How much does an electrician charge per hour in California?
Typical electrician rate, California
$90/hr
Most electricians in California charge $70 to $121 an hour. A full 8-hour day runs about $720.
Updated October 2026 · Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
How we got $90
| Median electrician wage in California | $36.62 |
|---|---|
| × 1.4 payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance | $51.27 |
| ÷ 0.8 for hours nobody gets billed (driving, supply runs, estimates) | $64.09 |
| × 1.4 overhead (truck, tools, office) and profit | $89.72 |
| Typical rate | $90/hr |
What electricians earn in California
| Pay level | Wage | Charges about |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th percentile) | $22.50 | $55/hr |
| 25th percentile | $28.50 | $70/hr |
| Median (middle) | $36.62 | $90/hr |
| 75th percentile | $49.52 | $121/hr |
| Top earners (90th percentile) | $67.47 | $165/hr |
73,310 electricians work in California. The middle earner makes $76,160 a year. Wages are from the BLS Electricians category.
How California compares
California electricians earn 21% above the U.S., ranking #15 of 51 states for electrician pay (#1 pays the most). The typical U.S. rate is $74 an hour.
| State | Typical | Most charge |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $119/hr | $93 to $143 |
| Hawaii | $114/hr | $83 to $142 |
| Washington | $112/hr | $78 to $143 |
| Alaska | $105/hr | $79 to $124 |
| California | $90/hr | $70 to $121 |
| United States | $74/hr | $58 to $99 |
What drives electrician prices
Most states license electricians, and most work beyond swapping a fixture needs a permit and an inspection. Many electricians charge a service-call minimum on small jobs, and master electricians bill above journeymen.
Common questions
How much does an electrician charge per hour in California?
Most electricians in California charge between $70 and $121 an hour, and about $90 is typical. A full 8-hour day runs about $720. These are estimates built from what electricians earn in California (a median of $36.62 an hour, BLS May 2025), not quotes.
Why do electricians charge so much more than they earn?
The wage is only part of the cost. On top of $36.62 an hour, the employer pays payroll taxes, workers' comp and insurance (about $51.27 in total), loses paid hours to driving, supply runs and estimates that nobody is billed for (about $64.09 per billed hour), and has to cover the truck, tools, office and a profit. That's how $36.62 becomes about $90.
What's the lowest rate an electrician in California can charge without losing money?
About $64 an hour for an electrician paid the California median. That covers pay, payroll taxes, insurance and unbilled time, but nothing for the truck, tools, office or profit, so a rate below it loses money on every hour.
Other trades in California
Rates are BidFlow estimates, not quotes. Each starts with the May 2025 wage from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, then multiplies by 1.4 for payroll taxes and insurance, divides by 0.8 for hours that can't be billed, and multiplies by 1.4 for overhead and profit. Updated October 2026. How we calculate
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