What is the job outlook for electricians? In one line: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects electrician employment to grow 9 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 81,000 openings a year over the decade. We pulled every number on this page from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook on July 19, 2026.
Where These Numbers Come From
The Occupational Outlook Handbook is the federal government’s employment forecast, occupation by occupation. Its Quick Facts table for electricians lists 818,700 jobs in 2024, a projected employment change of 77,400 jobs by 2034, and 2024 median pay of $62,350 per year, or $29.98 an hour. Newer wage surveys run slightly higher; our data center pay guide tracks those, and data center work in particular is quoted well above the national median.
What “9 Percent, Much Faster Than Average” Means
The BLS puts electricians at 9 percent for the decade and files that under its “much faster than average” label, its own comparison against all occupations. In plain terms: the country expects to need tens of thousands more electricians in 2034 than it has today, on top of replacing everyone who leaves.
Why 81,000 Openings a Year When Growth Adds Only 77,400 Total
This is the part most summaries skip. Growth adds 77,400 jobs across the whole decade, yet the BLS projects about 81,000 openings every single year. The difference is replacement: in the BLS’s own words, many openings result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Our shortage breakdown covers the retirement wave behind that line: roughly 20,000 electricians retiring each year.
If You Hire Electricians, Read the Forecast This Way
A trade growing much faster than average, while replacing a fifth of a million retirees over a decade, is a seller’s market for labor. Hiring cycles stretch, and the projects that plan crews earliest keep their schedules. That planning problem is what electrical staffing exists to solve, and our staffing guide walks the whole play.
If You Are an Electrician, the Decade Favors You
Strong growth plus heavy replacement means options: local work, travel work, and the data center build-out paying premiums for the same license. The way in is the standard apprenticeship, and our apprenticeship guide lays out that path step by step. When you are ready, the open roles board lists real postings with pay shown.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Electricians (bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm), Quick Facts and Job Outlook tabs, page last modified August 28, 2025, checked July 19, 2026.