Home / Electricians / Delaware
Home / Electricians / Delaware
How to become an electrician in Delaware
8,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.2 Delaware licenses electricians through the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners.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 DE
- 112 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In DE
- 1 schools with programs
Start on a crew
Get hired as a helper by a licensed electrical contractor and log hours on the job.
- Pay
- Paid on the job
- Start
- No experience needed
The license steps
journeyperson from the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners.
Start as an apprentice or trainee$100 registration
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners
- Cost
- $100 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 journeyperson exam
Apply to the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners with your hours, then book the exam with ProV Exam.
- Issued by
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners
Keep it currentEvery 2 years
Renew every 2 years. Master and limited licenses: 10 hours per renewal period (5 on the NEC from the second renewal).
- Issued by
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners
- Time
- Every 2 years
Run your own shop
Master: six years full-time, or four years under a master plus two years of technical training, or a completed apprenticeship. Limited: three years.
- Issued by
- Board of Electrical Examiners (DPR)
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Delaware journeyperson.
$63,700
a year is the median for electricians in Delaware ($30.63 an hour, May 2025).5
Pay by city and percentileQuestions
How long does it take to become an electrician in Delaware?
About 4 years of full-time work: the journeyperson requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.2
Do you need a license to work on your own as an electrician in Delaware?
Yes. Delaware licenses electrical contractors through the Board of Electrical Examiners (DPR).3
Are electricians in demand in Delaware?
Projections Central expects about 270 electrician openings a year in Delaware through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.4
Find an apprenticeship near you
112 registered programs in Delaware. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for electricians in Delaware
Sources
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners (dpr.delaware.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners: experience requirements (delcode.delaware.gov, 2026-10-28)
- Board of Electrical Examiners (DPR) contractor licensing (delcode.delaware.gov)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Delaware, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)