Sign inJoin the list
  1. Home
  2. Electrician
  3. North Carolina

How to become an electrician in North Carolina

To work as an electrician for an employer in North Carolina, you don't need a state license of your own. The NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (NCBEEC) licenses the electrical business and not the electricians it employs.

Find an apprenticeship What the business needs

Your ladder

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

  1. ApprenticeStart here
  2. Limited3,000 hours on the job
  3. Intermediate5,750 hours on the job
  4. Unlimited9,000 hours on the job

First: work for a licensed business or join an apprenticeship.

Find an apprenticeship

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

North Carolina licenses electrical contractors, not individual electricians.

Your steps

  1. Step 1, Now Start here

    Work for a licensed business or join an apprenticeship

    You can work for a licensed electrical business without a state license of your own.

    A city or county can still require a license of its own.

    An apprenticeship is a paid job with training. You work for an employer and you learn the trade on the job. North Carolina has 87 registered electrician apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $15.09 an hour at the start and $24.00 an hour at the end.

    The programs with the most active apprentices

    See all 87 programs

  2. Step 2,

    Get a contractor license to run your own business

    If you want to run an electrical business, the business needs a contractor license from NCBEEC.

    What the business needs

To run an electrical business

These are the licenses for running an electrical business.

Unlimited

Hours on the job
9,000
Exam
$125

You need at least 9,000 hours of experience, and at least 8,000 of the hours must be primary experience. You also need written statements from at least 2 people who confirm that you can supervise and direct all the electrical work of a business in the unlimited classification.

The Unlimited license costs $200.

You must pass the Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited Examinations. The exam costs $125.

You renew the Unlimited license every year. The renewal costs $200. You need 8 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Intermediate

Hours on the job
5,750
Exam
$125

You need at least 5,750 hours of experience, and at least 5,000 of the hours must be primary experience.

The Intermediate license costs $150.

You must pass the Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited Examinations. The exam costs $125.

You renew the Intermediate license every year. The renewal costs $150. You need 8 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Limited

Hours on the job
3,000
Exam
$125

You need at least 3,000 hours of experience, and at least 2,000 of the hours must be primary experience.

The Limited license costs $100.

You must pass the Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited Examinations. The exam costs $125.

You renew the Limited license every year. The renewal costs $100. You need 8 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Special Restricted: Single Family Detached Residential Dwelling (SP-SFD)

Hours on the job
3,000
Exam
$125

You need at least 3,000 hours of experience, and at least 2,000 of the hours must be primary experience.

The Special Restricted: Single Family Detached Residential Dwelling (SP-SFD) license costs $100.

You must pass the Special Restricted Examinations. The exam costs $125.

You renew the Special Restricted: Single Family Detached Residential Dwelling (SP-SFD) license every year. The renewal costs $100. You need 8 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Special Restricted: Fire Alarm / Low Voltage (SP-FA/LV)

Hours on the job
3,000
Exam
$125

You need at least 3,000 hours of experience, and at least 2,000 of the hours must be primary experience. Experience you gained in the low voltage field can count toward the hours.

The Special Restricted: Fire Alarm / Low Voltage (SP-FA/LV) license costs $100.

You must pass the Special Restricted Examination: Fire Alarm/Low Voltage (FA/LV). The exam costs $125.

You renew the Special Restricted: Fire Alarm / Low Voltage (SP-FA/LV) license every year. The renewal costs $100. You need 4 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Special Restricted: Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning (SP-PH)

Hours on the job
3,000
Exam
$125

You need at least 3,000 hours of experience, and at least 2,000 of the hours must be primary experience. Experience you gained in the plumbing, heating or air conditioning field can count toward the hours. Your application must show that you work mainly in, or are regularly employed by and will be the listed qualified individual for, a business that works mainly in that field in North Carolina.

The Special Restricted: Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning (SP-PH) license costs $100.

You must pass the Special Restricted Examinations. The exam costs $125.

You renew the Special Restricted: Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning (SP-PH) license every year. The renewal costs $100. You need 4 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Special Restricted: Groundwater Pump (SP-WP)

Hours on the job
3,000
Exam
$125

You need at least 3,000 hours of experience, and at least 2,000 of the hours must be primary experience. Experience you gained in the ground water pump field can count toward the hours. Your application must show that you work mainly in, or are regularly employed by and will be the listed qualified individual for, a business that works mainly in that field in North Carolina.

The Special Restricted: Groundwater Pump (SP-WP) license costs $100.

You must pass the Special Restricted Examinations. The exam costs $125.

You renew the Special Restricted: Groundwater Pump (SP-WP) license every year. The renewal costs $100. You need 4 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Special Restricted: Electric Sign (SP-ES)

Hours on the job
3,000
Exam
$125

You need at least 3,000 hours of experience, and at least 2,000 of the hours must be primary experience. Experience you gained in the electric sign field can count toward the hours. Your application must show that you work mainly in, or are regularly employed by and will be the listed qualified individual for, a business that works mainly in that field in North Carolina.

The Special Restricted: Electric Sign (SP-ES) license costs $100.

You must pass the Special Restricted Examinations. The exam costs $125.

You renew the Special Restricted: Electric Sign (SP-ES) license every year. The renewal costs $100. You need 4 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Special Restricted: Elevator (SP-EL)

Hours on the job
3,000
Exam
$125

You need at least 3,000 hours of experience, and at least 2,000 of the hours must be primary experience. Experience you gained in the elevator field can count toward the hours. Your application must show that you work mainly in, or are regularly employed by and will be the listed qualified individual for, a business that works mainly in that field in North Carolina.

The Special Restricted: Elevator (SP-EL) license costs $100.

You must pass the Special Restricted Examinations. The exam costs $125.

You renew the Special Restricted: Elevator (SP-EL) license every year. The renewal costs $100. You need 4 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Special Restricted: Swimming Pool (SP-SP)

Hours on the job
3,000
Exam
$125

You need at least 3,000 hours of experience, and at least 2,000 of the hours must be primary experience. Experience you gained in the swimming pool field can count toward the hours. Your application must show that you work mainly in, or are regularly employed by and will be the listed qualified individual for, a business that works mainly in that field in North Carolina.

The Special Restricted: Swimming Pool (SP-SP) license costs $100.

You must pass the Special Restricted Examination: Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP). The exam costs $125.

You renew the Special Restricted: Swimming Pool (SP-SP) license every year. The renewal costs $100. You need 4 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

Take the exam

LicenseExam
UnlimitedLimited, Intermediate, Unlimited ExaminationsPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
IntermediateLimited, Intermediate, Unlimited ExaminationsPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
LimitedLimited, Intermediate, Unlimited ExaminationsPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Special Restricted: Single Family Detached Residential Dwelling (SP-SFD)Special Restricted ExaminationsPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Special Restricted: Fire Alarm / Low Voltage (SP-FA/LV)Special Restricted Examination: Fire Alarm/Low Voltage (FA/LV)PSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Special Restricted: Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning (SP-PH)Special Restricted ExaminationsPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Special Restricted: Groundwater Pump (SP-WP)Special Restricted ExaminationsPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Special Restricted: Electric Sign (SP-ES)Special Restricted ExaminationsPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Special Restricted: Elevator (SP-EL)Special Restricted ExaminationsPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Special Restricted: Swimming Pool (SP-SP)Special Restricted Examination: Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP)PSI Services LLC gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What electricians earn in North Carolina

$27.31an hour

$56,800 a year, full time

Half of the electricians on a payroll in North Carolina earn more than $27.31 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $56,800.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as an electrician in North Carolina, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 21,640 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 North Carolina.

North Carolina licenseRecognized from
All 10 licensesAlabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia

If you hold an electrical contractor license from one of these states, you can skip the written exam. NCBEEC can give you a North Carolina license of the same class or an equivalent class. NCBEEC has a separate agreement with each state. Each agreement says which of that state's licenses qualify for which North Carolina license.

These states recognize a license from North Carolina.

North Carolina licenseRecognized by
Unlimited licenseAlabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia
Intermediate license, Limited license and Special Restricted: Single Family Detached Residential Dwelling (SP-SFD) licenseSouth Carolina
Special Restricted: Fire Alarm / Low Voltage (SP-FA/LV) licenseMississippi

Questions

Can you become an electrician with no experience?

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

North Carolina electrician apprenticeships

How much do most electricians earn in North Carolina?

Half of the electricians on a payroll in North Carolina earn between $22.63 and $29.77 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

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

The highest-paid 10% of electricians on a payroll in North Carolina earn more than $75,060 a year before overtime, so most electricians earn less than $100,000 a year from regular hours.

Contact the licensing office

NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractorsncbeec.org
Check a licenseLook up a license

Words to know

Apprentice
Someone who learns the trade on the job, working under a licensed worker.
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

11
  1. NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, electrician licensing, the licensing office
  2. NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-43.1(3)
  3. NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, electrician licensing, license search
  4. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  5. NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, electrician licenses, renewal
  6. NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, electrician licenses, exam
  7. NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, electrician licenses, licenses from other states
  8. NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, Unlimited, licenses from other states
  9. NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, electrician licenses, licenses from other states (second page)
  10. NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, Special Restricted: Fire Alarm / Low Voltage (SP-FA/LV), licenses from other states
  11. 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 North Carolina

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.