Becoming an electrician in Alabama

Choose another state

1 paid apprenticeship and 2 school programs are listed here.

Jump to: License · Training · Pay

Licensing
Statewide worker license
Time to qualify
8,000 hours on the standard route; other routes can differ
Median pay
$55,690 $26.78 an hour
Outlook
1,120 openings a year, projected · 12% growth, 2024–2034

Do I need a license?

Yes. Alabama licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the Alabama Journeyman Electrician License, issued by the Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Its standard route requires 8,000 hours of experience; other routes can differ. Source: Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors, checked . Standard-route hours: Alabama Administrative Code r. 303-X-3.

Your path, step by step

  1. Alabama Journeyman Electrician License

    Experience
    8,000 hours
    Classroom
    Not stated
    Exam
    Required

    Source: Alabama Administrative Code r. 303-X-3-.03 (Qualifications to Sit for Journeyman Electrician Examination), Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors · Find a paid apprenticeship in Alabama

  2. Alabama Electrical Contractor License

    Experience
    8,000 hours
    Classroom
    Not stated
    Exam
    Required
    Holding the previous license
    Not stated

    Either 8,000 hours as a journeyman electrician in charge of jobs or 8,000 hours of electrical design, planning, layout and direct supervision qualifies.

    Source: Alabama Administrative Code r. 303-X-3-.02 (Qualifications to sit for Electrical Contractor Examination), Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors

Each step lists what its official source states for that license. Hours aren't added up across steps; a step says whether its hours include earlier steps' only where its source does. "Not stated" means the source doesn't give it. Checked .

Full Alabama licensing requirements · How licensing works

How do I train?

Apprenticeships pay you while you learn. Schools teach first, then you find work. Which is right for me?

Paid apprenticeships 1

Alabama apprenticeships (1)

School programs 2

Alabama schools (2)

What does it pay?

What the work pays here, and how to decide.

Electricians in Alabama earn a median of $55,690 a year ($26.78 an hour), according to BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates. That is about 12% below the national median of $63,190. About one in ten electricians here earns under $37,640 a year and about one in ten over $78,230.

Employment is projected to grow 12% over 2024–2034, with about 1,120 openings a year.

Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS · Projections Central · Alabama salary details

Nearby states: Florida 4 · Georgia 3 · Mississippi 1 · Tennessee 2

Listings here last checked