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How to become an electrician in Hawaii
8,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.1 Hawaii licenses electricians through the Board of Electricians and Plumbers.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 HI
- 5 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In HI
- 3 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
industrial journey worker from the Board of Electricians and Plumbers.
Start as an apprentice or trainee
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- Board of Electricians and Plumbers
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 industrial journey worker exam$40 application
Apply to the Board of Electricians and Plumbers with your hours, then book the exam with PSI Services.
- Issued by
- Board of Electricians and Plumbers
- Cost
- $40 application
Keep it currentEvery 3 years
Renew every 3 years. Continued competency each renewal: attend a course on the latest NEC update or pass the board's exam (maintenance electricians exempt)
- Issued by
- Board of Electricians and Plumbers
- Time
- Every 3 years
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a electrical contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- Contractors License Board (DCCA PVL)
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Hawaii industrial journey worker.
$96,460
a year is the median for electricians in Hawaii ($46.38 an hour, May 2025).4
Pay by city and percentile- Urban Honolulu$48.21
- Kahului–Wailuku$47.34
Questions
How long does it take to become an electrician in Hawaii?
About 4 years of full-time work: the industrial journey worker requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.1
Do you need a license to work on your own as an electrician in Hawaii?
Check the Contractors License Board (DCCA PVL) before you bid work on your own.2
Are electricians in demand in Hawaii?
Projections Central expects about 340 electrician openings a year in Hawaii through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3
Find an apprenticeship near you
5 registered programs in Hawaii. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for electricians in Hawaii
Sources
- Board of Electricians and Plumbers (cca.hawaii.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Contractors License Board (DCCA PVL) (cca.hawaii.gov)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hawaii, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)