How to hire a licensed electrician

How to hire a licensed electrician, step by step

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

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

What does a licensed electrician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a licensed electrician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a licensed electrician to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a licensed electrician that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of licensed electricians and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Licensed Electrician	Description	Hourly rate
   Licensed Electrician	Electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical power, communications, lighting, and control systems in homes, businesses, and factories.	$17-40
   Apprentice	An apprentice is responsible for learning specialized tasks on their chosen field through actual job training under the supervision of tenured staff. An apprentice's duties include performing administrative tasks as needed, creating observation reports of daily operations, providing possible recommendations on improving productivity, and adhering to the business' safety standards and regulatory procedures... Show more	$12-24
   Electrical Apprentice	Sometimes called electrician apprentices, electrical apprentices assist the electricians in maintaining, repairing, and operating the electrical systems. Typically, they work in huge construction sites and facilities on their power distribution, lighting systems, and cables... Show more	$12-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Electrical Equipment
   • Ladders
   • NEC
   • Hand Tools
   • Electrical Issues
   • PLC
   • Electrical Code
   • OSHA
   • Test Equipment
   • Electrical License
   • Panel Boards
   • Electrical Components
   • Electrical Installation
   • Circuit Breakers

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Remove, analyze, identify issue install properly working pressure transducers, effectively accomplishing priorities to go underway.
   • Trouble shoot any electrical problems, install VFD's and PLC's for the oil field.
   • Comply with all local codes, NEC, safety procedures, OSHA, EPA, waste handling rules, job specs.
   • Maintain OSHA certifications for all large projects.
   • Install EMT for all roof top units.
   • Install EMT for all power to each floor.

   More licensed electrician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your licensed electrician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A licensed electrician salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, licensed electricians' average salary in florida is 54% less than in vermont.
   • Seniority. Entry-level licensed electricians earn 56% less than senior-level licensed electricians.
   • Certifications. A licensed electrician with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a licensed electrician's salary.

   Average licensed electrician salary

   $56,328yearly

   $27.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level licensed electrician salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average licensed electrician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$78,539	$38
   2	Massachusetts	$74,406	$36
   3	Oregon	$73,101	$35
   4	California	$70,771	$34
   5	Connecticut	$69,111	$33
   6	Maine	$57,608	$28
   7	Virginia	$56,355	$27
   8	Michigan	$54,181	$26
   9	Colorado	$53,972	$26
   10	Iowa	$49,676	$24
   11	Tennessee	$48,988	$24
   12	Oklahoma	$47,411	$23
   13	Texas	$45,411	$22
   14	North Carolina	$42,805	$21
   15	Louisiana	$39,159	$19
   16	Florida	$36,382	$17

   Average licensed electrician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Community Health Systems	$81,275	$39.07	34
   2	Cognex	$76,562	$36.81
   3	Tesla	$74,875	$36.00	1
   4	Jacobs Engineering Group	$70,586	$33.94
   5	Wanzek Construction	$67,275	$32.34
   6	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$66,603	$32.02
   7	International Paper	$66,170	$31.81	22
   8	Mentor	$65,252	$31.37	4
   9	Novant Health	$64,904	$31.20	56
   10	Solenis	$64,083	$30.81
   11	DISH Network	$62,396	$30.00
   12	Carmeuse	$61,961	$29.79	3
   13	HealthTrust	$61,875	$29.75	6
   14	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$61,778	$29.70	3
   15	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	$61,393	$29.52
   16	American Residential Services	$61,391	$29.51	4
   17	TIC Holdings Inc	$60,852	$29.26
   18	LifePoint Health	$59,933	$28.81	86
   19	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$59,462	$28.59
   20	Vidant Health	$58,892	$28.31	5

4. Writing a licensed electrician job description

   A job description for a licensed electrician role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a licensed electrician job description:

   Licensed electrician job description example

   Apply today – Start ASAP $30-35/hr
   

   Skills Reading Prints & Preform Layouts Proficient with wiring devices & terminating Able to run & bend conduit Preform underground to trim out

   Qualifications Minimum 5 years of Experience Have all hand and power tools Reliable transportation Work Safely and follow OSHA guidelines

   
   Perks

   -Long Term Work - $500 Sign-on Bonus - Paycheck Advances - Weekly Direct Deposit

   -Unlimited $250 Referral Bonuses - $50 first day referral bonus

   - 40 hrs a week + Overtime - Paid Holidays - 401K & Health Benefits

   - Free OSHA training and Lift Certifications - Milestone Rewards Program!

   
   

   CCS is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

   Some of our positions are subject to a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. Only job-related convictions will be considered and will not automatically disqualify candidates.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find licensed 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 licensed electricians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level licensed 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.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your licensed electrician job on Zippia to find and attract quality licensed electrician candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as constructionjobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with licensed electrician candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 licensed electrician

   Once you've found the licensed electrician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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 a licensed electrician?