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How to become an electrician in California

To work as an electrician for a licensed electrical contractor in California, you need your own certification from the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) in the California Department of Industrial Relations. If you work for another kind of employer, you may not need the certification.

See your steps

Your ladder

Dates if you start in Nov 2026 and work 40 hours a week.

  1. Electrician TraineeStart here
  2. General Electrician8,000 hours on the job
  3. C-10 - Electrical ContractorRun your own business

First: get your Electrician Trainee registration.

See your steps

Dates are estimates, worked out from the hours on the job each license requires and the hours a week you pick.

Your steps

Steps for: New to the trade. The dates follow your ladder. Change where you are, your start month or your hours a week at the top of the page.

  1. Step 1, Start here

    Get your Electrician Trainee registration

    Apply to DLSE for the Electrician Trainee registration.

    The Electrician Trainee registration requires 150 classroom hours.

    You must have completed, or be enrolled in, an approved program of classroom instruction. Your employer must confirm that a certified electrician directly supervises you, and that the electrician supervises no more than 1 uncertified person.

    The application fee is $25.

    You renew the Electrician Trainee registration every year.

    You need 150 classroom hours every year to keep your Electrician Trainee registration. The total classroom hours depend on the certification you're working toward.

  2. Step 2,

    Complete the hours for your certification

    Each certification requires its own hours on the job.

    • General Electrician certification: 8,000 hours on the job
    • Residential Electrician certification: 4,800 hours on the job
    • Fire/Life Safety Technician certification: 4,000 hours on the job
    • Voice Data Video Technician certification: 4,000 hours on the job
    • Nonresidential Lighting Technician certification: 2,000 hours on the job

  3. Step 3,

    Apply for your certification

    Apply to DLSE for the certification you qualify for. You must pass the Certification Examination. CPS HR Consulting runs the exam through Pearson VUE, under contract to the Labor Commissioner's Office.

  4. Step 4,

    Renew your certification

    You renew your certification every 3 years.

Other electrician licenses

General Electrician

Hours on the job
8,000
Exam
$100
Fee
$75

The General Electrician certification requires 8,000 hours on the job. You also need 720 classroom hours.

The application fee is $75.

You must pass the Certification Examination. The exam costs $100.

You renew the General Electrician certification every 3 years. The renewal costs $100. You need 32 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

You need these hours only if you didn't complete an approved apprenticeship in this classification. If you completed one, you don't count hours. No single kind of work can fill all 8,000 hours. Wiring, stock room work and finish work each have a cap.

These classroom hours are for electrician trainees who are working toward the exam. If you complete an approved apprenticeship, the classroom hours don't apply to you.

You pay the $100 each time you take the exam.

Residential Electrician

Hours on the job
4,800
Exam
$100
Fee
$75

The Residential Electrician certification requires 4,800 hours on the job. You also need 480 classroom hours.

The application fee is $75.

You must pass the Certification Examination. The exam costs $100.

You renew the Residential Electrician certification every 3 years. The renewal costs $100. You need 32 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

You need these hours only if you didn't complete an approved apprenticeship in this classification. If you completed one, you don't count hours. Residential wiring alone can fill all 4,800 hours.

These classroom hours are for electrician trainees who are working toward the exam. If you complete an approved apprenticeship, the classroom hours don't apply to you. If you reach your hours on the job while you're still enrolled, you can take the exam before you finish the classroom hours.

You pay the $100 each time you take the exam.

Fire/Life Safety Technician

Hours on the job
4,000
Exam
$100
Fee
$75

The Fire/Life Safety Technician certification requires 4,000 hours on the job. You also need 480 classroom hours.

The application fee is $75.

You must pass the Certification Examination. The exam costs $100.

You renew the Fire/Life Safety Technician certification every 3 years. The renewal costs $100. You need 32 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

You need these hours only if you didn't complete an approved apprenticeship in this classification. If you completed one, you don't count hours. A NICET Level II certification in fire alarm systems replaces all 4,000 hours.

These classroom hours are for electrician trainees who are working toward the exam. If you complete an approved apprenticeship, the classroom hours don't apply to you. If you reach your hours on the job while you're still enrolled, you can take the exam before you finish the classroom hours.

You pay the $100 each time you take the exam.

Voice Data Video Technician

Hours on the job
4,000
Exam
$100
Fee
$75

The Voice Data Video Technician certification requires 4,000 hours on the job. You also need 480 classroom hours.

The application fee is $75.

You must pass the Certification Examination. The exam costs $100.

You renew the Voice Data Video Technician certification every 3 years. The renewal costs $100. You need 32 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

You need these hours only if you didn't complete an approved apprenticeship in this classification. If you completed one, you don't count hours. Installation work alone can fill all 4,000 hours.

These classroom hours are for electrician trainees who are working toward the exam. If you complete an approved apprenticeship, the classroom hours don't apply to you. If you reach your hours on the job while you're still enrolled, you can take the exam before you finish the classroom hours.

You pay the $100 each time you take the exam.

Nonresidential Lighting Technician

Hours on the job
2,000
Exam
$100
Fee
$75

The Nonresidential Lighting Technician certification requires 2,000 hours on the job. You also need 180 classroom hours.

The application fee is $75.

You must pass the Certification Examination. The exam costs $100.

You renew the Nonresidential Lighting Technician certification every 3 years. The renewal costs $100. You need 32 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

You need these hours only if you didn't complete an approved apprenticeship in this classification. If you completed one, you don't count hours. No single kind of work can fill all 2,000 hours, so you need at least 2 kinds of work.

The requirement is a range of 180 to 240 classroom hours, and 180 is the low end. These classroom hours are for electrician trainees who are working toward the exam. If you complete an approved apprenticeship, the classroom hours don't apply to you. If you reach your hours on the job while you're still enrolled, you can take the exam before you finish the classroom hours.

You pay the $100 each time you take the exam.

To run an electrical business

This is the license for running an electrical business.

C-10 - Electrical Contractor

The application fee is $450. The C-10 - Electrical Contractor license costs $200.

You must pass the Law and Business examination, plus the C-10 Electrical trade examination.

The renewal for the C-10 - Electrical Contractor license depends on who holds it.

Every 2 years
$720For partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies and joint ventures with an active license (the $700 active renewal fee plus the $20 fee for C-10 contractors).
Every 2 years
$470For sole owners with an active license (the $450 active renewal fee plus the $20 fee for C-10 contractors).
Every 4 years
$500For partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies and joint ventures with an inactive license, which can't bid or contract for work while the license is inactive.
Every 4 years
$300For sole owners with an inactive license, who can't bid or contract for work while the license is inactive.

The $200 fee is for a sole owner. Any other kind of business pays $350. Veterans who weren't dishonorably discharged pay half.

The official wording of the requirement
C-10 - Electrical Contractor“You must have at least four (4) years of experience, in the class you are applying for, to qualify to take the examination. Credit for experience is given only for experience at a journey level or as a foreman, supervising employee, contractor, or owner-builder.”

Take the exam

LicenseExam
General ElectricianCertification ExaminationCPS HR Consulting runs the exam through Pearson VUE, under contract to the Labor Commissioner's Office.
Residential ElectricianCertification ExaminationCPS HR Consulting runs the exam through Pearson VUE, under contract to the Labor Commissioner's Office.
Fire/Life Safety TechnicianCertification ExaminationCPS HR Consulting runs the exam through Pearson VUE, under contract to the Labor Commissioner's Office.
Voice Data Video TechnicianCertification ExaminationCPS HR Consulting runs the exam through Pearson VUE, under contract to the Labor Commissioner's Office.
Nonresidential Lighting TechnicianCertification ExaminationCPS HR Consulting runs the exam through Pearson VUE, under contract to the Labor Commissioner's Office.
C-10 - Electrical ContractorLaw and Business examination, plus the C-10 Electrical trade examinationPSI Exams gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What electricians earn in California

$36.62an hour

$76,160 a year, full time

Half of the electricians on a payroll in California earn more than $36.62 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $76,160.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as an electrician in California, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 73,310 jobs. The figures don't include self-employed electricians.

The yearly figure is for full-time work all year, which is 2,080 hours.

Use a license from another state

If you hold a license from one of the states listed for a license, you may be able to use your license to qualify in California.

California licenseRecognized from
C-10 - Electrical Contractor licenseArizona

DLSE doesn't recognize certifications from other states.

These states recognize a license from California.

California licenseRecognized by
C-10 - Electrical Contractor licenseNevada

Questions

Can you become an electrician with no experience?

Yes. You can start as an apprentice and learn the trade on the job.

How much do most electricians earn in California?

Half of the electricians on a payroll in California earn between $28.50 and $49.52 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

Can an electrician earn $100,000 a year in California?

Yes. The highest-paid 10% of electricians on a payroll in California earn more than $140,340 a year before overtime.

Contact the licensing office

California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcementdir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/electricaltrade.html

Words to know

Apprentice
Someone who learns the trade on the job, working under a licensed worker.
Journeyman
The license level after apprentice. Some states write journeyperson, journeyworker or journey level.
Continuing education
Classes you take to keep your license.
Reciprocity
An agreement that lets you use a license from one state to get a license in another.
PSI
A company that runs licensing exams for state and city offices.
Pearson VUE
A company that runs licensing exams at its own test centers.
Median
The middle figure. Half of the workers earn more, and half earn less.

Sources

32
  1. California Legislative Information, Labor Code section 108.2(a) and (b)(1), Chapter 4.5 "Electrician Certification"
  2. California Legislative Information, Business and Professions Code section 7065(a), Division 3, Chapter 9 "Contractors"
  3. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, electrician licensing, the licensing office
  4. Contractors State License Board, 16 CCR 832.10, Class C-10 - Electrical Contractor, California Code of Regulations Title 16, Division 8, Article 3 "Classifications"
  5. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, electrician licensing, license search
  6. Contractors State License Board, electrician licensing, license search
  7. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  8. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, 8 CCR 291.0(a), "Types of Certification"
  9. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, 8 CCR 290.1, "Definitions"
  10. California Legislative Information, Labor Code section 108(a)(1), (a)(4) and (a)(5), Chapter 4.5 "Electrician Certification"
  11. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, 8 CCR 291.1(a), "Eligibility for Certification"
  12. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, General Electrician, experience
  13. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, 8 CCR 291.3(a), "Certification Examination"
  14. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, electrician licenses, exam
  15. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, 8 CCR 292.0, "Fees"
  16. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, 8 CCR 291.5(a), "Renewal and Replacements"
  17. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Residential Electrician, experience
  18. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Fire/Life Safety Technician, experience
  19. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Voice Data Video Technician, experience
  20. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Nonresidential Lighting Technician, experience
  21. California Legislative Information, Labor Code section 108.4(a), Chapter 4.5 "Electrician Certification"
  22. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, 8 CCR 296.2(a)(1) and (b), "Enrollment in an Approved Curriculum"
  23. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, 8 CCR 296.1(a) and (b), "Applying for and Renewing Registration as an Electrician Trainee"
  24. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, electrician licensing, the licensing office (second page)
  25. Contractors State License Board, C-10 - Electrical Contractor, experience
  26. Contractors State License Board, C-10 - Electrical Contractor, exam
  27. Contractors State License Board, C-10 - Electrical Contractor, exam (second page)
  28. Contractors State License Board, C-10 - Electrical Contractor, fees
  29. Contractors State License Board, C-10 - Electrical Contractor, fees (second page)
  30. Contractors State License Board, C-10 - Electrical Contractor, renewal
  31. Contractors State License Board, C-10 - Electrical Contractor, licenses from other states
  32. Nevada State Contractors Board, C-10 - Electrical Contractor, licenses from other states

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