A journeyman electrician has finished an apprenticeship and earned a license to run jobs alone. At a home electrical contractor, they handle service calls, panel upgrades, remodels and new homes. They also put in standby generators and EV chargers, often with an apprentice along.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
The Journeyman Electrician is responsible for independently installing and repairing electrical systems in residential settings. This role is critical to ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality electrical service delivery while upholding the highest standards of workmanship and customer satisfaction.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Install, maintain, and repair electrical systems in new construction and existing residential properties.
Diagnose electrical issues accurately and resolve them efficiently to minimize downtime.
Interpret and adhere to blueprints, schematics, and electrical codes at all times.
Ensure compliance with all safety regulations, policies, and procedures during all projects.
Liaise with customers to clearly explain issues, solutions, and provide recommendations for system enhancements.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct routine inspections and troubleshoot electrical systems on homes and commercial properties.
Collaborate with team members to complete installations and repairs within scheduled timeframes.
Communicate directly with homeowners to provide updates and gather feedback on completed work.
Maintain accurate documentation of work completed, materials used, and time spent on each project.
Order supplies and inventory parts as needed to support uninterrupted workflow.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue per hour: $150.
Callback percentage: <5%.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: >4.8 stars.
Completion of scheduled jobs: 95% on-time completion.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or GED; completion of an accredited electrical apprenticeship program.
Minimum of 3 years of experience as an electrician in residential environments.
Proficient in reading technical diagrams, blueprints, and following electrical codes.
Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills with a focus on safety.
Excellent communication and customer service skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience working with smart home systems and energy-efficient technologies.
Familiarity with electrical repair and installation in diverse residential settings.
Experience in mentoring or guiding apprentices in the field.
Exposure to commercial electrical systems that support residential upgrades.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. consistently during work activities.
Frequent bending, climbing, and working in confined spaces.
Prolonged periods of standing and walking across job sites.
Capability to work in various weather conditions including hot or cold environments.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; occasional overtime may be required.
On-call duties may be necessary for emergency repairs during off-hours.
Travel between multiple residential job sites within the assigned territory.
Work in diverse residential environments, adapting to varying site conditions.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate range: $30 - $40 per hour depending on experience.
Performance-based bonuses available for meeting efficiency and quality benchmarks.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and excellence. Our team is dedicated to empowering employees with the resources and support necessary to excel in their roles and contribute to our shared mission of delivering outstanding service and quality workmanship.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Every licensed trade worker runs jobs alone. For a residential journeyman, license rules change at the state line, most jobs happen in homes where people live, and standby generators add a second power source to the house.
The license changes at the state line
License rules vary from state to state. Texas has two licenses that fit house work. The residential wireman license takes half the hours of a journeyman license, 4,000 instead of 8,000. It covers homes and apartment buildings up to four stories. A residential shop there can hire either one for its home jobs. Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: Residential wireman license.
Generators bring a second power source
OSHA warns that tying a portable generator into a building's wiring the wrong way can cause backfeed, which sends power back out through the lines. A standby generator brings the same risk if its transfer switch is installed wrong. The journeyman sets it up so the house is cut off from the utility whenever the generator runs, then tests the switch-over before leaving. Source: OSHA fact sheet: Working safely around downed electrical wires (backfeed).
Old houses hide old wiring
Remodels and service calls open walls that were wired long ago. CPSC says cable put in between 1965 and the mid-1970s may have aluminum wire. Failing aluminum connections can overheat with no warning signs. CPSC recommends a lasting repair done by a qualified electrician. A journeyman should know how to spot aluminum wire and which repair your shop uses. Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Repairing aluminum wiring (Publication 516).
Somebody lives here
Most service calls and panel swaps happen in an occupied home. Before shutting off the main, the journeyman asks about medical equipment, home offices, freezers and sump pumps, and agrees on a power-off window. They put on shoe covers, patch or flag any holes they cut, and explain what they found in plain words.
Night calls with nobody to ask
An after-hours call is often half a house without power, flickering lights or a burning smell. The journeyman has to tell a utility problem, like a bad connection at the service drop, from a problem inside the house. They make the home safe before they leave. If you send journeymen out alone at night, hire ones who stay calm and know when to call the utility.
Residential vs. commercial journeyman electrician
Both jobs install and repair wiring to code. The buildings, the wiring methods and the people on site change.
Topic
Residential
Commercial
Typical jobs
Service calls, panel upgrades, remodels, new homes, generators and EV chargers
Tenant build-outs, lighting, equipment circuits and service work in stores and offices
Wiring methods
Mostly NM cable run through wood framing
Mostly conduit and MC cable in steel, block and open ceilings
Power
Single-phase 120/240-volt services
Often three-phase services and panelboards
Who they deal with
Homeowners and the builder's site manager
General contractors, facility managers and property managers
Schedule
Several stops a day, or a builder's phase schedule
Weeks or months on one site, sometimes nights so a business can stay open
License, using Texas as an example
Residential wireman or journeyman
Journeyman
How much journeyman electricians make
Electricians who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $29.60 an hour ($61,570 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $63,190 median for electricians in all industries. About 541,390 of the 757,220 electricians in that survey work for electrical contractors.
Journeymen usually earn an hourly wage plus overtime, and many shops add a call-out rate for nights and weekends. The template's bonus for revenue per hour and quality works best when callbacks count against it.
Electrical contractors
$61,570$61,570 median Middle half $48,310–$80,740 10th–90th $39,560–$108,780
All industries
$63,190$63,190 median Middle half $49,430–$83,940 10th–90th $42,640–$108,510
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Electrical contractors
$39,560
$48,310
$61,570
$80,740
$108,780
All industries
$42,640
$49,430
$63,190
$83,940
$108,510
BLS reports residential and commercial electrical contractors together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Holds the journeyman or residential license your state requires
Traces faults like open neutrals and nuisance trips to the real cause
Installs panels and services neatly and to the code your area enforces
Runs a service call or a rough-in alone and keeps the job ticket complete
Explains options and prices to homeowners plainly
Shows an apprentice how to do a task instead of doing it for them
Teach these on the job
Your price book and how you present options
The generator and transfer switch brands you install
EV charger models and your load-check routine
Each builder's standards and walk-through process
Your field service app, job photos and timecards
Journeymen carry a full set of hand tools, a multimeter and clamp meter, a non-contact tester and often their own drill, while the company supplies benders, fish tapes, ladders, a hammer drill and circuit testers. The ad should cover whether the van goes home, which generator and charger brands you install, and the split between service calls and builder work.
Journeyman electrician interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Compare journeymen doing the same kind of work, since a day of trim-out and a day of troubleshooting produce very different numbers. Build targets from your own job history.
Revenue per hour
Revenue from the journeyman's completed jobs divided by hours clocked on those jobs, drive time included. Compare service and new-construction journeymen separately, since builder work is priced by the house.
Callback percentage
Repeat visits for the same issue, counted within the callback period you set and divided by the journeyman's completed jobs each month. Note the cause, like a loose termination or a missed diagnosis.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Homeowner ratings and online reviews that mention the journeyman by name, plus feedback from builders' site managers on new homes. Read the comments for mess, missed times and how well they explained things.
Completion of scheduled jobs
Jobs finished on the scheduled day, divided by jobs assigned, from your scheduling software. Mark jobs held up by the builder or the utility so they don't count against the journeyman.
In most states, yes. BLS says most states require electricians to pass a test and be licensed, and the exam covers the National Electrical Code plus state and local codes. Check your state board, and ask the cities you work in whether they add rules of their own. Look up every license on the state's website before the first day.
How much does a journeyman electrician make?
Electricians who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $29.60 an hour ($61,570 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $48,310 and $80,740 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
How do I test a journeyman electrician in an interview?
Use real problems. Describe a house where half the lights are dim and the other half too bright, and ask what they'd check first. Show photos of a panel with mistakes in it and ask them to find them. Ask how they'd explain a needed service upgrade to a homeowner. Good journeymen answer step by step and say when they'd stop and make the house safe.
Can a journeyman electrician supervise an apprentice?
Usually, within your state's limits. Texas, for one, lists the journeyman among the license holders an apprentice may work under. Other states set their own supervision and ratio rules, so check yours before you pair people into two-person crews. If your journeyman will lead an apprentice, say so in the ad and leave time in the day for teaching.
Do journeyman electricians need continuing education?
Often, yes. BLS says electricians may need continuing education to keep their license, usually on safety, code changes and products. Texas asks for four hours before every yearly renewal. The coursework has to address the National Electrical Code, Texas electrician law and rules, and NFPA 70E electrical safety. Paying for those classes is an easy perk to offer.
How much experience should a journeyman electrician have?
The template asks for a finished apprenticeship plus at least three years as an electrician in homes. Three years of residential calls usually means they have seen enough faults to troubleshoot alone. Ask how those years split between service and new construction. Someone who spent them on rough-ins may need a senior electrician to check their troubleshooting for the first few months.
