Becoming an electrician in Massachusetts

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1 paid apprenticeship and 1 school program 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
$79,420 $38.18 an hour
Outlook
1,790 openings a year, projected · 12% growth, 2024–2034

Do I need a license?

Yes. Massachusetts licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the Certificate B — Journeyman Electrician License, issued by the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians. Its standard route requires 8,000 hours of experience; other routes can differ. Source: Massachusetts Legislature (General Laws c. 141, s. 3), checked . Standard-route hours: 237 CMR 13.00.

Your path, step by step

  1. Certificate B — Journeyman Electrician License

    Experience
    8,000 hours
    Classroom
    600 hours
    Exam
    Required

    Source: Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, 237 CMR 13.03 (Journeyman Electrician License Exam Application Eligibility Criteria) · Find a paid apprenticeship in Massachusetts

  2. Certificate A — Master Electrician License

    Experience
    Not stated
    Classroom
    150 hours
    Exam
    Required
    Holding the previous license
    At least 1 year

    Source: Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, 237 CMR 13.01 (Master Electrician License Exam Application Eligibility Criteria)

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 Massachusetts licensing requirements · 2 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

Massachusetts apprenticeships (1)

School programs 1

Massachusetts schools (1)

What does it pay?

What the work pays here, and how to decide.

Electricians in Massachusetts earn a median of $79,420 a year ($38.18 an hour), according to BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates. That is about 26% above the national median of $63,190. About one in ten electricians here earns under $46,990 a year and about one in ten over $128,210.

Employment is projected to grow 12% over 2024–2034, with about 1,790 openings a year.

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

Nearby states: Connecticut 2 · New Hampshire 2 · New York 5 · Rhode Island 2 · Vermont 1

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