Five California cities made the top ten list for the metro areas with the highest average electrician salaries in the nation (2015, US Bureau of Labor Statistics):
- 1st – San Francisco area
- 2nd – San Rafael
- 3rd – Oakland area
- 7th – San Jose area
- 8th – Redding
New construction ramped up dramatically in California in the wake of the economic recovery, leaving construction contracting companies struggling to find younger more technologically savvy workers. Demand for skilled electricians has never been higher.
The job growth rate for electricians in California far exceeds the national average for the ten-year period ending in 2022, with the state’s Employment Development Department expecting 10,800 new jobs to be added in the electrical trade during this time frame.
Salaries for Residential Electricians Throughout California
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the salary ranges for electricians in California’s urban and rural areas. Highly skilled master electricians can expect to earn wages at the highest end of these ranges (2015):
Salaries for Specialty Electricians in California’s Major Cities
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salaries for a number of different types of specialized electricians that work throughout California (2015). Those with the most education and experience tend to earn salaries at the upper end of the ranges shown here:
Electrical and Electronics Repairers Specializing in Commercial and Industrial Equipment:
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine: $50,550 – $79,680
- Bakersfield: $65,380 – $77,550
- Chico: $63,600 – $81,590
- Fresno: $48,680 – $62,670
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim: $53,210 – $87,740
- Modesto: $49,980 – $64,400
- Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley: $75,580 – $99,680
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura: $46.950 – $78,110
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario: $60,630 – $79,940
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade: $71,580 – $102,300
- Salinas: $43,560 – $61,180
- San Diego-Carlsbad: $60,110 – $87,140
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward: $72,550 – $98,050
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara: $53,140 – $84,430
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara: $60,320 – $93,870
- Santa Rosa: 62,490 – $82,720
- Stockton-Lodi: $51,800 – $71,820
- Vallejo-Fairfield: $55,300 – $78,120
Electrical and Electronics Repairers Specializing in Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay:
- Bakersfield: $93,730 – $103,060
- Fresno: $37,720 – $98,750
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim: $83,260 – $101,120
- Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley: $88,290 – $98,600
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura: $89,510 – $110,180
- Riverside- San Bernardino-Ontario: $77,190 – $120,190
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward: $87,420 – $98,510
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara: $74,520 – $97,430
Electrical and Electronics Repairers Specializing in Transportation Equipment:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim: $72,380 – $96,290
- Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley: $78,310 – $97,870
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario: $53,510 – $64,850
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade: $73,060 – $97,850
- San Diego-Carlsbad: $58,120 – $76,150
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward: $78,300 – $98,000
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara: $82,450 – $99,520
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers:
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine: $107,070 – $125,360
- Bakersfield: $107,130 – $123,900
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim: $104,140 – $123,160
- Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley: $105,310 – $123,350
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario: $88,680 – $121,330
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade: $107,050 – $128,420
- San Diego-Carlsbad: $107,640 – $126,030
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward: $102,670 – $122,900
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara: $105,030 – $121,400
- Vallejo-Fairfield: $103,440 – $123,260
Electronic Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim: $40,750 – $52,930
- Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley: $32,810 – $49,750
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura: $31,600 – $46,470
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario: $45,460 – $59,360
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade: $37,500 – $55,410
- San Diego-Carlsbad: $38,930 – $53,470
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward: $36,030 – $59,130
- Santa Rosa: $34,920 – $69,540
- Stockton-Lodi: $43,580 – $49,440
Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers Specializing in Motor Vehicles:
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine: $27,020 – $38,860
- Bakersfield: $20,510 – $36,430
- Fresno: $23,780 – $32,810
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim: $30,430 – $49,450
- Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley: $23,660 -$53,400
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario: $33,500 – $49,140
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade: $31,390 – $48,200
- San Diego-Carlsbad: $34,110 – $46,900
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward: $24,240 – $51,850
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara: $23,920 – $30,080
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers and Repairers:
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine: $46.600 – $74,000
- Bakersfield: $46,860 – $81,350
- Fresno: $42,270 – $60,200
- Los Angeles-Long Breach-Anaheim: $46,880 – $71,610
- Modesto: $38,790 – $65,170
- Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley: $56,300 – $72,860
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura: $54,160 – $73,350
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario: $50,860 – $69,480
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade: $44,200 – $62,910
- San Diego-Carlsbad: $45,680 – $71,470
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward: $51,680 – $71,500
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara: $56,220 – $88,860
- Santa Rosa: $48,960 – $64,350
- Stockton-Lodi: $39,590 – $82,950
The statewide average for electricians in these specialized roles is shown in the table below:
Salaries for Electrician Apprentices in California’s Major Cities
Santa Rosa offered the 6th highest average salary in the country for electrician apprentices of any city in the country as of 2015 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In addition, the state of California had the 4th highest number of jobs for electrician apprentices in the US.
Salary data for the BLS’ occupational classification for “Electrician’s Helpers” is shown here to represent the wages earned during an electrical apprenticeship; 2015: