Colorado Electrician Pay by Trade
Updated 2026-10-29 · 3 trades with 5+ disclosed-pay postings
The Colorado electrician labor market
Colorado is a stable, skilled-trade-friendly electrician market centered on Denver's commercial base, institutional work, and a growing advanced-industry perimeter. The Denver metro — downtown towers, hospital expansions, airport-area logistics, and the Denver Tech Center corridor — provides steady commercial volume, while the state university system, K-12 bond programs, and federal installations (Buckley Space Force Base, NREL's Golden campus, the Denver Federal Center) add prevailing-wage-covered public work. Advanced manufacturing is the growth edge: microchip and aerospace suppliers along the Front Range, EV and battery facilities, and a semiconductor-adjacent ecosystem that rewards instrumentation and controls electricians. Data centers are scaling in the Denver suburbs and Colorado Springs, drawn by climate and power. Licensing is state-level through DORA (residential wireman, journeyman, master electrician) with consistent statewide enforcement — one of the cleaner credential regimes in the West, and genuinely portable within the state. Colorado is not right-to-work in the strictest sense but union density outside Denver public work is moderate (locals include Local 68 Denver, Local 111 Denver linemen/utility, Local 113 Colorado Springs, and Local 969 Grand Junction); state prevailing wage covers public projects above thresholds. The workforce skews experienced and stable — Colorado attracts and retains journeymen with lifestyle and pay rather than churning travelers — but the retirement wave is visible and apprentice pipelines, while healthy, trail demand in the mountain and rural counties where service electricians command surprising premiums. For electricians seeking a balance of rate, stability, and quality of life, the Front Range is among the best combinations in the country; for rate maximization, cleared federal work and the advanced-manufacturing builds lead.
| Trade | Median ($/hr) | Middle 50% ($/hr) | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician | $46.80 | $37.50–$50 | 5 |
| Apprentice Electrician | $28.55 | $22.49–$32.62 | 6 |
| Industrial Electrician | $30 | $25–$34.76 | 15 |
Medians come from active postings with disclosed pay; each trade page compares them against BLS OES and IBEW scales. How we calculate pay →
Frequently asked questions
What does an electrician make in Colorado?
Based on 4 disclosed-pay postings tracked by ElectricianDB, the median hourly pay for journeyman electrician work in Colorado is $48.40/hr. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a statewide electrician median of $29.92/hr.
Where are the highest-paying electrician jobs in Colorado?
The strongest recent postings cluster around Denver, Brush, Schriever AFB. Top-end rates on active postings run above the $48.40/hr median — see the highest-paying openings listed on this page for current examples.
Which employers pay electricians the most in Colorado?
Among employers with repeated postings in Colorado, a mix of regional contractors show the highest average disclosed minimums. Averages reflect posted ranges, not verified take-home pay.
Do you need a Colorado electrician license to work there?
Most states require a license for unsupervised electrical work, and requirements vary by state and municipality — see our step-by-step licensing pathway for Colorado for the exact hours, exam, and fees.
What's the prevailing wage for electricians in Colorado?
Prevailing-wage coverage depends on federal and state funding rules that differ by project and jurisdiction — see Colorado prevailing wage rates for the current determinations.
How many electrician jobs are posted in Colorado right now?
ElectricianDB is currently tracking 4 disclosed-pay journeyman electrician postings in Colorado. Counts change as contractors post and fill roles.