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How to become an electrician in Georgia
Georgia licenses electrical contractors statewide in two classes, Class I (single-phase up to 200 amps) and Class II (unrestricted). Each requires four years' experience, age 21, and a passing exam. Electricians in Georgia earned a median $58,320 a year in May 2025 ($28.04 an hour).
Electrician licensing in Georgia
The licensing authority is Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors. The pages each row was read from are listed under the table, with the date each was read.
| License | What it takes | Experience | Exam | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class I Electrical Contractor (restricted) | Restricted to single-phase installations up to 200 amps. Be at least 21, document four years' primary electrical experience, and pass the exam (minimum score 70). Three references are required, at least one from a licensed electrical contractor. The experience must cover at least five of the areas of electrical work Georgia's licensing rule lists, plus all the load, branch-circuit, conductor-ampacity, raceway-fill, demand-factor and derating calculations the rule's item (h) names. Some secondary experience or education can be credited toward the four years. Six years of electrical contracting experience can replace the hands-on primary experience if the Division is satisfied, the applicant attests to the knowledge the class requires, and at least one reference comes from a licensed architect, professional engineer or electrical engineer. Toward the six years, education counts at half rate and for no more than two of them. | — | Class I electrical contractor exam (minimum score 70) | not published |
| Class II Electrical Contractor (unrestricted) | Unrestricted electrical contracting. Be at least 21, document four years' primary experience, and pass the exam (minimum score 70). Three references are required, at least one from a licensed electrical contractor. The experience must include installations larger than single-phase 200-amp systems and cover all the areas of electrical work Georgia's licensing rule lists. Some secondary experience or education can be credited toward the four years. Six years of electrical contracting experience can replace the hands-on primary experience if the Division is satisfied, the applicant attests to the knowledge the class requires, and at least one reference comes from a licensed architect, professional engineer or electrical engineer. Toward the six years, education counts at half rate and for no more than two of them. | — | Class II electrical contractor exam (minimum score 70) | not published |
Renewal. Biennial, with 4 hours of continuing education.
Licensing sources: GA Rules 121-3 (electrical contractor licensure) (retrieved 2026-09-16) · GA Rules 121-4 (renewal) (retrieved 2026-09-16). Requirements change; confirm with Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors before you act.
The steps in order, with exams, fees and renewal → · Every fee here, itemised and totalled → · Compare time and cost across trades and states →
Common questions
Do you need a license to work as an electrician in Georgia?
Georgia licenses electrical contractors statewide in two classes, Class I (single-phase up to 200 amps) and Class II (unrestricted). Each requires four years' experience, age 21, and a passing exam.
What does it cost to get licensed as an electrician in Georgia?
Fees are set by the issuing authority; each tier's fee, where published, is in the table above.
How long does it take to become an electrician in Georgia?
It depends on which credential you need and the training and testing each step takes; the full path is in the table above.
How much do electricians make in Georgia?
Electricians in Georgia earned a median $58,320 a year in May 2025, $28.04 an hour. That median is 8% below the national figure of $63,190, and Georgia ranks 47 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice electricians make in Georgia?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Georgia under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to electricians, 1,128 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 1,126 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $25.39 an hour at completion (328 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What electricians earn in Georgia
Electricians in Georgia earned a median $58,320 a year in May 2025, $28.04 an hour. 21,650 people held the job, 4.4 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 8% below the national figure of $63,190, and Georgia ranks 47 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Georgia
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.88 | $37,180 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.43 | $46,640 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.04 | $58,320 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $36.77 | $76,490 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $40.39 | $84,000 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $29.37 | $61,090 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Pay by metro area in Georgia
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA employs the most electricians of the 14 metro areas based in Georgia that BLS publishes, 13,430, at a median $58,650 a year. The best-paid is Hinesville, GA at $63,840.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 13,430 | $58,650 | $37,380 | $84,000 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 860 | $59,660 | $37,930 | $108,510 |
| Savannah, GA | 650 | $58,430 | $38,850 | $84,150 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 480 | $50,730 | $36,830 | $77,020 |
| Valdosta, GA | 450 | $50,560 | $31,150 | $72,610 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | 390 | $49,750 | $36,150 | $82,610 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | 380 | $54,320 | $33,710 | $83,560 |
| Gainesville, GA | 310 | $58,330 | $40,400 | $77,170 |
| Albany, GA | 300 | $56,160 | $36,040 | $79,770 |
| Dalton, GA | 180 | $56,860 | $37,720 | $105,150 |
| Warner Robins, GA | 160 | $63,110 | $37,960 | $77,710 |
| Rome, GA | 150 | $47,550 | $31,940 | $79,400 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | 140 | $58,880 | $37,680 | $97,010 |
| Hinesville, GA | 40 | $63,840 | $38,300 | $89,110 |
Metropolitan statistical areas as BLS publishes them in the same May 2025 estimates. A metro that crosses a state line is listed only under its primary state, so part of a neighboring state's metro can sit outside this table. Areas outside any metro are not shown. Listed under another state but reaching into Georgia: Chattanooga, TN-GA.
Georgia against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | South Carolina | $58,740 | 8,010 |
| 45 | Texas | $58,570 | 76,770 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $58,390 | 5,020 |
| 47 | Georgia | $58,320 | 21,650 |
| 48 | Florida | $57,250 | 49,700 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $56,800 | 21,640 |
| 50 | Alabama | $55,690 | 10,900 |
The complete ranking is on the Electricians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Georgia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $58,320 | $63,190 |
| Median hourly | $28.04 | $30.38 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $37,180 | $42,640 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $84,000 | $108,510 |
| Employed | 21,650 | 757,220 |
Apprenticeships in Georgia
U.S. Department of Labor records list 3,060 registered apprentices active in Georgia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to electricians (SOC 47-2111). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023, the latest year the file holds in full, 1,128 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 1,126 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $25.39 an hour at completion (328 completers with an exit wage DOL counts).
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · What those wages come to at your hours a week → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Wages are DOL's own hourly figures in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in Georgia
Plumbers and pipefitters ($57,200) · HVAC technicians ($56,390) · Welders ($48,430) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($57,050) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($80,080) · Elevator installers ($83,500) · Ironworkers ($48,090) · Sheet metal workers ($56,800) · Carpenters ($49,350) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($50,650) · Auto service technicians ($49,060) · Diesel mechanics ($61,370) · Heavy equipment operators ($47,880) · Machinists ($52,610)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Georgia.
The pay and employment figures on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates, apart from the apprenticeship figures, which are DOL's; the licensing detail is read from the pages listed in the licensing section, each with the date it was read. See how the numbers are built.