Becoming an electrician in Texas

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5 paid apprenticeships and 11 school programs 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
$58,570 $28.16 an hour
Outlook
8,100 openings a year, projected · 14% growth, 2024–2034

Do I need a license?

Yes. Texas licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the Journeyman Electrician, issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Its standard route requires 8,000 hours of experience; other routes can differ. Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, checked . Standard-route hours: Texas Occupations Code ch. 1305.

Before you start: You need this state credential before you start electrical work in Texas. Credential: Electrical Apprentice license, issued by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Official source, checked .

Your path, step by step

  1. Electrical Apprentice

    Experience
    None required
    Classroom
    Not stated
    Exam
    None required

    Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Find a paid apprenticeship in Texas

  2. Journeyman Electrician

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

    Source: Texas Occupations Code ch. 1305

  3. Master Electrician

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

    Source: Texas Occupations Code ch. 1305

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 Texas licensing requirements · 13 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 5

All 5 Texas apprenticeships →

School programs 11

All 11 Texas schools →

What does it pay?

What the work pays here, and how to decide.

Electricians in Texas earn a median of $58,570 a year ($28.16 an hour), according to BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates. That is about 7.3% below the national median of $63,190. About one in ten electricians here earns under $37,920 a year and about one in ten over $80,300.

Employment is projected to grow 14% over 2024–2034, with about 8,100 openings a year.

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

Nearby states: Arkansas 2 · Louisiana 2 · New Mexico 2 · Oklahoma 2

Listings here last checked