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How to become an electrician in Indiana
Indianapolis says there is no state license for electrical contractors; the city licenses them, and the license holder each business must employ, after a board-approved exam. The pages read do not say whether an individual electrician needs a license. Electricians in Indiana earned a median $68,490 a year in May 2025 ($32.93 an hour).
Electrician licensing in Indiana
The licensing authority is City of Indianapolis, a representative local authority. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Residential or Master Electrical license (city example) | Approval from the city's board, then the ICC residential or master electrical exam (75% to pass), and an orientation. At least six years of electrical experience; the board may credit up to two years for related college courses and up to two for a completed electrical apprenticeship. The city's license-holder fee is prorated by when you apply in the two-year term: $377 from January to June 2026, $283 from July to December 2026, $189 in 2027; renewal $247. | — | the ICC residential or master electrical exam (75% to pass) | $189 to $377, by application date |
| Indianapolis Electrical Contractor (business, city example) | Each electrical business needs at least one license holder who passed the exam, a $10,000 surety bond, general liability insurance and workers' compensation. Business license fees are not charged to a sole proprietorship, and a sole proprietorship, partnership or LLC without employees can file a workers' compensation waiver instead of carrying coverage (a corporation must carry it). The new business license fee is prorated the same way ($247, $185 or $124); renewal $247. | — | — | $124 to $247, by application date |
Renewal. Every two years (Indianapolis contractor licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years).
Licensing sources: City of Indianapolis: contractor licenses (retrieved 2026-09-23) · City of Indianapolis: electrical license application packet (retrieved 2026-09-23) · City of Indianapolis: Board of Electrical Examiners application (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with City of Indianapolis, a representative local authority 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 Indiana?
Indianapolis says there is no state license for electrical contractors; the city licenses them, and the license holder each business must employ, after a board-approved exam. The pages read do not say whether an individual electrician needs a license.
What does it cost to get licensed as an electrician in Indiana?
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 Indiana?
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 Indiana?
Electricians in Indiana earned a median $68,490 a year in May 2025, $32.93 an hour. That median is 8% above the national figure of $63,190, and Indiana ranks 21 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice electricians make in Indiana?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Indiana under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to electricians, 1,252 apprentices started, at a median $16.34 an hour across the 1,252 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $36.25 an hour at completion (453 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What electricians earn in Indiana
Electricians in Indiana earned a median $68,490 a year in May 2025, $32.93 an hour. 19,020 people held the job, 5.9 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 8% above the national figure of $63,190, and Indiana ranks 21 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Indiana
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.76 | $43,190 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $24.04 | $50,000 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $32.93 | $68,490 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $43.89 | $91,290 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $47.75 | $99,310 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $34.05 | $70,820 | 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 Indiana
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN employs the most electricians of the 12 metro areas based in Indiana that BLS publishes, 5,390, at a median $65,130 a year. The best-paid is Kokomo, IN at $91,290.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 5,390 | $65,130 | $41,610 | $98,690 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 1,260 | $71,290 | $42,720 | $95,150 |
| Evansville, IN | 1,170 | $79,240 | $45,010 | $96,880 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 750 | $74,150 | $43,100 | $100,610 |
| Kokomo, IN | 730 | $91,290 | $54,450 | $98,720 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 590 | $58,640 | $37,560 | $94,970 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 580 | $78,540 | $43,730 | $96,840 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 380 | $77,650 | $44,850 | $99,510 |
| Columbus, IN | 290 | $79,670 | $44,880 | $92,210 |
| Bloomington, IN | 210 | $65,660 | $45,320 | $95,160 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | 130 | $65,270 | $45,310 | $98,690 |
| Muncie, IN | 130 | $66,880 | $43,070 | $88,150 |
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 Indiana: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Indiana against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Rhode Island | $74,090 | 2,420 |
| 19 | Nevada | $73,570 | 8,350 |
| 20 | Maryland | $73,490 | 13,690 |
| 21 | Indiana | $68,490 | 19,020 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $67,600 | 22,730 |
| 23 | Kansas | $65,860 | 6,350 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $65,710 | 3,570 |
The complete ranking is on the Electricians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $68,490 | $63,190 |
| Median hourly | $32.93 | $30.38 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $43,190 | $42,640 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $99,310 | $108,510 |
| Employed | 19,020 | 757,220 |
Apprenticeships in Indiana
U.S. Department of Labor records list 4,069 registered apprentices active in Indiana 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, 1,252 apprentices started, at a median $16.34 an hour across the 1,252 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $36.25 an hour at completion (453 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 Indiana
Plumbers and pipefitters ($76,320) · HVAC technicians ($60,430) · Welders ($49,730) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($60,290) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($102,040) · Elevator installers ($92,390) · Ironworkers ($70,130) · Sheet metal workers ($64,040) · Carpenters ($62,870) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($73,110) · Auto service technicians ($49,360) · Diesel mechanics ($60,610) · Heavy equipment operators ($79,580) · Machinists ($57,800)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Indiana.
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.