Becoming an electrician in Hawaii

Choose another state

1 paid apprenticeship and 1 school program are listed here.

Jump to: License · Training · Pay

Licensing
Statewide worker license
Time to qualify
10,000 hours for the journeyman-level license
Median pay
$96,460 $46.38 an hour
Outlook
340 openings a year, projected · 10% growth, 2024–2034

Do I need a license?

Yes. Hawaii licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the Journey Worker Electrician License (EJ), issued by the Hawaii DCCA Board of Electricians and Plumbers. It requires at least 10,000 hours of experience. Source: Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, checked .

Before you start: No state registration is required before you start electrical work in Hawaii. You can start under the supervision of a licensed electrician without registering first. Official source, checked .

Your path, step by step

  1. Journey Worker Electrician License (EJ)

    Experience
    10,000 hours
    Classroom
    240 hours
    Exam
    Required

    Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes §448E-5(b)(1) (Minimum requirements: journey worker electrician) · Find a paid apprenticeship in Hawaii

  2. Supervising Electrician License (ES)

    Experience
    Not stated
    Classroom
    Not stated
    Exam
    Required
    Holding the previous license
    At least 4 years

    Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes §448E-5(b)(3) (Minimum requirements: supervising electrician)

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 Hawaii licensing requirements · 8 specialty and contractor licenses · 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

Hawaii apprenticeships (1)

School programs 1

Hawaii schools (1)

What does it pay?

What the work pays here, and how to decide.

Electricians in Hawaii earn a median of $96,460 a year ($46.38 an hour), according to BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates. That is about 53% above the national median of $63,190. About one in ten electricians here earns under $45,730 a year and about one in ten over $124,590.

Employment is projected to grow 10% over 2024–2034, with about 340 openings a year.

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

Listings here last checked