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How to become an electrician in Tennessee
Tennessee licenses electrical work in two ways through the Board for Licensing Contractors: a contractor's license for projects of $25,000 or more, and a Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license for work under $25,000 in municipalities that use the state Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections. Other cities and counties may set their own licensing. Electricians in Tennessee earned a median $61,090 a year in May 2025 ($29.37 an hour).
Electrician licensing in Tennessee
The licensing authority is Tennessee Board for Licensing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) | Issued to individuals who pass the LLE trade exam; required for work under $25,000 a project in municipalities that use the state Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections. Check first whether your local government accepts the LLE or has its own license. Initial application $50; renewal $50. | — | LLE trade exam (Prov) | $50 |
| Electrical Contractor (projects of $25,000 or more) | Required before contracting, bidding or negotiating a price for projects of $25,000 or more as a prime contractor, certain subcontractors or a construction manager. The company's qualifying agent passes the Tennessee Business and Law exam and, for certain classifications, a trade exam. Initial license fee $250; renewal $200. | — | Tennessee Business and Law exam, plus a trade exam for certain classifications (Prov) | $250 |
Licensing sources: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors: Limited Licensed Electrician (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors: contractor license (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors: exam information (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors: fees (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Tennessee Board for Licensing 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee licenses electrical work in two ways through the Board for Licensing Contractors: a contractor's license for projects of $25,000 or more, and a Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license for work under $25,000 in municipalities that use the state Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections. Other cities and counties may set their own licensing.
What does it cost to get licensed as an electrician in Tennessee?
The published fees in the table above run from $50 to $250 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 Tennessee?
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 Tennessee?
Electricians in Tennessee earned a median $61,090 a year in May 2025, $29.37 an hour. That median is 3% below the national figure of $63,190, and Tennessee ranks 37 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice electricians make in Tennessee?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Tennessee under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to electricians, 995 apprentices started, at a median $15.55 an hour across the 995 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $27.72 an hour at completion (269 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What electricians earn in Tennessee
Electricians in Tennessee earned a median $61,090 a year in May 2025, $29.37 an hour. 17,070 people held the job, 5.2 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% below the national figure of $63,190, and Tennessee ranks 37 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Tennessee
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.04 | $39,600 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $23.26 | $48,380 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $29.37 | $61,090 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $36.57 | $76,060 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $44.31 | $92,160 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $30.55 | $63,540 | 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 Tennessee
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN employs the most electricians of the 10 metro areas based in Tennessee that BLS publishes, 6,220, at a median $63,340 a year. The best-paid is Chattanooga, TN-GA at $72,330.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 6,220 | $63,340 | $45,900 | $93,200 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 2,770 | $60,890 | $38,670 | $84,890 |
| Knoxville, TN | 2,170 | $58,640 | $38,020 | $79,530 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 1,760 | $72,330 | $38,030 | $85,830 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 760 | $60,070 | $37,420 | $76,630 |
| Jackson, TN | 520 | $60,360 | $37,650 | $81,660 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 500 | $58,670 | $40,100 | $91,400 |
| Johnson City, TN | 270 | $52,190 | $38,930 | $101,520 |
| Morristown, TN | 180 | $57,170 | $38,200 | $82,380 |
| Cleveland, TN | 120 | $60,250 | $43,080 | $81,320 |
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.
Tennessee against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Utah | $62,000 | 11,450 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $61,540 | 10,550 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $61,390 | 2,980 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $61,090 | 17,070 |
| 38 | Arizona | $61,060 | 21,140 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $61,010 | 8,500 |
| 40 | Iowa | $60,860 | 10,310 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $60,860 | 6,610 |
The complete ranking is on the Electricians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $61,090 | $63,190 |
| Median hourly | $29.37 | $30.38 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $39,600 | $42,640 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $92,160 | $108,510 |
| Employed | 17,070 | 757,220 |
Apprenticeships in Tennessee
U.S. Department of Labor records list 2,473 registered apprentices active in Tennessee 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, 995 apprentices started, at a median $15.55 an hour across the 995 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $27.72 an hour at completion (269 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 Tennessee
Plumbers and pipefitters ($58,600) · HVAC technicians ($55,490) · Welders ($48,040) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($58,620) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($83,660) · Elevator installers ($100,490) · Ironworkers ($56,750) · Sheet metal workers ($59,170) · Carpenters ($50,830) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($63,850) · Auto service technicians ($50,290) · Diesel mechanics ($59,190) · Heavy equipment operators ($52,000) · Machinists ($49,600)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Tennessee.
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.