Becoming an electrician in New Mexico

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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
$58,390 $28.07 an hour
Outlook
580 openings a year, projected · 13% growth, 2024–2034

Do I need a license?

Yes. New Mexico licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the EE-98J — Journeyman residential, commercial and industrial electrical wiring, issued by the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID). Its standard route requires 8,000 hours of experience; other routes can differ. Source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division, checked . Standard-route hours: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.

Your path, step by step

  1. EE-98J — Journeyman residential, commercial and industrial electrical wiring

    Experience
    8,000 hours
    Classroom
    Not stated
    Exam
    Required

    Source: New Mexico Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 § 60-13-38 (Certificates of competence; examination; journeymen) · Find a paid apprenticeship in New Mexico

  2. EE-98 — Qualifying-party certificate

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

    This certificate belongs to the individual and qualifies a licensed business for its classification; the business holds the separate contractor license.

    Source: New Mexico Construction Industries Division rules, 14.6.3.8 NMAC (License and qualifying party requirements)

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 Mexico licensing requirements · 26 more 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

New Mexico apprenticeships (1)

School programs 1

New Mexico schools (1)

What does it pay?

What the work pays here, and how to decide.

Electricians in New Mexico earn a median of $58,390 a year ($28.07 an hour), according to BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates. That is about 7.6% below the national median of $63,190. About one in ten electricians here earns under $36,650 a year and about one in ten over $86,830.

Employment is projected to grow 13% over 2024–2034, with about 580 openings a year.

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

Nearby states: Arizona 3 · Colorado 3 · Oklahoma 2 · Texas 16

Listings here last checked