Electricians
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Electricians in the United States earn a median salary of $63,190 per year — about $30 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 819K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +9%.
AI & Automation Risk
The core work of an electrician is highly physical, involving manual installation, repair, and navigation of complex, unpredictable physical environments like construction sites and crawl spaces. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like blueprint analysis, diagnostic calculations, or scheduling, it cannot perform the tactile labor or real-time physical problem-solving required for the job.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph, MO-KSBEST VALUE | $97,350 | Below avg (86.4) | $112,697 |
| Kankakee, IL | $105,500 | Below avg (96.4) | $109,447 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $100,320 | Below avg (92.7) | $108,215 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $104,510 | Average (102.4) | $102,018 |
| Kokomo, IN | $91,290 | Below avg (89.6) | $101,832 |
| Rockford, IL | $93,280 | Below avg (92.2) | $101,222 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $99,850 | Average (100.1) | $99,771 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $105,090 | Above avg (105.4) | $99,686 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $96,860 | Average (97.5) | $99,298 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $102,350 | Above avg (103.6) | $98,798 |
| Albany, OR | $100,230 | Average (102.1) | $98,168 |
| Corvallis, OR | $99,880 | Above avg (104.0) | $96,023 |
| Bend, OR | $99,200 | Above avg (103.6) | $95,746 |
| Salem, OR | $98,850 | Above avg (103.6) | $95,370 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $98,210 | Above avg (103.2) | $95,183 |