The Colorado State Electrical Board licenses electricians in Colorado.
Dates if you start in Nov 2026 and work 40 hours a week.
First: start as an apprentice.
Dates are estimates, worked out from the hours on the job each license requires and the hours a week you pick.
The Colorado State Electrical Board recognizes a license from some states for the Journeyman Electrician license. If your state is listed, you may be able to use your license to qualify in Colorado.
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.
Step 1, Start here
An apprenticeship is a paid job with training. You work for an employer and you learn the trade on the job. Colorado has 57 registered electrician apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $20.68 an hour at the start and $32.13 an hour at the end.
The programs with the most active apprentices
Step 2,
To qualify for the Journeyman Electrician license, you need 8,000 hours on the job and 288 classroom hours.
Step 3,
Apply to the Colorado State Electrical Board for the Journeyman Electrician license. You must pass the Colorado Journeyman Electrician examination. PSI gives the exam.
The Journeyman Electrician license requires 8,000 hours on the job. You also need 288 classroom hours.
The application fee is $120.
You must pass the Colorado Journeyman Electrician examination.
You renew the Journeyman Electrician license every 3 years. You need 24 hours of continuing education for each renewal.
Journeyman Electrician“8,000 hours of experience earned in no less than 4 years. 2,000 hours of which must be in commercial/industrial work.”
Step 4,
You renew the Journeyman Electrician license every 3 years.
Step 1, Start here
For the Residential Wireman license, you need 4,000 hours on the job. For the Journeyman Electrician license, you need 8,000 hours on the job and 288 classroom hours. For the Master Electrician license, you need 10,000 hours on the job.
Step 2,
Apply to the Colorado State Electrical Board for the license you qualify for.
Step 1, Start here
The Colorado State Electrical Board recognizes a license from some states for the Journeyman Electrician license. If your state is listed, you may be able to use your license to qualify in Colorado.
Step 2,
Ask the Colorado State Electrical Board which requirements your license meets.
The Residential Wireman license requires 4,000 hours on the job.
The application fee is $100.
You must pass the Colorado Residential Wireman examination.
You renew the Residential Wireman license every 3 years. You need 24 hours of continuing education for each renewal.
Residential Wireman“4,000 hours of residential only experience earned in no less than 2 years.”
The Master Electrician license requires 10,000 hours on the job.
The application fee is $140.
You must pass the Colorado Master Electrician examination.
You renew the Master Electrician license every 3 years. You need 24 hours of continuing education for each renewal.
With a degree in electrical engineering, you need 1 year of work in construction. If you finished an electrical trade school or a community college, you need 4 years of work.
Master Electrician“10,000 hours of experience earned in no less than 5 years.”
This is the license for running an electrical business.
Ask the Colorado State Electrical Board what the Electrical Contractor registration costs.
You renew the Electrical Contractor registration every 3 years.
The Colorado State Electrical Board doesn't post the fee for the Electrical Contractor registration, because its fees can change every year.
Electrical Contractor registration“Hold or employ a licensed master electrician to serve as the responsible individual for the company.”
| License | Exam |
|---|---|
| Residential Wireman | Colorado Residential Wireman examinationPSI gives the exam. |
| Journeyman Electrician | Colorado Journeyman Electrician examinationPSI gives the exam. |
| Master Electrician | Colorado Master Electrician examinationPSI gives the exam. |
You take the exam for the license you apply for.
$29.92an hour
$62,230 a year, full time
Half of the electricians on a payroll in Colorado earn more than $29.92 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $62,230.
These figures cover everyone on a payroll as an electrician in Colorado, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 17,010 jobs. The figures don't include self-employed electricians.
The yearly figure is for full-time work all year, which is 2,080 hours.
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 Colorado.
| Colorado license | Recognized from |
|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician license | Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming |
The Colorado State Electrical Board doesn't recognize a license from another state for the Master Electrician license.
If you work full time, you reach the 8,000 hours for the Journeyman Electrician license in about 4 years.
Yes. You can start as an apprentice and learn the trade on the job.
Half of the electricians on a payroll in Colorado earn between $23.50 and $37.73 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.
The highest-paid 10% of electricians on a payroll in Colorado earn more than $94,160 a year before overtime, so most electricians earn less than $100,000 a year from regular hours.
The Colorado State Electrical Board says this about the Journeyman Electrician license: "Acceptable 288 Hours Training Activities. The Board deems the following types of activities to be acceptable. On-line delivery and participation in Board Rule 1.7(D)(1) may be acceptable if in compliance with these Rules, including but not limited to Board Rule 1.6(D)(8)."
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Alerts for: Electrician in Colorado