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How to become an electrician in Maryland
Maryland licenses electricians statewide through the State Board of Electricians: an apprentice license, a journeyperson license after four years of supervised work or a completed approved apprenticeship, and a master license after seven years. Electricians in Maryland earned a median $73,490 a year in May 2025 ($35.33 an hour).
Electrician licensing in Maryland
The licensing authority is Maryland State Board of Electricians (Maryland Department of Labor). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice Electrician | Applied for online through the board's eLicensing application. License fee $12. | — | — | $12 |
| Journeyperson Electrician | Four years of electrical work under the direction and supervision of a Maryland-licensed master electrician or a similarly qualified employee of a governmental unit, then the journeyperson exam (PSI). The board waives the experience requirement for a completed Maryland- or federally-approved electrician apprenticeship of at least 576 classroom hours and 8,000 hours of work experience, with the certificate received within two years of applying. License fee $18.50. The exam fee is paid separately to the testing service. | — | Journeyperson electrician exam (PSI) | $18.50 |
| Master Electrician | Seven years of electrical work under the direction and supervision of a Maryland-licensed master electrician or a similarly qualified employee of a governmental unit; the board may credit up to three years for a comparable formal course of study or training. Pass the master exam (PSI). License fee $25. The exam fee is paid separately to the testing service. | — | Master electrician exam (PSI) | $25 |
Licensing sources: Maryland State Board of Electricians: license requirements (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Maryland State Board of Electricians: fees (COMAR 09.09.01.03) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Maryland State Board of Electricians: licensing FAQs (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Maryland State Board of Electricians (Maryland Department of Labor) 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 Maryland?
Maryland licenses electricians statewide through the State Board of Electricians: an apprentice license, a journeyperson license after four years of supervised work or a completed approved apprenticeship, and a master license after seven years.
What does it cost to get licensed as an electrician in Maryland?
The published fees in the table above run from $12 to $25 depending on the tier. Read each tier's requirements for any exam or license-issue fee charged on top.
How long does it take to become an electrician in Maryland?
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 Maryland?
Electricians in Maryland earned a median $73,490 a year in May 2025, $35.33 an hour. That median is 16% above the national figure of $63,190, and Maryland ranks 20 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice electricians make in Maryland?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Maryland under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to electricians, 584 apprentices started, at a median $14.00 an hour across the 583 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $32.41 an hour at completion (244 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What electricians earn in Maryland
Electricians in Maryland earned a median $73,490 a year in May 2025, $35.33 an hour. 13,690 people held the job, 5.0 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 16% above the national figure of $63,190, and Maryland ranks 20 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Maryland
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.33 | $46,450 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $27.73 | $57,680 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $35.33 | $73,490 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $46.16 | $96,010 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $56.91 | $118,370 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $36.28 | $75,450 | 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 Maryland
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD employs the most electricians of the 4 metro areas based in Maryland that BLS publishes, 6,930, at a median $65,590 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 6,930 | $65,590 | $45,390 | $113,090 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 430 | $62,310 | $45,360 | $94,030 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 340 | $61,550 | $43,140 | $115,920 |
| Salisbury, MD | 150 | $58,940 | $46,100 | $90,460 |
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 Maryland: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Maryland against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Maine | $75,380 | 3,780 |
| 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 |
The complete ranking is on the Electricians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Maryland | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $73,490 | $63,190 |
| Median hourly | $35.33 | $30.38 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $46,450 | $42,640 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $118,370 | $108,510 |
| Employed | 13,690 | 757,220 |
Apprenticeships in Maryland
U.S. Department of Labor records list 1,455 registered apprentices active in Maryland 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, 584 apprentices started, at a median $14.00 an hour across the 583 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $32.41 an hour at completion (244 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 Maryland
Plumbers and pipefitters ($65,400) · HVAC technicians ($70,020) · Welders ($60,310) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($59,360) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($106,090) · Elevator installers ($122,260) · Ironworkers ($71,730) · Sheet metal workers ($62,560) · Carpenters ($62,960) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($59,030) · Auto service technicians ($57,520) · Diesel mechanics ($74,790) · Heavy equipment operators ($61,410) · Machinists ($59,810)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Maryland.
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.