Home / Electricians / Washington
Home / Electricians / Washington
How to become an electrician in Washington
8,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.1 Washington licenses electricians through L&I.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 WA
- 41 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In WA
- 9 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
General journey-level (01) certificate from L&I.
Start as an apprentice or trainee$48 registration
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- WA Dept of Labor & Industries (L&I), Electrical Program
- Cost
- $48 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 general journey-level (01) exam$114.60 application + $80.30 exam
Apply to L&I with your hours, then book the exam with PSI.
- Issued by
- WA Dept of Labor & Industries (L&I), Electrical Program
- Cost
- $114.60 application + $80.30 exam
Keep it currentEvery 3 years$92.60 renewal
Renew every 3 years. At least 8 hours of approved continuing education for each year of the certificate period (24 hours on a 3-year cycle), including at least 8 hours on code changes and 4 hours on RCW 19.28 and its related rules
- Issued by
- WA Dept of Labor & Industries (L&I), Electrical Program
- Time
- Every 3 years
- Cost
- $92.60 renewal
Run your own shop
Administrator: no experience prerequisite stated. Journey 01: 8,000 hours; specialties 4,000 or 2,000 hours.
- Issued by
- L&I Electrical / Plumber certification
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Washington general journey-level (01) certificate.
$95,220
a year is the median for electricians in Washington ($45.78 an hour, May 2025).5
Pay by city and percentile- Mount Vernon–Anacortes$50.24
- Seattle–Tacoma$48.93
- Kennewick–Richland$48.00
- Bellingham$46.92
- Longview–Kelso$46.57
Questions
How long does it take to become an electrician in Washington?
About 4 years of full-time work: the general journey-level (01) certificate requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.1
How much does an electrician license cost in Washington?
State fees to get licensed: $243, not counting school or tools.2
Do you need a license to work on your own as an electrician in Washington?
Yes. Washington licenses electrical contractors through the L&I Electrical / Plumber certification.3
Are electricians in demand in Washington?
Projections Central expects about 2,490 electrician openings a year in Washington through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.4
Find an apprenticeship near you
41 registered programs in Washington. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for electricians in Washington
Sources
- WA Dept of Labor & Industries (L&I), Electrical Program (lni.wa.gov, 2026-10-27)
- WA Dept of Labor & Industries (L&I), Electrical Program: fees (app.leg.wa.gov)
- L&I Electrical / Plumber certification contractor licensing (app.leg.wa.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Washington, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)