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How to become an electrician in New York
New York City's Department of Buildings licenses Master and Special Electricians. The pages read, both the city's, do not say whether New York State licenses electricians. Electricians in New York earned a median $78,750 a year in May 2025 ($37.86 an hour).
Electrician licensing in New York
The licensing authority is New York City Department of Buildings (NYC DOB), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYC Master Electrician (NYC DOB) | Seven years of electrical experience within the last ten under a licensed master or special electrician (at least two years in NYC), then a written and a practical exam. A bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or appropriate engineering technology from an accredited college or university shortens it to three years of experience within the last five. The written exam costs $585 and the practical exam, taken after passing it, $530; the license is $310, and the Department's fee table also lists a $50 original seal fee. | — | Written NYC Electrical Code exam (70% to pass) plus a practical exam | $1,475 |
| NYC Special Electrician (NYC DOB) | Licenses electrical work on specific NYC buildings or lots, a narrower scope than the Master Electrician license. It takes the same written ($585) and practical ($530) exams as the Master Electrician; the license is $310, and the Department's fee table also lists a $50 original seal fee. | — | The Master Electrician's written and practical exams | $1,475 |
Renewal. 1 year, with 8 hours of continuing education.
Licensing sources: NYC DOB Master & Special Electrician license (retrieved 2026-09-16) · NYC DOB Master & Special Electricians (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with New York City Department of Buildings (NYC DOB), 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 New York?
New York City's Department of Buildings licenses Master and Special Electricians. The pages read, both the city's, do not say whether New York State licenses electricians.
What does it cost to get licensed as an electrician in New York?
Each of the 2 published fees in the table above is $1,475, one for each step that lists it. They are charged by New York City, not by the state. 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 New York?
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 New York?
Electricians in New York earned a median $78,750 a year in May 2025, $37.86 an hour. That median is 25% above the national figure of $63,190, and New York ranks 8 of 51 by pay for this trade.
What electricians earn in New York
Electricians in New York earned a median $78,750 a year in May 2025, $37.86 an hour. 40,130 people held the job, 4.1 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 25% above the national figure of $63,190, and New York ranks 8 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in New York
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.99 | $45,740 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $29.08 | $60,480 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $37.86 | $78,750 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $51.16 | $106,420 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $63.29 | $131,640 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $40.80 | $84,860 | 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 New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ employs the most electricians of the 13 metro areas based in New York that BLS publishes, 36,550, at a median $79,020 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 36,550 | $79,020 | $46,170 | $132,170 |
| Rochester, NY | 2,540 | $77,310 | $45,410 | $107,910 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 2,340 | $77,930 | $37,820 | $104,710 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 1,820 | $74,890 | $46,130 | $106,520 |
| Syracuse, NY | 1,160 | $77,110 | $46,080 | $117,310 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 1,010 | $70,100 | $45,020 | $101,140 |
| Binghamton, NY | 390 | $76,670 | $39,850 | $103,340 |
| Kingston, NY | 280 | $69,440 | $44,980 | $104,400 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 270 | $61,660 | $44,230 | $100,920 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 230 | $77,660 | $44,320 | $113,920 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 110 | $78,550 | $45,110 | $93,810 |
| Elmira, NY | 100 | not published | not published | not published |
| Ithaca, NY | 100 | $70,720 | $50,590 | $80,470 |
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.
New York against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Alaska | $89,440 | 1,870 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $79,420 | 17,810 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $78,970 | 2,440 |
| 8 | New York | $78,750 | 40,130 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $78,160 | 14,350 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $77,540 | 7,710 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $77,250 | 13,520 |
The complete ranking is on the Electricians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $78,750 | $63,190 |
| Median hourly | $37.86 | $30.38 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $45,740 | $42,640 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $131,640 | $108,510 |
| Employed | 40,130 | 757,220 |
Apprenticeships in New York
U.S. Department of Labor records list 61 registered apprentices active in New York 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, 35 apprentices started; 35 have a starting wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs here. Of those who completed that year, 8 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs.
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in New York
Plumbers and pipefitters ($77,490) · HVAC technicians ($74,430) · Welders ($59,140) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($62,050) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($121,280) · Elevator installers ($135,720) · Ironworkers ($92,610) · Sheet metal workers ($73,760) · Carpenters ($72,330) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($84,410) · Auto service technicians ($54,120) · Diesel mechanics ($70,100) · Heavy equipment operators ($80,980) · Machinists ($60,920)
See all 15 ranked by pay in New York.
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.