Updated October 15, 2026. Data: U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, quarterly count of jobs and wages from employer tax records, first quarter 2026 vs. first quarter 2025. Figures are preliminary. Second-quarter 2026 figures are due in December.
Electrical contractors employed about 1.14 million people in early 2026, up 3.6% from a year earlier, at 101,565 business locations (+2.2%). Jobs grew fastest in West Virginia (+28.1%), Iowa (+22.4%) and Nevada (+19.3%) and fell most in District of Columbia (-7.8%), Rhode Island (-7.1%) and Kansas (-5.8%).
Change in jobs in each state
The biggest employers are Texas (123,065 jobs), California (118,598 jobs) and Florida (77,749 jobs).
Every state: jobs, locations and pay
Click a column to sort. Jobs are the average of January, February and March.
| State | Jobs, Q1 2026 | Jobs, Q1 2025 | Change | Locations, Q1 2026 | Locations change | Average weekly pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 1,137,994 | 1,098,505 | +3.6% | 101,565 | +2.2% | $1,703 |
| Alabama | 17,506 | 16,964 | +3.2% | 1,612 | +2.9% | $1,393 |
| Alaska | 1,688 | 1,709 | -1.2% | 242 | +2.5% | $1,831 |
| Arizona | 34,493 | 34,186 | +0.9% | 2,283 | -0.6% | $1,663 |
| Arkansas | 10,462 | 11,061 | -5.4% | 1,114 | +1.0% | $1,282 |
| California | 118,598 | 120,465 | -1.5% | 11,540 | +2.8% | $1,974 |
| Colorado | 25,520 | 26,376 | -3.2% | 2,574 | +4.9% | $1,619 |
| Connecticut | 9,884 | 10,109 | -2.2% | 1,488 | +0.5% | $1,612 |
| Delaware | 3,097 | 2,986 | +3.7% | 432 | -1.4% | $1,472 |
| District of Columbia | 2,143 | 2,325 | -7.8% | 118 | +1.7% | $1,923 |
| Florida | 77,749 | 78,133 | -0.5% | 8,223 | +4.7% | $1,332 |
| Georgia | 37,531 | 36,080 | +4.0% | 3,224 | +0.9% | $1,593 |
| Hawaii | 5,044 | 5,153 | -2.1% | 584 | +3.2% | $1,792 |
| Idaho | 8,452 | 7,834 | +7.9% | 1,133 | -3.5% | $1,526 |
| Illinois | 29,969 | 28,653 | +4.6% | 2,925 | +3.3% | $1,925 |
| Indiana | 24,037 | 22,185 | +8.4% | 1,721 | +1.8% | $1,744 |
| Iowa | 15,152 | 12,376 | +22.4% | 998 | -0.3% | $1,632 |
| Kansas | 8,001 | 8,492 | -5.8% | 767 | +4.2% | $1,601 |
| Kentucky | 13,244 | 12,679 | +4.5% | 1,337 | +1.1% | $1,456 |
| Louisiana | 16,686 | 17,406 | -4.1% | 1,645 | +4.8% | $1,666 |
| Maine | 4,306 | 4,526 | -4.9% | 764 | -4.7% | $1,314 |
| Maryland | 24,678 | 22,408 | +10.1% | 1,522 | -0.9% | $1,898 |
| Massachusetts | 25,097 | 25,004 | +0.4% | 2,710 | +3.1% | $1,934 |
| Michigan | 28,566 | 27,384 | +4.3% | 2,158 | +1.6% | $1,722 |
| Minnesota | 17,682 | 17,008 | +4.0% | 1,627 | -1.2% | $2,075 |
| Mississippi | 7,689 | 7,964 | -3.4% | 1,007 | +5.9% | $1,397 |
| Missouri | 18,521 | 17,804 | +4.0% | 1,627 | +6.3% | $1,817 |
| Montana | 3,797 | 3,761 | +1.0% | 681 | +6.1% | $1,313 |
| Nebraska | 9,350 | 8,829 | +5.9% | 806 | +2.2% | $1,418 |
| Nevada | 15,561 | 13,039 | +19.3% | 925 | +4.6% | $1,937 |
| New Hampshire | 4,502 | 4,556 | -1.2% | 806 | +1.9% | $1,578 |
| New Jersey | 25,566 | 24,919 | +2.6% | 2,727 | +0.4% | $1,792 |
| New Mexico | 8,405 | 8,406 | -0.0% | 758 | +1.6% | $1,459 |
| New York | 57,211 | 57,009 | +0.4% | 5,356 | -4.2% | $1,835 |
| North Carolina | 37,170 | 36,232 | +2.6% | 4,250 | +9.1% | $1,405 |
| North Dakota | 4,858 | 4,214 | +15.3% | 475 | +5.3% | $1,731 |
| Ohio | 42,386 | 37,996 | +11.6% | 2,521 | +0.9% | $2,011 |
| Oklahoma | 13,712 | 12,571 | +9.1% | 1,483 | -0.5% | $1,403 |
| Oregon | 14,359 | 14,677 | -2.2% | 1,277 | +0.3% | $2,076 |
| Pennsylvania | 31,287 | 30,715 | +1.9% | 3,047 | +1.3% | $1,741 |
| Rhode Island | 2,616 | 2,817 | -7.1% | 476 | -2.3% | $1,543 |
| South Carolina | 14,283 | 12,630 | +13.1% | 1,301 | -0.8% | $1,483 |
| South Dakota | 3,545 | 3,534 | +0.3% | 419 | +1.0% | $1,369 |
| Tennessee | 23,827 | 22,404 | +6.4% | 2,045 | +10.3% | $1,441 |
| Texas | 123,065 | 112,590 | +9.3% | 7,659 | +2.3% | $1,606 |
| Utah | 21,108 | 21,849 | -3.4% | 1,500 | +1.7% | $1,862 |
| Vermont | 1,778 | 1,815 | -2.1% | 347 | +2.4% | $1,239 |
| Virginia | 40,147 | 34,813 | +15.3% | 2,188 | +1.5% | $1,856 |
| Washington | 24,691 | 25,415 | -2.8% | 2,497 | +1.3% | $1,911 |
| West Virginia | 4,178 | 3,262 | +28.1% | 447 | +1.6% | $1,499 |
| Wisconsin | 21,780 | 20,212 | +7.8% | 1,794 | +6.5% | $1,611 |
| Wyoming | 3,014 | 2,971 | +1.4% | 405 | +7.1% | $1,556 |
What the numbers show, and what they don’t
- Big projects move small states. One large job, such as a data center, factory or power project, can add hundreds of electrician jobs in a smaller state. The data doesn’t say which projects drove the changes.
- What’s included: electrical contractors and other wiring installers, including companies that install solar panels, low-voltage systems and building controls. Electricians who work directly for factories, utilities or governments are counted elsewhere.
- Jobs grew in 32 of 50 states and DC.
For owners and would-be owners
- Getting licensed. Most states license electricians and electrical contractors. See how to start an electrical contracting business.
- Data centers need electricians. See where data centers are being built.
- Safety: compare with fatal injury rates by trade.
Starting an electrical contracting business?
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How we counted
- Source: U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, industry 23821 (electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors), privately owned businesses, first quarter of 2026 and 2025.
- Jobs are the average of the three monthly counts and include full- and part-time workers on payroll. Owners with no payroll and self-employed people aren’t counted.
- Locations are individual work sites (establishments), not companies. One company with ten offices counts ten times.
- State is where the job is located as reported by the employer.
- Preliminary: first-quarter 2026 figures can be revised.
Sources
Cite this data
Reporters and bloggers may use these numbers and charts. Please credit StartBusinessByState and link to this page.
Source: StartBusinessByState, “Electrical Contractor Jobs Grew 3.6% in a Year, to 1.14 Million,” https://startbusinessbystate.com/electrical-contractor-jobs/ (updated October 15, 2026).
FAQ
Are electrician jobs growing?
Yes. Private electrical contractor jobs were 3.6% higher in the first quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, about 1,137,994 jobs, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
Where are electrician jobs growing fastest?
West Virginia (+28.1%), Iowa (+22.4%) and Nevada (+19.3%).
Which states lost electrician jobs?
District of Columbia (-7.8%), Rhode Island (-7.1%) and Kansas (-5.8%).
How much do electrical contractor workers earn?
Average weekly pay was $1,703 in the first quarter of 2026, across all jobs at these companies.
Where is this data from?
The U.S. Labor Department’s quarterly count of jobs from employer unemployment-insurance tax records, which covers nearly all payroll jobs.
Last updated October 15, 2026 by StartBusinessByState.