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Home / Electricians / North Dakota
How to become an electrician in North Dakota
8,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.2 North Dakota licenses electricians through the North Dakota State Electrical Board.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 ND
- 19 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In ND
- 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
Journeyman license from the North Dakota State Electrical Board.
Start as an apprentice or trainee$10 registration
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- North Dakota State Electrical Board
- Cost
- $10 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 journeyman exam$25 application
Apply to the North Dakota State Electrical Board with your hours, then book the exam.
- Issued by
- North Dakota State Electrical Board
- Cost
- $25 application
Keep it currentEvery year$25 renewal
Renew every year. 8 hours of approved continuing education, at least 4 of them on the code, on file with the board before renewal
- Issued by
- North Dakota State Electrical Board
- Time
- Every year
- Cost
- $25 renewal
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a electrical contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- ND State Electrical Board
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the North Dakota journeyman license.
$65,710
a year is the median for electricians in North Dakota ($31.59 an hour, May 2025).6
Pay by city and percentile- Fargo$36.99
- Grand Forks$33.51
- Bismarck$29.76
- Minot$28.75
Questions
How long does it take to become an electrician in North Dakota?
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 North Dakota?
State fees to get licensed: $35, not counting school or tools.3
Do you need a license to work on your own as an electrician in North Dakota?
Check the ND State Electrical Board before you bid work on your own.4
Are electricians in demand in North Dakota?
Projections Central expects about 350 electrician openings a year in North Dakota through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.5
Find an apprenticeship near you
19 registered programs in North Dakota. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for electricians in North Dakota
Sources
- North Dakota State Electrical Board (ndseb.com, 2026-10-27)
- North Dakota State Electrical Board: experience requirements (ndseb.com, 2026-10-27)
- North Dakota State Electrical Board: fees (ndseb.com)
- ND State Electrical Board (ndseb.com)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)