Becoming an electrician in Rhode Island

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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
$74,090 $35.62 an hour
Outlook
280 openings a year, projected · 17% growth, 2024–2034

Do I need a license?

Yes. Rhode Island licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the B — Journeyperson Electrician’s License, issued by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation. Its standard route requires 8,000 hours of experience; other routes can differ. Source: Rhode Island General Assembly, checked . Standard-route hours: Rhode Island General Laws § 5-6-24.

Before you start: In Rhode Island, registration is due after you are hired rather than before you start. Deadline: immediately upon employment. Credential: Apprentice electrician registration (and specialty apprentice registrations), issued by Rhode Island DLT Division of Professional Regulation. Official source, checked .

Your path, step by step

  1. Apprentice Electrician Registration

    Experience
    Not stated
    Classroom
    Not stated
    Exam
    Not stated

    Source: R.I. Gen. Laws s. 5-6-24 (Apprentices - Registration) · Find a paid apprenticeship in Rhode Island

  2. B — Journeyperson Electrician’s License

    Experience
    8,000 hours
    Classroom
    576 hours
    Exam
    Required
    Holding the previous license
    At least 4 years

    Source: R.I. Gen. Laws s. 5-6-24 (Apprentices - Registration)

  3. A — Electrical Contractor’s License

    Experience
    12,000 hours
    Classroom
    Not stated
    Exam
    Required
    Holding the previous license
    At least 2 years

    Source: Rhode Island DLT Board of Examiners of Electricians rules, 260-RICR-30-15-7 section 7.7(D) (Application for Licensure)

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 Rhode Island licensing requirements · 20 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

Rhode Island apprenticeships (1)

School programs 1

Rhode Island schools (1)

What does it pay?

What the work pays here, and how to decide.

Electricians in Rhode Island earn a median of $74,090 a year ($35.62 an hour), according to BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates. That is about 17% above the national median of $63,190. About one in ten electricians here earns under $42,990 a year and about one in ten over $102,840.

Employment is projected to grow 17% over 2024–2034, with about 280 openings a year.

Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS · Projections Central · Rhode Island salary details

Nearby states: Connecticut 2 · Massachusetts 2

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