Home
Electrician
Michigan

How to become an electrician in Michigan

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) licenses electricians in Michigan.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your ladder

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

You
Apprentice electrician registrationStart here
Electrical journeyman's license8,000 hours on the job
Master electrician's license12,000 hours on the job
Electrical contractor's licenseRun 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. Michigan has 281 registered electrician apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $20.25 an hour at the start and $35.20 an hour at the end.
The programs with the most active apprentices
See all 281 programs
Step 2,
Get your Apprentice electrician registration
Apply to LARA for the Apprentice electrician registration.
The application fee is $15.
You renew the Apprentice electrician registration every year.
The official wording of the requirement
Apprentice electrician registration“You need to be employed by a Master Electrician and Electrical Contractor. You need to be enrolled in a related technical instruction (RTI) program.”
Step 3,
Complete 8,000 hours on the job
To qualify for the Electrical journeyman's license, you need 8,000 hours on the job.
Step 4,
Apply for your Electrical journeyman's license
Apply to LARA for the Electrical journeyman's license. You must pass the Electrical journey exam. PSI gives the exam.
Hours on the job
8,000
Exam
$100
The Electrical journeyman's license requires 8,000 hours on the job.
The Electrical journeyman's license costs $40.
You must pass the Electrical journey exam. The exam costs $100.
You renew the Electrical journeyman's license every year. The renewal costs $40.
You pay the $40 license fee when you apply. There is no separate application fee.
Michigan law sets the exam fee at $100. You pay PSI and not LARA.
The official wording of the requirement
Electrical journeyman's license“You need to have completed 8,000 hours AND 4 years as an electrical apprentice.”
Step 5,
Renew your license
You renew the Electrical journeyman's license every year.

Other electrician licenses

Master electrician's license

Hours on the job: 12,000
Exam: $100

The Master electrician's license requires 12,000 hours on the job.

The Master electrician's license costs $50.

You must pass the Master electrician exam. The exam costs $100.

You renew the Master electrician's license every year. The renewal costs $50.

You pay the $50 license fee when you apply. There is no separate application fee.

Michigan law sets the exam fee at $100. You pay PSI and not LARA.

The official wording of the requirement

Master electrician's license“You need have completed 4,000 hours as an electrical journey AND have held that license for at least 2 years. To be a Master Electrician in Michigan, you must have at least 12,000 hours of experience over AT LEAST 6 years.”

To run an electrical business

This is the license for running an electrical business.

Electrical contractor's license

The Electrical contractor's license costs $300.

You don't need to take an exam for the Electrical contractor's license.

You renew the Electrical contractor's license every 3 years. The renewal costs $300. You don't need continuing education to renew.

The official wording of the requirement

Electrical contractor's license“You need to either hold a Master Electrician license or hire someone who holds a Master Electrician license. If you live outside of Michigan and are hiring a Master Electrician, they need to live in Michigan.”

Take the exam

License	Exam
Electrical journeyman's license	Electrical journey examPSI gives the exam.
Master electrician's license	Master electrician examPSI gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What electricians earn in Michigan

$36.67an hour

$76,270 a year, full time

Half of the electricians on a payroll in Michigan earn more than $36.67 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $76,270.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as an electrician in Michigan, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 23,530 jobs. The figures don't include self-employed electricians.

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

Median$20.66Lowest 10%$24.21Lowest 25%$44.38Highest 25%$49.58Highest 10%

Use a license from another state

LARA doesn't recognize licenses from other states.

Michigan has no reciprocity agreement with any other state. But if you hold a license from another state, LARA can still consider you. You must send LARA a copy of your license. Also send a copy of that state's licensing requirements.

Questions

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

If you work full time, you reach the 8,000 hours for the Electrical journeyman's 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.

Michigan electrician apprenticeships

How much do most electricians earn in Michigan?

Half of the electricians on a payroll in Michigan earn between $24.21 and $44.38 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

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

Yes. The highest-paid 10% of electricians on a payroll in Michigan earn more than $103,120 a year before overtime.

Contact the licensing office

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes (Electrical Administrative Board)michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc/sections/licensing-section/exam-lic/electrical-examination-licensing-registration-application-information

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.
JATC: A Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, an apprenticeship program run together by a union and contractors.
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

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 Michigan