Helpers--Electricians
Helpers--Electricians (SOC 47-3013) earn a median $42,670 a year ($20.51 an hour) in the United States, with 63,630 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What helpers--electricians do
Electrician helpers assist electricians by handling duties that require less skill, such as using, supplying or holding materials and tools and cleaning the work area and equipment. They measure, cut and bend wire and conduit with measuring instruments and hand tools, strip insulation from wire ends with pliers and attach the wires to terminals for later soldering, and drill holes and pull or push wiring through openings. They examine electrical units for loose connections and broken insulation, tighten connections with hand tools, and trace short circuits in wiring with a test meter. Maintaining tools, vehicles and equipment, keeping parts and supplies in order, and washing parts are also part of the work, which covers a wide variety of electrical systems and equipment. Workers formally in an apprenticeship are counted with electricians (47-2111), and general construction laborers who do not assist electricians are in construction laborers (47-2061).
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or the equivalent as the education needed.
Also called: Apprentice, Automotive Electrician Helper (Auto Electrician Helper), E and I Apprentice (Electrical and Instrumentation Apprentice), E and I Apprentice (Electrician and Instrumentation Apprentice), Electrical Apprentice.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.88 | $17.71 | $20.51 | $23.30 | $28.05 | $21.19 | 63,630 |
| Annual | $33,020 | $36,830 | $42,670 | $48,470 | $58,340 | $44,080 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where helpers--electricians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $19.59 | $22.81 | $29.38 | $37.79 | $49.37 | $31.87 | 560 | 0.16 | 0.39 |
| Annual | $40,750 | $47,450 | $61,110 | $78,610 | $102,680 | $66,290 | ||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $15.20 | $15.80 | $28.05 | $40.30 | $44.29 | $28.40 | 380 | 0.13 | 0.32 |
| Annual | $31,610 | $32,870 | $58,340 | $83,830 | $92,110 | $59,070 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $17.57 | $24.00 | $27.12 | $27.63 | $29.17 | $25.82 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $36,550 | $49,920 | $56,420 | $57,470 | $60,680 | $53,700 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $17.10 | $21.42 | $26.93 | $30.92 | $38.19 | $26.77 | 390 | 0.23 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $35,570 | $44,550 | $56,020 | $64,320 | $79,420 | $55,680 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.57 | $21.11 | $25.04 | $29.45 | $33.01 | $25.83 | 3,120 | 0.17 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $38,620 | $43,900 | $52,080 | $61,260 | $68,660 | $53,730 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.78 | $17.73 | $21.33 | $23.46 | $27.67 | $21.29 | 7,320 | 0.52 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $34,900 | $36,870 | $44,360 | $48,800 | $57,540 | $44,270 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $15.29 | $17.66 | $19.17 | $21.74 | $23.40 | $19.71 | 6,770 | 1.37 | 3.35 |
| Annual | $31,810 | $36,730 | $39,880 | $45,220 | $48,670 | $40,990 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $16.82 | $17.75 | $18.59 | $21.66 | $23.58 | $19.60 | 5,810 | 0.59 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $34,990 | $36,920 | $38,670 | $45,060 | $49,050 | $40,760 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.92 | $19.28 | $22.70 | $28.67 | $37.21 | $24.76 | 4,120 | 0.43 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $35,190 | $40,100 | $47,210 | $59,630 | $77,410 | $51,500 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $15.32 | $17.47 | $19.09 | $22.31 | $23.24 | $19.92 | 3,240 | 0.99 | 2.42 |
| Annual | $31,870 | $36,340 | $39,710 | $46,400 | $48,340 | $41,440 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $22.80 | $27.82 | $36.59 | $39.43 | $49.74 | $35.84 | 350 | 0.17 | 0.41 |
| Annual | $47,420 | $57,860 | $76,100 | $82,010 | $103,460 | $74,540 | ||||
| St. Louis, MO-IL | Hourly | $15.39 | $16.82 | $31.04 | $44.60 | $44.60 | $28.92 | 110 | 0.08 | 0.21 |
| Annual | $32,000 | $34,980 | $64,560 | $92,780 | $92,780 | $60,150 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $21.69 | $23.96 | $29.45 | $29.45 | $34.23 | $29.04 | 550 | 0.23 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $45,120 | $49,840 | $61,260 | $61,260 | $71,200 | $60,400 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $19.15 | $19.58 | $25.33 | $28.59 | $34.99 | $25.70 | 430 | 0.36 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $39,840 | $40,730 | $52,690 | $59,480 | $72,790 | $53,460 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $19.72 | $20.29 | $24.53 | $29.16 | $30.60 | $26.09 | 330 | 0.21 | 0.52 |
| Annual | $41,030 | $42,210 | $51,030 | $60,650 | $63,650 | $54,260 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.96 | $18.98 | $22.98 | $27.89 | $31.89 | $24.34 | 4,660 | 0.49 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $35,270 | $39,480 | $47,800 | $58,020 | $66,340 | $50,630 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.32 | $18.28 | $21.39 | $23.78 | $28.38 | $22.11 | 2,200 | 0.54 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $36,020 | $38,030 | $44,490 | $49,470 | $59,030 | $45,990 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $17.36 | $17.96 | $21.56 | $23.23 | $27.23 | $21.35 | 1,810 | 0.55 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $36,100 | $37,350 | $44,840 | $48,320 | $56,630 | $44,400 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $17.42 | $17.84 | $19.34 | $23.12 | $26.18 | $20.79 | 1,630 | 0.56 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $36,230 | $37,120 | $40,220 | $48,100 | $54,460 | $43,250 | ||||
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | Hourly | $17.10 | $17.87 | $20.51 | $22.63 | $24.10 | $20.52 | 1,500 | 1.10 | 2.69 |
| Annual | $35,560 | $37,170 | $42,670 | $47,080 | $50,130 | $42,680 | ||||
Top industries employing helpers--electricians
Building Equipment Contractors employ 85.9% of helpers--electricians nationally (54,640 jobs) at a median $41,600 a year ($20.00 an hour), followed by Employment Services (4.2%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (2.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Equipment Contractors NAICS 238200 | 54,640 | 85.9% | $41,600 | $20.00 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 2,690 | 4.2% | $42,620 | $20.49 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 1,340 | 2.1% | $66,340 | $31.89 |
| Utility System Construction NAICS 237100 | 910 | 1.4% | $46,400 | $22.31 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200 | 690 | 1.1% | $46,410 | $22.31 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (63,630). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $36,360 for helpers--electricians in May 2021 and $42,670 in May 2025, with employment of 72,150 and 63,630.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $36,360 | $17.48 | 72,150 |
| May 2022 | $37,070 | $17.82 | 71,000 |
| May 2023 | $38,340 | $18.43 | 68,670 |
| May 2024 | $39,890 | $19.18 | 64,440 |
| May 2025 | $42,670 | $20.51 | 63,630 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
47 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $29.38 | $61,110 | $40,750 | $102,680 | 560 | 0.16 | 0.39 |
| 2 | Missouri profile | $28.05 | $58,340 | $31,610 | $92,110 | 380 | 0.13 | 0.32 |
| 3 | Colorado profile | $27.12 | $56,420 | $36,550 | $60,680 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | $26.93 | $56,020 | $35,570 | $79,420 | 390 | 0.23 | 0.56 |
| 5 | California profile | $25.04 | $52,080 | $38,620 | $68,660 | 3,120 | 0.17 | 0.42 |
| 6 | Oregon profile | $23.94 | $49,800 | $39,210 | $69,140 | 570 | 0.29 | 0.71 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $23.24 | $48,340 | $40,440 | $58,060 | 610 | 0.17 | 0.41 |
| 8 | District of Columbia profile | $23.22 | $48,300 | $40,810 | $54,210 | 330 | 0.47 | 1.15 |
| 9 | New Mexico profile | $23.09 | $48,030 | $35,610 | $59,730 | 510 | 0.59 | 1.45 |
| 10 | Hawaii profile | $23.02 | $47,890 | $42,320 | $60,140 | ** | ** | ** |
| 11 | Wisconsin profile | $22.71 | $47,230 | $36,310 | $68,130 | 1,180 | 0.40 | 0.98 |
| 12 | New York profile | $22.70 | $47,210 | $35,190 | $77,410 | 4,120 | 0.43 | 1.04 |
| 13 | Minnesota profile | $22.48 | $46,750 | $42,650 | $52,760 | ** | ** | ** |
| 14 | Maine profile | $22.38 | $46,550 | $42,200 | $62,890 | 1,000 | 1.56 | 3.81 |
| 15 | Oklahoma profile | $22.17 | $46,110 | $35,880 | $59,190 | 1,630 | 0.96 | 2.33 |
| 16 | Kansas profile | $21.63 | $44,990 | $32,000 | $56,630 | 600 | 0.42 | 1.02 |
| 17 | New Jersey profile | $21.42 | $44,550 | $35,350 | $49,960 | 1,670 | 0.39 | 0.95 |
| 18 | Virginia profile | $21.41 | $44,530 | $33,710 | $59,120 | 2,180 | 0.53 | 1.30 |
| 19 | Texas profile | $21.33 | $44,360 | $34,900 | $57,540 | 7,320 | 0.52 | 1.27 |
| 20 | Michigan profile | $21.27 | $44,240 | $36,650 | $53,390 | 500 | 0.12 | 0.28 |
| 21 | Nevada profile | $21.22 | $44,140 | $36,400 | $63,320 | 440 | 0.28 | 0.69 |
| 22 | Arizona profile | $21.21 | $44,110 | $37,030 | $56,160 | 1,240 | 0.38 | 0.94 |
| 23 | Nebraska profile | $21.18 | $44,050 | $30,920 | $51,850 | 140 | 0.14 | 0.33 |
| 24 | Maryland profile | $21.14 | $43,970 | $31,200 | $59,040 | 1,010 | 0.37 | 0.89 |
| 25 | Illinois profile | $20.81 | $43,290 | $31,200 | $46,600 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 26 | Utah profile | $20.79 | $43,250 | $38,450 | $60,380 | 520 | 0.30 | 0.74 |
| 27 | Kentucky profile | $20.57 | $42,790 | $35,350 | $50,760 | 690 | 0.34 | 0.84 |
| 28 | Ohio profile | $20.16 | $41,920 | $34,300 | $50,970 | 810 | 0.15 | 0.36 |
| 29 | Iowa profile | $20.01 | $41,610 | $33,140 | $58,560 | 310 | 0.20 | 0.49 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $19.17 | $39,880 | $31,810 | $48,670 | 6,770 | 1.37 | 3.35 |
| 31 | Tennessee profile | $19.09 | $39,710 | $31,870 | $48,340 | 3,240 | 0.99 | 2.42 |
| 32 | Arkansas profile | $18.99 | $39,510 | $28,500 | $48,240 | 300 | 0.23 | 0.57 |
| 33 | Idaho profile | $18.98 | $39,480 | $35,880 | $58,110 | 250 | 0.29 | 0.71 |
| 34 | South Carolina profile | $18.97 | $39,460 | $29,690 | $49,260 | 2,000 | 0.87 | 2.12 |
| 35 | Georgia profile | $18.77 | $39,030 | $31,070 | $53,230 | 3,160 | 0.65 | 1.58 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania profile | $18.69 | $38,880 | $26,240 | $49,770 | 1,000 | 0.17 | 0.40 |
| 37 | Florida profile | $18.59 | $38,670 | $34,990 | $49,050 | 5,810 | 0.59 | 1.43 |
| 38 | Louisiana profile | $18.54 | $38,570 | $28,790 | $54,220 | 3,190 | 1.65 | 4.03 |
| 39 | Vermont profile | $18.23 | $37,910 | $36,400 | $68,270 | 130 | 0.44 | 1.08 |
| 40 | Delaware profile | $17.58 | $36,560 | $31,840 | $48,980 | 60 | 0.12 | 0.29 |
| 41 | Alabama profile | $17.54 | $36,490 | $30,230 | $46,910 | 2,630 | 1.24 | 3.04 |
| 42 | Montana profile | $17.50 | $36,400 | $32,000 | $46,940 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.18 |
| 43 | Indiana profile | $17.40 | $36,200 | $33,020 | $50,770 | 1,180 | 0.37 | 0.90 |
| 44 | Mississippi profile | $17.15 | $35,680 | $29,120 | $44,800 | 930 | 0.80 | 1.96 |
| 45 | South Dakota profile | $17.13 | $35,620 | $30,510 | $45,760 | 300 | 0.66 | 1.62 |
| 46 | New Hampshire profile | $16.67 | $34,670 | $32,240 | $42,580 | 130 | 0.19 | 0.46 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | $16.19 | $33,680 | $25,320 | $44,550 | 210 | 0.30 | 0.74 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-3010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-3013 Helpers--Electricians.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-3013, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-3013.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.