constructionjobs.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit electricians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new electrician

   Once you've selected the best electrician candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new electrician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an electrician?