Master Electrician (license qualifier) Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure Master Electrician (license qualifier) as its own occupation, so this page uses Electricians (SOC 47-2111, closest proxy). The median annual wage in the United States was $63,190 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $49,430 to $83,940.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
Closest proxy
Electricians is the closest occupational proxy based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
National pay range
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,640 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $49,430 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $63,190 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $83,940 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $108,510 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $71,490 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.5 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $23.76 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $30.38 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $40.36 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $52.17 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $34.37 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages include: base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. What they leave out: overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 47-2111 Electricians, United States. View this release at BLS.
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $63,190 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 1.24 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Pay in industries that hire this occupation
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 560,290 | 74.0% | $61,640 | $48,360 to $80,780 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 541,390 | 71.5% | $61,570 | $48,310 to $80,740 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 16,840 | 2.2% | $64,530 | $51,470 to $83,610 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 14,670 | 1.9% | $64,010 | $52,760 to $82,460 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 13,080 | 1.7% | $73,310 | $54,710 to $95,900 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 237130 | 9,230 | 1.2% | $67,920 | $50,440 to $88,800 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 7,950 | 1.0% | $106,640 | $88,280 to $118,360 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 3,250 | 0.4% | $73,770 | $60,990 to $89,490 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 3,040 | 0.4% | $73,780 | $61,370 to $90,130 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 1,790 | 0.2% | $78,510 | $65,780 to $96,390 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 1,300 | 0.2% | $66,490 | $55,690 to $84,870 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | 530 | 0.1% | $70,200 | $51,370 to $88,910 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | 400 | 0.1% | $78,580 | $71,160 to $89,820 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 130 | 0.0% | $61,330 | $39,100 to $76,800 |
These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.
Pay in target metros
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $75,930 | $59,080 to $103,270 | 16,580 | 1.09 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $59,010 | $47,530 to $71,390 | 20,930 | 1.06 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $61,210 | $48,900 to $77,060 | 17,240 | 1.49 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $58,650 | $46,820 to $78,910 | 13,430 | 0.95 |
| Columbus, OH | $64,700 | $50,300 to $79,970 | 7,210 | 1.34 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $102,350 | $74,400 to $118,660 | 17,720 | 0.81 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $91,030 | $63,420 to $128,530 | 5,480 | 0.99 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $105,090 | $78,930 to $125,330 | 7,340 | 1.25 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Highest and lowest paying metros
Ranked by published median annual wage among 390 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kankakee, IL | $105,500 | 140 | 0.66 |
| 2 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $105,090 | 7,340 | 1.25 |
| 3 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $104,510 | 740 | 2.89 |
| 4 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $102,350 | 17,720 | 0.81 |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $101,780 | 9,750 | 0.96 |
| 6 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $100,320 | 410 | 0.8 |
| 7 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $100,270 | 2,290 | 1.05 |
| 8 | Albany, OR | $100,230 | 440 | 1.89 |
| 9 | Corvallis, OR | $99,880 | 80 | 0.4 |
| 10 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $99,850 | 1,050 | 1.66 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 381 | Laredo, TX | $46,140 | 340 | 0.64 |
| 382 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $46,080 | 450 | 0.59 |
| 383 | Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $45,650 | 210 | 1 |
| 384 | Wichita Falls, TX | $45,570 | 190 | 0.69 |
| 385 | Gadsden, AL | $44,490 | 140 | 0.89 |
| 386 | Arecibo, PR | $37,840 | 60 | 0.33 |
| 387 | Mayaguez, PR | $37,800 | 80 | 0.33 |
| 388 | Ponce, PR | $37,440 | 140 | 0.45 |
| 389 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $35,470 | 1,320 | 0.39 |
| 390 | Aguadilla, PR | $33,630 | 90 | 0.39 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Where pay is highest relative to local wages
This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee, IL | $105,500 | $45,830 | 2.30 times | 140 | 0.66 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $97,350 | $47,350 | 2.06 times | 350 | 1.34 |
| Albany, OR | $100,230 | $49,700 | 2.02 times | 440 | 1.89 |
| Rockford, IL | $93,280 | $47,120 | 1.98 times | 370 | 0.55 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $100,320 | $50,700 | 1.98 times | 410 | 0.8 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | $94,680 | $49,680 | 1.91 times | 750 | 0.97 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $93,560 | $49,290 | 1.90 times | 370 | 1.48 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $102,350 | $54,720 | 1.87 times | 17,720 | 0.81 |
| Kokomo, IN | $91,290 | $48,980 | 1.86 times | 730 | 4.2 |
| Medford, OR | $92,410 | $49,900 | 1.85 times | 500 | 1.15 |
| Bend, OR | $99,200 | $54,570 | 1.82 times | 610 | 1.16 |
| Salem, OR | $98,850 | $55,310 | 1.79 times | 1,000 | 1.09 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $86,040 | $48,470 | 1.78 times | 220 | 0.93 |
| Bay City, MI | $80,450 | $45,620 | 1.76 times | 210 | 1.28 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $104,510 | $59,590 | 1.75 times | 740 | 2.89 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $100,270 | $57,220 | 1.75 times | 2,290 | 1.05 |
| Monroe, MI | $80,620 | $46,240 | 1.74 times | 150 | 0.76 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $99,850 | $57,290 | 1.74 times | 1,050 | 1.66 |
| Grants Pass, OR | $88,140 | $50,730 | 1.74 times | 60 | 0.42 |
| Corvallis, OR | $99,880 | $57,680 | 1.73 times | 80 | 0.4 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $105,090 | $60,690 | 1.73 times | 7,340 | 1.25 |
| Terre Haute, IN | $77,650 | $44,870 | 1.73 times | 380 | 1.19 |
| Saginaw, MI | $79,860 | $46,200 | 1.73 times | 300 | 0.78 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $98,480 | $57,640 | 1.71 times | 310 | 0.87 |
| Flint, MI | $78,270 | $45,880 | 1.71 times | 790 | 1.2 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 47-2111 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $62,350 |
| May 2025 | $63,190 |
| Difference | +$840 (+1.3%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
Levels above and below this title
These are different jobs, not experience bands within one occupation. The figures are not a promised raise.
| Title | Relationship | BLS occupation | Median | Against Master Electrician (license qualifier) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Apprentice / Electrician Helper | Frontline title | 47-3013 Helpers--Electricians | $42,670 | Lower by $20,520 |
| Electrical General Foreman | Higher-scope title | 47-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $79,920 | Higher by $16,730 |
| Electrical Foreman | Higher-scope title | 47-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $79,920 | Higher by $16,730 |
| Lead Electrician / Crew Lead | Higher-scope title | 47-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $79,920 | Higher by $16,730 |
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call pay | Included | BLS lists "on-call pay" and "hazardous-duty pay" as wages. |
| Overtime pay matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters here | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation matters here | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Recruiter's read
Qualitative, not from BLS data.
Master Electrician (license qualifier) candidates are usually screened on state master license in the job state; NEC, permits and inspections; can lead crews or qualify an out-of-state contractor.
We usually find them through electrical contractors; electrical inspectors; senior foremen. We contact working people directly rather than relying on job applications.
Questions
What is the median pay for Master Electrician (license qualifier)?
The BLS median annual wage for Electricians nationally is $63,190 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most Master Electrician (license qualifier) earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $49,430 to $83,940, and 10% earned less than $42,640.
Is this the exact job title?
Electricians is the closest occupational proxy based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
How many people are employed in this occupation?
BLS estimates 757,220 jobs nationally in Electricians across all industries.
What do BLS wages leave out?
They leave out overtime, shift differentials, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation. Base pay, guaranteed pay, on-call pay and production-based incentive pay are included.
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for Master Electrician (license qualifier): BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring Master Electrician (license qualifier)?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
- Master Electrician (license qualifier) recruiting
- Electrical Apprentice / Electrician Helper salary
- Traveling Journeyman Electrician (Per Diem) salary
- Lead Electrician / Crew Lead salary
- Medium Voltage Electrician salary
- Controls Wireman / Industrial Electrician (paralleling gear and control wiring) salary
- Open data center jobs
- Methodology
What the published rows say about Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States
Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States is represented here by Electricians, SOC 47-2111, in the May 2025 OEWS release. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, data Center Headhunters uses the proxy crosswalk for this title; the occupation row, rather than a separate survey of Master Electrician (license qualifier), supplies the figures on this page. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, the published annual median is $63,190 and the middle-half endpoints are $49,430 and $83,940.
The Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States middle-half band spans $34,510 on the annual basis. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, its lower quarter-to-median distance is $13,760, compared with $20,750 from the median to the upper quarter. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, the upper interval is at least as wide as the other interval in this row. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, for an offer against this Master Electrician (license qualifier) crosswalk, these are published reference points, not experience grades; the width does not establish a reason for differences between individual workers.
Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States can also be compared with New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where the annual median for Electricians is $79,020 in May 2025. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, the Master Electrician (license qualifier) crosswalk comparison differs by $15,830 from the the United States median.
Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States can also be compared with Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, where the annual median for Electricians is $59,010 in May 2025. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, the Master Electrician (license qualifier) crosswalk comparison differs by $4,180 from the the United States median.
Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States has no local industry-by-occupation wage breakdown in the loaded OEWS rows. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, the highest published national industry medians loaded for SOC 47-2111 are Hydroelectric Power Generation at $134,180 and Natural Gas Distribution at $131,780. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, these May 2025 observations describe the national Electricians occupation in those industries, not the pay of data center employers in the United States; they cannot support a local industry ranking.
The Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States matched median changed from $62,350 in May 2024 to $63,190 in May 2025, a difference of $840 up. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, both observations use SOC 47-2111, area code 99 and the same annual wage basis. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, this Master Electrician (license qualifier) comparison reports the released values without adjusting for inflation, annualizing the change or attributing it to a particular employer.
Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States uses the OEWS straight-time wage definition, not a complete cost-to-employ budget. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, for an offer mapped to Electricians, separate overtime, shift differentials and expense reimbursements from the annual figures for the United States; BLS excludes those categories. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, on-call pay, guaranteed pay and production incentives are included under the wage definition. For Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States, no Master Electrician (license qualifier)-specific per diem, travel allowance or relocation amount is observed in this row, so this May 2025 page adds no dollar allowance on top.
Questions about Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States?
Master Electrician (license qualifier) is mapped to SOC 47-2111, Electricians; the May 2025 the United States annual median is $63,190. The mapping is proxy, not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the the United States figure show all offer costs for Master Electrician (license qualifier)?
Master Electrician (license qualifier) pay in the United States uses straight-time OEWS wages. Overtime and shift differentials are excluded; on-call and guaranteed pay are included. No allowance for travel or relocation is added to this 47-2111 observation.
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- methodology
Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.