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How to become an electrician in Iowa

The Iowa Electrical Examining Board licenses electricians in Iowa.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your ladder

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

  1. Apprentice ElectricianStart here
  2. Class A Journeyman Electrician8,000 hours on the job
  3. Class A Master ElectricianThe next license up
  4. Electrical ContractorRun your own business

First: start as an apprentice.

Find an apprenticeship

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

    Start as an apprentice

    An apprenticeship is a paid job with training. You work for an employer and you learn the trade on the job. Iowa has 299 registered electrician apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $18.51 an hour at the start and $30.00 an hour at the end.

    The programs with the most active apprentices

    See all 299 programs

  2. Step 2,

    Get your Apprentice Electrician license

    Apply to the Iowa Electrical Examining Board for the Apprentice Electrician license.

    How to apply: “Go to: iowaelectrical.gov and click on the bottom orange tab, "Electrical Licensing System".”

    The Apprentice Electrician license costs $20.

    You renew the Apprentice Electrician license every year. The renewal costs $20.

    The official wording of the requirement
    Apprentice Electrician“An apprentice electrician license may be issued to a person who submits a completed application to the board with the applicable fee and who is participating in a registered apprenticeship program.”

  3. Step 3,

    Complete 8,000 hours on the job

    To qualify for the Class A Journeyman Electrician license, you need 8,000 hours on the job and 576 classroom hours.

  4. Step 4,

    Apply for your Class A Journeyman Electrician license

    Apply to the Iowa Electrical Examining Board for the Class A Journeyman Electrician license. You must pass the exam named "Journeyman Electrician". PSI Services LLC gives the exam.

    Hours on the job
    8,000
    Exam
    $87

    The Class A Journeyman Electrician license requires 8,000 hours on the job. You also need 576 classroom hours.

    How to apply: “Go to: iowaelectrical.gov and click on the bottom orange tab, "Electrical Licensing System".”

    About the exam: “80 Scored Items - 180 Minutes - 70% Correct to Pass”

    The Class A Journeyman Electrician license costs $75.

    You must pass the exam named "Journeyman Electrician". The exam costs $87.

    You renew the Class A Journeyman Electrician license every 3 years. The renewal costs $75. You need 18 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

    On the apprenticeship route, you need 8,000 hours on the job before the Iowa Electrical Examining Board approves you for the exam. The other routes take different hours.

    The 576 classroom hours are for the apprenticeship route. If you take an approved 2-year electrical program at a college instead, you need at least 2,000 hours of instruction.

    If your license is issued for less than 3 years, you need 6 hours of classes for each year it covers. A part of a year counts as a full year.

    The official wording of the requirement
    Class A Journeyman Electrician“Has successfully completed a registered apprenticeship program, has passed a supervised written examination for journeyman electrician approved by the board with a score of 70 or higher within 24 months of submission of a new application, and has completed four years of experience as an apprentice electrician.”

  5. Step 5,

    Renew your license

    You renew the Class A Journeyman Electrician license every 3 years.

Other electrician licenses

Unclassified Person

What this license lets you do: “Licensed persons shall not permit unclassified persons to perform electrical work except under the personal supervision of a person actually licensed to perform such work.”

How to apply: “Go to: iowaelectrical.gov and click on the bottom orange tab, "Electrical Licensing System".”

The Unclassified Person license costs $20.

You renew the Unclassified Person license every year. The renewal costs $20.

The official wording of the requirement
Unclassified Person“A license as an unclassified person may be issued to a person who submits a completed application to the board with the applicable fee and who is employed by a licensed electrical contractor.”

Residential Electrician

Hours on the job
6,000
Exam
$87

The Residential Electrician license requires 6,000 hours on the job.

What this license lets you do: “Yes, a Residential Master or a Residential Electrician can perform electrical work in a residence in which there are no more than four living units within the same building.”

How to apply: “Go to: iowaelectrical.gov and click on the bottom orange tab, "Electrical Licensing System".”

About the exam: “50 Scored Items - 120 Minutes - 70% Correct to Pass”

The Residential Electrician license costs $75.

You must pass the exam named "Residential Electrician". The exam costs $87.

You renew the Residential Electrician license every 3 years. The renewal costs $75. You need 18 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

On the apprentice route, you need 6,000 hours. You can take the exam after 5,000 hours, but the Iowa Electrical Examining Board doesn't issue the license until you complete all 6,000. The other routes take different hours.

If your license is issued for less than 3 years, you need 6 hours of classes for each year it covers. A part of a year counts as a full year.

The official wording of the requirement
Residential Electrician“Has completed 6,000 hours of experience as an apprentice electrician and has passed a residential electrician examination approved by the board. An applicant may take the examination after completing 5,000 hours of experience as an apprentice electrician, although the license will not be issued until the applicant has completed 6,000 hours of such experience; or”

Class A Master Electrician

How to apply: “Go to: iowaelectrical.gov and click on the bottom orange tab, "Electrical Licensing System".”

About the exam: “100 Scored Items - 240 Minutes - 70% Correct to Pass”

The Class A Master Electrician license costs $375.

You must pass the exam named "Master Electrician". The exam costs $87.

You renew the Class A Master Electrician license every 3 years. The renewal costs $375. You need 18 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

If your license is issued for less than 3 years, you need 6 hours of classes for each year it covers. A part of a year counts as a full year.

The official wording of the requirement
Class A Master Electrician“Has completed one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician, and has passed a supervised written examination for master electrician approved by the board with a score of 70 or higher within 24 months of submission of a new application; or”

Residential Master Electrician

Hours on the job
2,000
Exam
$87

The Residential Master Electrician license requires 2,000 hours on the job.

What this license lets you do: “Yes, a Residential Master or a Residential Electrician can perform electrical work in a residence in which there are no more than four living units within the same building.”

How to apply: “Go to: iowaelectrical.gov and click on the bottom orange tab, "Electrical Licensing System".”

About the exam: “60 Scored Items - 180 Minutes - 70% Correct to Pass”

The Residential Master Electrician license costs $375.

You must pass the exam named "Master Residential Electrician". The exam costs $87.

You renew the Residential Master Electrician license every 3 years. The renewal costs $375. You need 18 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

You need 2,000 hours of work while you already hold a residential electrician or journeyman electrician license. Your hours as an apprentice don't count toward them.

If your license is issued for less than 3 years, you need 6 hours of classes for each year it covers. A part of a year counts as a full year.

The official wording of the requirement
Residential Master Electrician“Hold a current Residential electrician or Journeyman electrician license, AND have 2,000 hours of verified experience as a Residential electrician or Journeyman electrician,”

To run an electrical business

These are the licenses for running an electrical business.

Electrical Contractor

How to apply: “Go to: iowaelectrical.gov and click on the bottom orange tab, "Electrical Licensing System".”

The Electrical Contractor license costs $375.

You renew the Electrical Contractor license every 3 years. The renewal costs $375. You don't need continuing education to renew.

The official wording of the requirement
Electrical Contractor“An Electrical Contractor license is for a person affiliated with an electrical contracting firm or business who is licensed by the Board as either a Master A or B Electrician or employs a Master A or B Electrician, and who is registered with DIAL as a contractor.”

Residential Electrical Contractor

What this license lets you do: “A person who holds a residential electrical contractor license, a residential master electrician license, or a residential electrician license may perform the work authorized by that license anywhere within the state of Iowa except within a political subdivision which has, by local ordinance, limited the use of such a license.”

How to apply: “Go to: iowaelectrical.gov and click on the bottom orange tab, "Electrical Licensing System".”

The Residential Electrical Contractor license costs $375.

You renew the Residential Electrical Contractor license every 3 years. The renewal costs $375.

The official wording of the requirement
Residential Electrical Contractor“A Residential Electrical Contractor license may be issued to a person who is licensed as a Master Class A or B electrician, or a Residential Master and who is registered with DIAL as a contractor.”

Take the exam

LicenseExam
Class A Journeyman ElectricianJourneyman ElectricianPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Residential ElectricianResidential ElectricianPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Class A Master ElectricianMaster ElectricianPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Residential Master ElectricianMaster Residential ElectricianPSI Services LLC gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What electricians earn in Iowa

$29.26an hour

$60,860 a year, full time

Half of the electricians on a payroll in Iowa earn more than $29.26 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $60,860.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as an electrician in Iowa, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 10,310 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 Iowa.

Iowa licenseRecognized from
Class A Journeyman Electrician licenseAlaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming
Class A Master Electrician licenseArkansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming

If you hold a license from one of these states, you need a score of at least 70% on that state's exam. You also need to have held the license for at least 1 year. Your license can't have expired or been suspended or revoked. If you took the Iowa exam and failed it, you can't use this route. You must still meet Iowa's other licensing requirements.

These states recognize a license from Iowa.

Iowa licenseRecognized by
Class A Journeyman Electrician licenseAlaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming
Class A Master Electrician licenseArkansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming

Questions

How long does it take to become an electrician in Iowa?

If you work full time, you reach the 8,000 hours for the Class A Journeyman Electrician license in about 4 years.

Can you become an electrician with no experience?

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

Iowa electrician apprenticeships

How much do most electricians earn in Iowa?

Half of the electricians on a payroll in Iowa earn between $22.31 and $38.45 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

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

The highest-paid 10% of electricians on a payroll in Iowa earn more than $89,480 a year before overtime, so most electricians earn less than $100,000 a year from regular hours.

Can you take the classroom hours online?

The Iowa Electrical Examining Board says this about the Apprentice Electrician license and the Class A Journeyman Electrician license: "Hawkeye Community College (US Dept. of Labor approved-Online or Classroom Training)"

Contact the licensing office

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.
Master
A higher license level, for a worker with more years in the trade. It often lets you supervise others.
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.
Median
The middle figure. Half of the workers earn more, and half earn less.

Sources

13
  1. Iowa Electrical Examining Board, electrician licensing, the licensing office
  2. Iowa Electrical Examining Board, electrician licenses, online classes
  3. Iowa Legislature, 481 IAC 401.1(3), "License categories and authority"
  4. Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 103.11, "Wiring or installing — supervising apprentices — license required — qualifications"
  5. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  6. Iowa Electrical Examining Board, electrician licenses, experience
  7. Iowa Electrical Examining Board, electrician licenses, experience (second page)
  8. PSI, electrician licenses, exam and fees
  9. Iowa Legislature, 481 IAC 403.201(103), "Continuing education requirements"
  10. Iowa Electrical Examining Board, electrician licenses, licenses from other states
  11. Iowa Electrical Examining Board, electrician licensing
  12. Iowa Electrical Examining Board, email reply about continuing education for the Electrical Contractor license
  13. U.S. Department of Labor national apprenticeship data, extract of August 17, 2026

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