Licenses and exams

Journeyman vs. master electrician

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026

The license ladder

Most states license electricians in steps, though names and rules vary:

• Apprentice or trainee: you're learning on the job under licensed electricians. Some states make you register; Texas, for example, says "anyone who performs electrical work in the state of Texas must be licensed," and Washington trainees doing general (01) work must be in an approved apprenticeship program.
• Journeyman (journey-level): you've finished the required hours and passed an exam. BLS says that after an apprenticeship, electricians "are considered to be journey workers and may perform duties on their own, subject to local or state licensing requirements."
• Master: BLS says that "after meeting additional requirements and working as a qualified electrician, journey workers may advance to become master electricians."
• Electrical contractor: a business license, not a skill level. In the states below, the business must have a master electrician (or, in Washington, a certified administrator) responsible for its work.

BLS also notes that "most states require electricians to pass a test and be licensed. Requirements vary by state." For licensing questions BLS points you to "your local or state electrical licensing board"; start from your state's page on our electrician hub. [1][2][4][6][7][8]

Texas: journeyman vs. master

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licenses electricians statewide.

• Journeyman Electrician: "licensed to perform electrical work under the general supervision of a Master Electrician." You need "the full 8,000 hours required for licensure" of on-the-job training under a Texas master electrician. You can apply to take the exam once you have "at least 7,000 hours." The application fee is "$30."
• Master Electrician: licensed to install, maintain or extend electrical wiring systems and equipment in and on buildings and property, "including service entrance conductors." You must have "held Journeyman Electrician license for at least two years" and "completed 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a Master Electrician licensed in Texas." The application fee is "$45." TDLR adds that Journeyman Industrial Electrician experience "may not be used to qualify for a Master Electrician license."
• Electrical Contractor: "You must employ a licensed Master Electrician to apply for an Electrical Contractor license. The Master Electrician may also be the business owner." Contractors also need liability insurance, and the application fee is "$110."

All Texas electrician licenses "must be renewed annually." More in our Texas electrician license guide. [2][3][4]

Washington: journey level vs. master

In Washington the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) issues "certificates of competency."

• General journey level electrician (01): "may perform all types of electrical and telecommunications installations." One route to the exam is completing "an 8,000 hour electrical construction trade apprenticeship program," with 4,000 of those hours in new industrial or commercial installations. Trainees doing (01) work must be in an approved apprenticeship program.
• Master journey level electrician: you must have "possessed a valid journey level electrician certificate of competency for four years" before taking the master exam. L&I says "Master electricians are certified to act as an administrator... But only master electricians can work with the tools of the trade as an installer."
• Electrical contractor: to get the license, the business "must designate an individual" who holds a master electrician certificate or an administrator's certificate. Administrators pass a separate exam and oversee compliance but don't work with the tools.

More in our Washington electrician license guide. [5][6][8][9][10]

Colorado: journeyman vs. master

Colorado's State Electrical Board (in the Division of Professions and Occupations) lists these exam requirements:

• Journeyman Electrician: "8,000 hours of experience earned in no less than 4 years," with "2,000 hours of which must be in commercial/industrial work," plus "288 hours of classroom education."
• Master Electrician: one of several experience options. These include "10,000 hours of experience earned in no less than 5 years," or an electrical engineering bachelor's degree "AND 2,000 hours of construction experience earned in no less than 1 year." Some hours must be in "planning and layout," and some must be supervision while holding a journeyman license. The Board says "it is not possible to go from Apprentice or Residential Wireman to Master if you are using experience to qualify."
• Electrical Contractor: must "hold or employ a licensed master electrician to serve as the responsible individual for the company." The Board also says "Journeyman electricians cannot be a signatory authority for a company."

A 2025 law (SB25-165, signed June 3, 2025) lets journeyman applicants qualify with "a minimum of 8,000 hours over a period of at least 4 years" of apprenticeship or practical experience, and lets the 288 training hours fall within the last 8 years instead of the last 4. More in our Colorado electrician license guide. [7][11]

Contractor license vs. master license

A master license says what you are qualified to do. A contractor license lets a business offer electrical work to the public. In all three states above, the business needs a qualified person on record:

• Texas: a "Master Electrician of Record," who can be assigned to only one contractor "unless the Master Electrician owns more than 50 percent of the electrical contracting business."
• Washington: a designated master electrician or administrator.
• Colorado: a master electrician as "the responsible individual," who "may be the responsible party for one company only."

So you can hold a master license and work for someone else, and a business owner who isn't an electrician can run a contracting company by employing a master. [4][6][7]

Pay

BLS reports a single median wage for all electricians: "$63,190 in May 2025." It doesn't publish separate figures for journeymen and masters. Apprentices, BLS says, "receive less pay than fully trained electricians, but their pay increases as they learn to do more." See electrician salary for more. [1]

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