# Electrician Requirements in the U\.S\.: Age, Education, Hours, License On this page ## Contents Quick answer: The usual requirements are a high school diploma or GED, a minimum age of 18 at many apprenticeship programs, four to five years of supervised training with classroom instruction, and a passed state or city license exam\. Hour counts vary by state; Texas requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience for a journeyman application\. ## Electrician requirements checklist Requirement Typical rule Source Education High school diploma or GED Sponsor application pages Age 18 or older at many programs Sponsor application pages Training Four to five years, paid and supervised BLS Classroom 144 hours or more per year recommended 29 CFR 29\.5 Experience for license Texas: 8,000 supervised hours TDLR License State or city exam; no federal license Your state agency ## How to confirm the requirements where you live 1. Find your state electrical licensing agency; some large cities, such as New York City, also license electricians \( [NYC Buildings](https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/obtain-a-master-and-special-electrician-license.page) \)\. 2. Write down the hour count and exam for the journeyman level\. 3. Check whether you must register as an apprentice before hours count\. 4. Search sponsors on [Apprenticeship\.gov](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-job-finder) \. 5. Plan the full path with our [how to become an electrician guide](https://www.tsaielectro.com/how-to-become-an-electrician/) \. ## Practice for the U\.S\. electrician exam Try the free [U\.S\. electrician practice exam](https://www.tsaielectro.com/practice/exam/us/en/?utm_source=brand-d&utm_medium=country-page&utm_campaign=us-exam-pack) in your browser to see where your NEC lookups and calculations stand\. The one\-time U\.S\. exam pack unlocks every U\.S\. question and a printable PDF version, with no subscription\. For the exam format, the testing vendor and the official links in one place, see the [U\.S\. electrician exam guide](https://www.tsaielectro.com/global/us/en/electrician-exam/?utm_source=brand-d&utm_medium=country-page&utm_campaign=us-exam-pack) \. ## FAQ ### Do you need a degree to be an electrician? No\. A high school diploma or GED is the usual education requirement\. ### What is the minimum age to become an electrician? Many apprenticeship programs set 18\. Check each sponsor\. ### Are electrician requirements the same in every state? No\. Hours, exams and license levels differ by state and sometimes by city\. ## Sources - [U\.S\. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm) - [29 CFR 29\.5, Standards of apprenticeship](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-29/section-29.5) - [TDLR: Journeyman electrician](https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/journeyman-electrician.htm) - [NYC Department of Buildings: Master and special electrician license](https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/obtain-a-master-and-special-electrician-license.page) Page updated: 2026\-09\-30\. Official figures were checked against the linked sources in September 2026\. About the author: Tsai, creator of Tsai Electro, moved from an office job into electrical and MEP field work in Taiwan and holds Taiwanese indoor wiring and water piping technician certificates\. Tsai has not completed a U\.S\. apprenticeship or held a U\.S\. license, so every U\.S\. rule on this page links to its official source\.