Ohio Electrician Pay by Trade
Updated 2026-10-29 · 0 trades with 5+ disclosed-pay postings
The Ohio electrician labor market
Ohio has become one of the hottest electrician markets in the Midwest on the strength of a single bet: Intel's $28 billion semiconductor complex outside Columbus, the largest private construction project in state history. The fab and its supplier ecosystem will demand thousands of electricians — process electricians, cleanroom specialists, and high-voltage distribution crews — across a multi-year ramp, and the Columbus metro's concurrent data center boom (Meta, Google, and colocation developers clustering along the I-70/I-71 corridors for power and fiber) compounds the shortage. Cleveland brings healthcare and manufacturing depth plus a growing data center presence on the lakefront grid; Cincinnati's commercial base, GE Aerospace footprint, and logistics corridor add a third leg. Beyond the growth markets, Ohio's industrial backbone — steel, automotive assembly in Marysville and Toledo, chemical processing along the Ohio River — sustains a large maintenance-electrician and instrumentation workforce that rarely appears in posting data but anchors local employment. Licensing is contractor-level through the state with journeyman credentials varying by municipality (Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati each enforce their own), a patchwork that rewards electricians holding multiple local tickets. Union coverage is solid in the metros through locals including Local 683 (Columbus), Local 38 (Cleveland), Local 212 (Cincinnati), Local 245 (Toledo), and Local 972 (Akron) — and the Intel project labor agreement puts union scale at the center of the state's biggest opportunity. Ohio prevailing wage covers state-funded public improvements above thresholds, supporting school and infrastructure rates. The workforce story is urgency: contractors report turning down work for lack of hands, apprentice applications are surging but take four years to mature, and traveling journeymen commanding premium per-diem packages are backfilling the gap — particularly around Columbus, where posted rates have climbed faster than anywhere else in the Midwest.
No trade in Ohio has 5 or more disclosed-pay postings yet — check back as coverage grows.
Frequently asked questions
What does an electrician make in Ohio?
Based on 4 disclosed-pay postings tracked by ElectricianDB, the median hourly pay for journeyman electrician work in Ohio is $33.29/hr. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a statewide electrician median of $31.11/hr.
Where are the highest-paying electrician jobs in Ohio?
The strongest recent postings cluster around Cleveland. Top-end rates on active postings run above the $33.29/hr median — see the highest-paying openings listed on this page for current examples.
Which employers pay electricians the most in Ohio?
Among employers with repeated postings in Ohio, a mix of regional contractors show the highest average disclosed minimums. Averages reflect posted ranges, not verified take-home pay.
Do you need a Ohio 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 Ohio for the exact hours, exam, and fees.
What's the prevailing wage for electricians in Ohio?
Prevailing-wage coverage depends on federal and state funding rules that differ by project and jurisdiction — see Ohio prevailing wage rates for the current determinations.
How many electrician jobs are posted in Ohio right now?
ElectricianDB is currently tracking 4 disclosed-pay journeyman electrician postings in Ohio. Counts change as contractors post and fill roles.