How much do electricians cost to hire in 2026?

The trade needs about 72,700 new electricians a year through 2035 to keep up with growth and retirements, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With close to 30% of union electricians near retirement and demand from data centers and electrification rising at the same time, the gap between openings and available licensed workers is one of the widest in decades.

Two forces at once. An aging workforce is retiring faster than the trade trains replacements, and demand is climbing from AI data centers, EV infrastructure, grid work, and domestic manufacturing. Electrical work makes up 45-70% of data center construction costs, according to the IBEW, which pulls experienced electricians toward those megaprojects and away from standard commercial jobs.

The national median is $63,190 a year, or about $30.38 an hour, according to BLS. Real rates vary widely by metro and tier. Buildforce placement data in Texas shows journeymen at $36-$38 an hour and mid-level workers ranging from $20 in Houston to nearly $27 in Central Texas, so benchmarking against local data matters more than ever.

Benchmark pay against real local data, invest in apprentices early, keep your current crew with steady work and clear advancement, and staff from sources that stay full rather than searching from scratch each job. Contractors who treat labor as a planned input rather than a last-minute scramble are the ones keeping projects on schedule.