Becoming an electrician in New Jersey

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2 paid apprenticeships and 2 school programs are listed here.

Jump to: License · Training · Pay

Licensing
Statewide worker license
Time to qualify
See the steps below experience for each license
Median pay
$77,250 $37.14 an hour
Outlook
1,710 openings a year, projected · 13% growth, 2024–2034

Do I need a license?

Yes. New Jersey licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the New Jersey Class A Journeyman Electrician License, issued by the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors. Source: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (New Jersey Register rule adoption), checked .

Your path, step by step

  1. New Jersey Class A Electrical Apprentice License

    Experience
    Not stated
    Classroom
    Not stated
    Exam
    Not stated

    Source: N.J.A.C. 13:31-7.1 (Initial Class A electrical apprentice license), as adopted at 57 N.J.R. 1146(a) · Find a paid apprenticeship in New Jersey

  2. New Jersey Class A Journeyman Electrician License

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

    Source: N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.1(a)2, adopted at 40 N.J.R. (December 15, 2008) and unamended per 57 N.J.R. 1146(a)

  3. New Jersey Electrical Contractor License

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

    Source: N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9 (Electrical contractors, permit, license required; qualifications; examinations; fees)

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 New Jersey 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 2

New Jersey apprenticeships (2)

School programs 2

New Jersey schools (2)

What does it pay?

What the work pays here, and how to decide.

Electricians in New Jersey earn a median of $77,250 a year ($37.14 an hour), according to BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates. That is about 22% above the national median of $63,190. About one in ten electricians here earns under $48,570 a year and about one in ten over $130,860.

Employment is projected to grow 13% over 2024–2034, with about 1,710 openings a year.

Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS · Projections Central · New Jersey salary details

Nearby states: Delaware 2 · New York 5 · Pennsylvania 4

Listings here last checked