Texas Electrician Pay by Trade
Updated 2026-10-29 · 4 trades with 5+ disclosed-pay postings
The Texas electrician labor market
Texas is the largest electrician labor market in America by sheer headcount, and its center of gravity is shifting fast toward hyperscale and industrial work. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex has become the country's second great data center cluster, with hyperscale campuses rising in Garland, Red Oak, Midlothian, and the Alliance corridor, while Austin–San Antonio adds semiconductor-driven demand from Samsung's Taylor fab and Tesla's Gigafactory buildout. Houston remains the industrial heart — refineries, chemical plants, and a booming port complex sustain generations of industrial electricians, instrumentation techs, and maintenance crews — and ERCOT's grid-scale battery and transmission construction adds a statewide layer of utility work found nowhere else. Unlike Virginia, Texas has no state journeyman license mandate for most electrical work (licensing runs through TDLR with local enforcement varying by city), which lowers barriers to entry and keeps the market fluid: traveling electricians can mobilize quickly, and open-shop contractors dominate hiring. Union presence is concentrated — the key Texas locals are Local 60 (San Antonio), Local 66 (Houston), Local 220 (Dallas), and Local 520 (Austin) — but overall density trails the Northeast and Midwest, so posted wages reflect contractor competition more than scale rates. The state's lack of income tax amplifies take-home pay and makes Texas-based traveling electricians structurally cheaper to deploy, a quiet driver of per-diem demand. Prevailing-wage coverage follows federal dollars (military bases, VA hospitals, infrastructure grants) rather than state policy. Workforce math favors the electrician: state demographers project sustained construction labor shortfalls through the decade, retirements are hollowing out the journeyman ranks, and the apprentice pipeline — while large — leaks workers to higher-paying industrial tickets. For rate chasers, DFW data center work and Gulf Coast industrial maintenance sit at the top of the Texas pay ladder; for stability, the hospital, school, and commercial service sectors in the big four metros rarely slow down.
| Trade | Median ($/hr) | Middle 50% ($/hr) | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician | $40 | $36–$48.75 | 11 |
| Apprentice Electrician | $26.50 | $26.50–$31.95 | 5 |
| Industrial Electrician | $37.50 | $25–$41.50 | 11 |
| Low Voltage Technician | $35 | $35–$38 | 7 |
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 Texas?
Based on 11 disclosed-pay postings tracked by ElectricianDB, the median hourly pay for journeyman electrician work in Texas is $40.00/hr. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a statewide electrician median of $28.16/hr.
Where are the highest-paying electrician jobs in Texas?
The strongest recent postings cluster around Amarillo, Austin. Top-end rates on active postings run above the $40.00/hr median — see the highest-paying openings listed on this page for current examples.
Which employers pay electricians the most in Texas?
Among employers with repeated postings in Texas, a mix of regional contractors show the highest average disclosed minimums. Averages reflect posted ranges, not verified take-home pay.
Do you need a Texas 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 Texas for the exact hours, exam, and fees.
What's the prevailing wage for electricians in Texas?
Prevailing-wage coverage depends on federal and state funding rules that differ by project and jurisdiction — see Texas prevailing wage rates for the current determinations.
How many electrician jobs are posted in Texas right now?
ElectricianDB is currently tracking 11 disclosed-pay journeyman electrician postings in Texas. Counts change as contractors post and fill roles.