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How to become an electrician in Massachusetts
8,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.2 Massachusetts licenses electricians through the Board of State Examiners of Electricians.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 MA
- 139 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In MA
- 4 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
Journeyman license from the Board of State Examiners of Electricians.
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 State Examiners of Electricians
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 journeyman exam$31 application + $135 exam
Apply to the Board of State Examiners of Electricians with your hours, then book the exam with PSI.
- Issued by
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians
- Cost
- $31 application + $135 exam
Keep it current$78 renewal
21 hours of continuing education in the three years before renewal
- Issued by
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians
- Cost
- $78 renewal
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a electrical contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Massachusetts journeyman license.
$79,420
a year is the median for electricians in Massachusetts ($38.18 an hour, May 2025).4
Pay by city and percentile- Boston–Cambridge$38.42
- Barnstable Town$37.78
- Springfield$37.22
- Amherst Town–Northampton$37.01
- Worcester$36.30
Questions
How long does it take to become an electrician in Massachusetts?
About 4 years of full-time work: the journeyman license requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.2
How much does an electrician license cost in Massachusetts?
State fees to get licensed: $166, not counting school or tools.2
Do you need a license to work on your own as an electrician in Massachusetts?
Check the Board of State Examiners of Electricians before you bid work on your own.1
Are electricians in demand in Massachusetts?
Projections Central expects about 1,790 electrician openings a year in Massachusetts through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3
Find an apprenticeship near you
139 registered programs in Massachusetts. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for electricians in Massachusetts
Sources
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians (mass.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians: experience requirements (mass.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Massachusetts, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)