Sign inJoin the list
  1. Home
  2. Electrician
  3. Massachusetts

How to become an electrician in Massachusetts

The Board of State Examiners of Electricians licenses electricians in Massachusetts.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your ladder

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

  1. ApprenticeStart here
  2. Journeyman Electrician8,000 hours on the job
  3. Master ElectricianRun 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. Massachusetts has 166 registered electrician apprenticeship programs. The median starting wage is $17.00 an hour.

    The programs with the most active apprentices

    See all 166 programs

  2. Step 2,

    Complete 8,000 hours on the job

    To qualify for the Journeyman Electrician license, you need 8,000 hours on the job and 600 classroom hours.

  3. Step 3,

    Apply for your Journeyman Electrician license

    Apply to the Board of State Examiners of Electricians for the Journeyman Electrician license. You must pass the exam named "MA Journeyman Electrician". PSI gives the exam.

    Hours on the job
    8,000
    Exam
    $135
    Fee
    $31

    The Journeyman Electrician license requires 8,000 hours on the job. You also need 600 classroom hours.

    What this license lets you do: “a person qualified to do the work of installing, repairing, or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures, or other appliances used for heat, light, power, fire warning or security system purposes.”

    How to apply: “Submit your online application on the eLIPSE portal, to be approved to schedule your exam with PSI, the Board's exam vendor.”

    About the exam: “Examinations are OPEN-BOOK, computer generated and two part. ... Journeyman Electrician, Part 1: 80 questions, 70% (56 questions answered correctly), 180 Minutes. ... Journeyman Electrician, Part II, Applied portion: 30 questions, 70% (21 questions answered correctly), 60 Minutes. ... Examination Fees (Paid directly to PSI when scheduling exams): Total for both portions is $135 ($80 Trade portion, $55 Business/Practical portion) ... ***Re-examination fees are based on the portion of the exam that you are retaking***”

    The application fee is $31. The Journeyman Electrician license costs $104.

    You must pass the exam named "MA Journeyman Electrician". The exam costs $135.

    You renew the Journeyman Electrician license every 3 years. The renewal costs $78. You need 21 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

    The official wording of the requirement
    Journeyman Electrician“Education: 600 hours of Board-approved education. Continuing Education: 15-hour Code-Update Class. Experience: 8,000 hours of work over at least 4 years under a licensed Massachusetts Journeyman. ... furnish documentary proof satisfactory to the Board of having obtained a high school diploma or equivalent.”

  4. Step 4,

    Renew your license

    You renew the Journeyman Electrician license every 3 years.

Other electrician licenses

Systems Technician

Hours on the job
4,000
Exam
$135
Fee
$31

The Systems Technician license requires 4,000 hours on the job. You also need 300 classroom hours.

What this license lets you do: “a person qualified to do the work of installing, repairing or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances used for systems.”

How to apply: “Submit your online application on the eLIPSE portal, to be approved to schedule your exam with PSI, the Board's exam vendor.”

About the exam: “Examinations are OPEN-BOOK, computer generated and two part. ... Systems Technician, Part I: 60 questions, 70% (42 questions answered correctly), 120 Minutes. ... Systems Technician, Part II, Applied portion: 30 questions, 70% (21 questions answered correctly), 60 Minutes. ... Examination Fees (Paid directly to PSI when scheduling exams): Total for both portions is $135 ($80 Trade portion, $55 Business/Practical portion) ... ***Re-examination fees are based on the portion of the exam that you are retaking***”

The application fee is $31. The Systems Technician license costs $104.

You must pass the exam named "MA Systems Technician". The exam costs $135.

You renew the Systems Technician license every 3 years. The renewal costs $78. You need 21 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

The official wording of the requirement
Systems Technician“Education: 300 hours of Board-approved education. Continuing Education: 15-hour Code-Update Class. Experience: 4,000 hours of work over at least 2 years under a licensed Massachusetts Systems Technician or Journeyman Electrician.”

To run an electrical business

These are the licenses for running an electrical business.

Master Electrician

Exam
$135
Fee
$66

The Master Electrician license requires 150 classroom hours.

What this license lets you do: “The holding of certificate A or certificate C shall not entitle the holder individually to engage in or perform the actual work of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances or systems but the holding of certificate A shall entitle the holder to conduct business as a master electrician”

How to apply: “Submit your online application on the eLIPSE portal, to be approved to schedule your exam with PSI, the Board's exam vendor.”

About the exam: “Examinations are OPEN-BOOK, computer generated and two part. ... Master Electrician, Part 1: 90 questions, 70% (63 questions answered correctly), 240 Minutes. ... Business and Law (Master Electrician and Systems Contractor Part II): 50 questions, 70% (35 questions answered correctly), 120 Minutes. ... Examination Fees (Paid directly to PSI when scheduling exams): Total for both portions is $135 ($80 Trade portion, $55 Business/Practical portion) ... ***Re-examination fees are based on the portion of the exam that you are retaking***”

The application fee is $66. The Master Electrician license costs $155.

You must pass the exam named "MA Master Electrician". The exam costs $135.

You renew the Master Electrician license every 3 years. The renewal costs $117. You need 21 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

The official wording of the requirement
Master Electrician“Must have a Massachusetts Journeyman license, at least 1 year of work experience, and 150 hours of Board-approved education.”

Systems Contractor

Exam
$135
Fee
$66

The Systems Contractor license requires 75 classroom hours.

What this license lets you do: “a person, firm or corporation having a regular place of business who, by the employment of systems technicians or apprentices, performs the work of installing, repairing or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances used for systems”

How to apply: “Submit your online application on the eLIPSE portal, to be approved to schedule your exam with PSI, the Board's exam vendor.”

About the exam: “Examinations are OPEN-BOOK, computer generated and two part. ... Systems Contractor, Part I: 70 questions, 70% (49 questions answered correctly), 180 Minutes. ... Business and Law (Master Electrician and Systems Contractor Part II): 50 questions, 70% (35 questions answered correctly), 120 Minutes. ... Examination Fees (Paid directly to PSI when scheduling exams): Total for both portions is $135 ($80 Trade portion, $55 Business/Practical portion) ... ***Re-examination fees are based on the portion of the exam that you are retaking***”

The application fee is $66. The Systems Contractor license costs $155.

You must pass the exam named "MA Systems Contractor". The exam costs $135.

You renew the Systems Contractor license every 3 years. The renewal costs $117. You need 21 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

The official wording of the requirement
Systems Contractor“You need a Massachusetts Systems Technician license, at least one year of work experience, and 75 hours of Board-approved education.”

Electrical/systems business license

How to apply: “Applications, renewals, and reinstatements must be submitted online through the eLIPSE platform.”

The application fee is $233.

You don't need to take an exam for the Electrical/systems business license.

The official wording of the requirement
Electrical/systems business license“Applications are limited to business entities who have or are contracted with a MA licensed Master or Systems Contractor as Licensee of Record (LOR) and registered with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's corporations division.”

Take the exam

LicenseExam
Journeyman ElectricianMA Journeyman ElectricianPSI gives the exam.
Master ElectricianMA Master ElectricianPSI gives the exam.
Systems TechnicianMA Systems TechnicianPSI gives the exam.
Systems ContractorMA Systems ContractorPSI gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What electricians earn in Massachusetts

$38.18an hour

$79,420 a year, full time

Half of the electricians on a payroll in Massachusetts earn more than $38.18 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $79,420.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as an electrician in Massachusetts, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 17,810 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 Massachusetts.

Massachusetts licenseRecognized from
Journeyman Electrician license and Master Electrician licenseNew Hampshire

The Board of State Examiners of Electricians doesn't recognize a license from another state for the Systems Technician license, the Systems Contractor license or the Electrical/systems business license.

Journeyman Electrician license: If you got your New Hampshire journeyman license by passing an exam in New Hampshire, you can use it. The Board of State Examiners of Electricians accepts it. A New Hampshire license you got any other way doesn't count.

Master Electrician license: If you got your master license in New Hampshire by passing an exam there, you can use it. The Board of State Examiners of Electricians accepts it. You also need a journeyman license from Massachusetts, and it must be current. If you don't have one yet, you can apply for it by reciprocity at the same time. You must also complete the Massachusetts 150-hour Master Electrician Program.

Questions

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

If you work full time, you reach the 8,000 hours for the 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.

Massachusetts electrician apprenticeships

How much do most electricians earn in Massachusetts?

Half of the electricians on a payroll in Massachusetts earn between $27.82 and $48.31 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

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

Yes. The highest-paid 10% of electricians on a payroll in Massachusetts earn more than $128,210 a year before overtime.

Can you take the classroom hours online?

The Board of State Examiners of Electricians says this about the Journeyman Electrician license, the Master Electrician license, the Systems Technician license and the Systems Contractor license: "ONLINE OR REMOTE PRE-LICENSE EDUCATION IS NOT CURRENTLY ALLOWED."

Contact the licensing office

Board of State Examiners of Electriciansmass.gov/orgs/board-of-state-examiners-of-electricians
Check a licenseLook up a license

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

15
  1. Board of State Examiners of Electricians, electrician licensing, the licensing office
  2. Massachusetts Legislature, M.G.L. c. 141, § 1A
  3. Massachusetts Legislature, M.G.L. c. 141, § 3(2)
  4. Board of State Examiners of Electricians, electrician licensing, license search
  5. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  6. Board of State Examiners of Electricians, electrician licenses, experience, exam and fees
  7. Board of State Examiners of Electricians, automatic email reply about online classes
  8. PSI, electrician licenses, exam
  9. Board of State Examiners of Electricians, electrician licenses, licenses from other states
  10. Board of State Examiners of Electricians, Electrical/systems business license, experience and fees
  11. Board of State Examiners of Electricians, 237 CMR 16.03(1)(b)
  12. Board of State Examiners of Electricians, 237 CMR 17.01(4)
  13. Board of State Examiners of Electricians, electrician licensing
  14. Massachusetts Legislature, M.G.L. c. 141, § 1, "Journeyman electrician"
  15. U.S. Department of Labor national apprenticeship data, extract of August 17, 2026

Get an email when it matters

Pick what you want to hear about. You get one short email when it happens.

Alerts for: Electrician in Massachusetts

Email me when

One email when it happens. Nothing else, and you can unsubscribe any time. You must be 13 or older. Under 18, a parent or guardian must agree to the terms for you.