Home / Electricians / California
Home / Electricians / California
How to become an electrician in California
8,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.2 California licenses electricians through the Dept of Industrial Relations, DLSE Electrician Certification Unit.1
Pick your way in
Every route ends at the same place: 8,000 logged hours and the state exam.
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In CA
- 34 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In CA
- 63 schools with programs
Start on a crew
Register as a trainee and get hired by a licensed electrical contractor.
- Pay
- Paid on the job
- In CA
- 8,519 C-10 shops with employees
The license steps
General electrician certification from the Dept of Industrial Relations, DLSE Electrician Certification Unit.
Start as an apprentice or trainee$25 registration
Join a registered apprenticeship, or register as a trainee, enroll in a state-approved school and work for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- Dept of Industrial Relations, DLSE Electrician Certification Unit
- Cost
- $25 registration
Log 8,000 hours8,000 hrs
About 4 years of full-time work under a licensed electrician. Keep your own log of hours and pay stubs.
- Issued by
- Your employer signs off
- Time
- 8,000 hrs
Pass the general electrician exam$75 application + $100 exam
Apply to the Dept of Industrial Relations, DLSE Electrician Certification Unit with your hours, then book the exam with CPS HR.
- Issued by
- Dept of Industrial Relations, DLSE Electrician Certification Unit
- Cost
- $75 application + $100 exam
Keep it currentEvery 3 years$100 renewal
Renew every 3 years. 32 hours from approved provider + 2,000 industry hours in prior 3 years, else retake exam ($200)
- Issued by
- Dept of Industrial Relations, DLSE Electrician Certification Unit
- Time
- Every 3 years
- Cost
- $100 renewal
Run your own shop
Age 18+. 4 full years journey-level/foreman/supervisor/contractor experience in the class, within last 10 years.
- Issued by
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the California general electrician certification.
$76,160
a year is the median for electricians in California ($36.62 an hour, May 2025).6
Pay by city and percentile- San Francisco–Oakland$44.63
- San Jose–Sunnyvale$43.77
- Stockton–Lodi$36.74
- San Diego–Chula Vista$36.62
- Bakersfield–Delano$36.47
Questions
How long does it take to become an electrician in California?
About 4 years of full-time work: the general electrician certification requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.2
How much does an electrician license cost in California?
State fees to get licensed: $200, not counting school or tools.3
Do you need a license to work on your own as an electrician in California?
Yes. California licenses electrical contractors through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB).4
Are electricians in demand in California?
Projections Central expects about 8,650 electrician openings a year in California through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.5
Find an apprenticeship near you
34 registered programs in California. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for electricians in California
Sources
- Dept of Industrial Relations, DLSE Electrician Certification Unit (dir.ca.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Dept of Industrial Relations, DLSE Electrician Certification Unit: experience requirements (dir.ca.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Dept of Industrial Relations, DLSE Electrician Certification Unit: fees (dir.ca.gov)
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB) contractor licensing (cslb.ca.gov)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, California, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)