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Electrician · California

Electrician programs in California

In California, a first-year electrician is either paid — or paying.

Tuition on the school path is real money. First-year pay on the apprenticeship path is a paycheck. Seats are not guaranteed on either side.

Electrician in the United States

Updated Apr 2026

LA/NECA Electrical Training Institute (IBEW Local 11) — $20–$26/hr

Published first-year share of Local 11 inside-wireman scale · Mar 2026

Year one in California

One paid path and one school path. The full list is below.

Paid training · listed first

IEC of Southern California electrical apprenticeship

IEC SoCal · Southern California

Tuition: $0–$2,500
First-year wage: $18–$23/hr

You pay · no paycheck in class

California community college electrical technology

CCC / local community colleges · Statewide

Tuition: $1,800–$8,000
First-year wage: $0 during school

All programs on this page

IEC of Southern California electrical apprenticeship

ApprenticeshipSeats: Open

Tuition / net cost

$0–$2,500

Employer-sponsored. Related instruction fees vary by year.

First-year wage

$18–$23/hr

Paid OJT with a participating contractor.

Term

4 years

Steps toward local non-union journeyman rates

IEC SoCal·Southern California

Source: IEC SoCal program page (public) (2026-04)

Los Angeles Electrical Training Institute (IBEW 11 / NECA)

ApprenticeshipSeats: Waitlist

Tuition / net cost

No tuition. Books and some fees may apply.

First-year wage

$20–$26/hr

Percentage of Local 11 inside-wireman scale.

Term

5 years · 8,000+ hours

CA electrician median ~$76k–$97k depending on source year

LA/NECA Electrical Training Institute·Commerce / Los Angeles

Source: ETI / IBEW Local 11 public apprenticeship materials (2026-03)

San Francisco Electrical Workers JATC (IBEW 6)

ApprenticeshipSeats: Unknown

Tuition / net cost

Related classroom instruction included.

First-year wage

$24–$30/hr

High-COL local. First-year share of a high journeyman package.

Term

5 years

Bay Area journeyman packages among the highest in the U.S.

IBEW Local 6 JATC·San Francisco

Source: Local 6 / JATC public wage and program notes (2026-04)

California community college electrical technology

Trade schoolSeats: Open

Tuition / net cost

$1,800–$8,000

In-state community-college certificate range before books and tools.

First-year wage

$0 during school

Unpaid classroom path. Graduates often start $20–$26/hr in CA.

Term

1–2 years

California electrician median among the highest nationally

CCC / local community colleges·Statewide

Source: CCCCO catalogs / College Scorecard CA electrical programs (2026-02)

Other electrician states

Get electrician numbers for another state

We only write when new year-one numbers go up.