Virginia Electrician Pay by Trade
Updated 2026-10-29 · 4 trades with 5+ disclosed-pay postings
The Virginia electrician labor market
Virginia is the most important electrician labor market in the United States, anchored by Loudoun County's Data Center Alley — the largest data center cluster on earth, with industry analysts attributing an estimated 25-35% of global data center capacity to Northern Virginia alone. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Oracle all operate massive campuses along the Route 28 and Loudoun Parkway corridors, and each new hyperscale build creates years of demand for journeyman wiremen, foremen, low-voltage technicians, and critical-facilities specialists. Dominion Energy's grid serves this load with some of the most aggressive substation and transmission construction in the country, adding utility-side electrician work on top of the private-sector boom. Beyond Ashburn, the market has real depth: the Hampton Roads shipyards and Navy installations sustain a large marine-electrical workforce, Richmond's manufacturing and commercial base keeps service electricians busy, and the Dulles corridor's ongoing commercial buildout adds steady commercial work. Union density is meaningful — IBEW Local 26 (Washington DC/Northern Virginia) and Local 80 (Norfolk) anchor the organized side, and prevailing-wage coverage on the region's heavy flow of federal and state-funded work lifts the floor for everyone. Virginia is a right-to-work state, so open-shop contractors compete aggressively, which keeps posting volumes high and gives traveling electricians unusual leverage: per-diem packages for Data Center Alley assignments routinely lead the nation. Workforce pressure is the binding constraint — apprenticeship pipelines through the JATCs cannot keep pace with announced capacity, so wages for cleared, experienced, and foreman-tier electricians have outrun the state median for three consecutive years. For an electrician willing to travel, Northern Virginia is the single highest-opportunity market in the country; for locals, it offers a rare combination of scale, rate growth, and career runway from apprentice through general foreman.
| Trade | Median ($/hr) | Middle 50% ($/hr) | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician | $35.44 | $27.98–$50.73 | 6 |
| Industrial Electrician | $27.31 | $27.31–$27.31 | 11 |
| Commercial Electrician | $33.50 | $33.50–$33.89 | 5 |
| Critical Facilities Technician | $40 | $38.63–$40 | 8 |
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 Virginia?
Based on 5 disclosed-pay postings tracked by ElectricianDB, the median hourly pay for journeyman electrician work in Virginia is $30.00/hr. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a statewide electrician median of $30.24/hr.
Where are the highest-paying electrician jobs in Virginia?
The strongest recent postings cluster around Lorton, Tysons, Norfolk. Top-end rates on active postings run above the $30.00/hr median — see the highest-paying openings listed on this page for current examples.
Which employers pay electricians the most in Virginia?
Among employers with repeated postings in Virginia, a mix of regional contractors show the highest average disclosed minimums. Averages reflect posted ranges, not verified take-home pay.
Do you need a Virginia 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 Virginia for the exact hours, exam, and fees.
What's the prevailing wage for electricians in Virginia?
Prevailing-wage coverage depends on federal and state funding rules that differ by project and jurisdiction — see Virginia prevailing wage rates for the current determinations.
How many electrician jobs are posted in Virginia right now?
ElectricianDB is currently tracking 5 disclosed-pay journeyman electrician postings in Virginia. Counts change as contractors post and fill roles.