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Home / Electricians / Rhode Island
How to become an electrician in Rhode Island
8,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.2 Rhode Island licenses electricians through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation.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 RI
- 228 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In RI
- 2 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 Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation.
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
- Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation
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$75 application
Apply to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation with your hours, then book the exam.
- Issued by
- Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation
- Cost
- $75 application
Keep it currentEvery 2 years
Renew every 2 years. 15 clock hours of board-approved education per renewal for Class A and Class B electricians, covering the current NEC and ICC codes
- Issued by
- Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation
- Time
- Every 2 years
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need an electrical contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- RI DBR - Division of Professional Regulation (electrical, plumbing, mechanical)
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Rhode Island journeyperson.
$74,090
a year is the median for electricians in Rhode Island ($35.62 an hour, May 2025).5
Pay by city and percentileQuestions
How long does it take to become an electrician in Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island?
Check the RI DBR before you bid work on your own.3
Are electricians in demand in Rhode Island?
Projections Central expects about 280 electrician openings a year in Rhode Island through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.4
Find an apprenticeship near you
228 registered programs in Rhode Island. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for electricians in Rhode Island
Sources
- Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation (rules.sos.ri.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation: experience requirements (webserver.rilegislature.gov, 2026-10-27)
- RI DBR - Division of Professional Regulation (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) (dbr.ri.gov)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Rhode Island, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)