Trades · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Electrician (2025)

The median Electrician salary is $105,090 in Portland, OR, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Chicago, IL offers the best purchasing power at $95,387 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Electrician, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Electrician relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$69,189

National Median

$105,090

Highest City

$48,200

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	Portland, OR	$105,090	$60,360, $134,380	130.1	$80,776	7,340
2	Chicago, IL	$102,350	$49,890, $124,070	107.3	$95,387	17,720
3	Seattle, WA	$101,780	$55,690, $151,290	149.4	$68,126	9,750
4	San Francisco, CA	$92,830	$55,360, $182,340	179.6	$51,687	9,060
5	San Jose, CA	$91,030	$54,290, $173,340	195.8	$46,491	5,480
6	Anchorage, AK	$82,440	$58,550, $123,200	127	$64,913	930
7	Detroit, MI	$81,990	$46,660, $107,330	95.1	$86,215	11,210
8	Minneapolis, MN	$81,890	$48,970, $123,250	106.2	$77,109	8,810
9	Boston, MA	$79,910	$47,240, $129,320	152.1	$52,538	13,410
10	Spokane, WA	$79,830	$47,310, $122,610	97.4	$81,961	1,290
11	Bridgeport, CT	$79,560	$50,040, $124,510	137.5	$57,862	1,630
12	New York, NY	$79,020	$46,170, $132,170	187.2	$42,212	36,550
13	Madison, WI	$78,430	$45,050, $102,860	103.8	$75,559	1,760
14	Buffalo, NY	$77,930	$37,820, $104,710	92.5	$84,249	2,340
15	Milwaukee, WI	$77,800	$45,170, $103,850	97.4	$79,877	4,490
16	Hartford, CT	$77,680	$46,220, $99,610	112.6	$68,988	2,870
17	Rochester, NY	$77,310	$45,410, $107,910	92.9	$83,219	2,540
18	St. Louis, MO	$77,170	$46,890, $104,800	90	$85,744	5,920
19	Kansas City, MO	$76,860	$46,280, $110,170	95.4	$80,566	5,400
20	San Diego, CA	$76,160	$47,890, $126,260	160.2	$47,541	8,060
21	Washington, DC	$75,930	$44,690, $121,570	152.8	$49,692	16,580
22	Bakersfield, CA	$75,860	$46,770, $123,940	100.6	$75,408	1,410
23	Albany, NY	$74,890	$46,130, $106,520	100.7	$74,369	1,820
24	Sacramento, CA	$74,830	$46,230, $130,020	124.7	$60,008	6,340
25	Philadelphia, PA	$74,590	$46,980, $132,610	118.4	$62,998	10,090
26	Providence, RI	$73,980	$42,760, $102,840	119.4	$61,960	3,560
27	Los Angeles, CA	$73,810	$46,140, $131,680	166	$44,464	20,610
28	Reno, NV	$72,800	$47,420, $102,250	106.5	$68,357	1,490
29	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$72,790	$45,360, $139,430	122.4	$59,469	7,880
30	Fresno, CA	$71,710	$46,090, $119,800	105.5	$67,972	1,980
31	Las Vegas, NV	$70,890	$45,810, $121,200	109	$65,037	5,730
32	Pittsburgh, PA	$69,340	$45,780, $106,840	92.3	$75,125	5,210
33	Wichita, KS	$65,670	$38,700, $96,830	84	$78,179	1,610
34	Baltimore, MD	$65,590	$45,390, $113,090	114.2	$57,434	6,930
35	Indianapolis, IN	$65,130	$41,610, $98,690	90.1	$72,286	5,390
36	Columbus, OH	$64,700	$46,090, $94,410	93.1	$69,495	7,210
37	Cincinnati, OH	$63,490	$38,530, $98,260	91.2	$69,616	5,640
38	Nashville, TN	$63,340	$45,900, $93,200	100.3	$63,151	6,220
39	Denver, CO	$63,150	$46,070, $94,160	112.8	$55,984	10,450
40	Des Moines, IA	$62,840	$39,740, $92,650	93.3	$67,353	2,870
41	Salt Lake City, UT	$62,620	$43,280, $88,640	101.4	$61,755	5,710
42	New Orleans, LA	$62,490	$38,990, $82,530	95.9	$65,162	2,240
43	Louisville, KY	$62,440	$37,700, $85,260	90.2	$69,224	4,340
44	Omaha, NE	$62,440	$44,120, $94,690	91.8	$68,017	3,530
45	Tulsa, OK	$62,280	$38,820, $94,890	86.8	$71,751	2,750
46	Boise, ID	$61,610	$39,100, $91,780	102.1	$60,343	2,510
47	Richmond, VA	$61,350	$39,070, $80,740	102.1	$60,088	3,600
48	Phoenix, AZ	$61,210	$46,920, $86,800	100.7	$60,785	17,240
49	Oklahoma City, OK	$61,010	$37,130, $91,070	86.5	$70,532	3,100
50	Memphis, TN	$60,890	$38,670, $84,890	84	$72,488	2,770
51	Austin, TX	$60,390	$39,260, $78,820	103	$58,631	7,340
52	Greenville, SC	$60,210	$45,910, $77,840	90.1	$66,826	1,670
53	Tucson, AZ	$59,480	$45,260, $92,930	95.4	$62,348	1,340
54	Colorado Springs, CO	$59,210	$40,410, $81,630	104.5	$56,660	1,290
55	Houston, TX	$59,180	$38,800, $84,470	96.5	$61,326	19,730
56	Albuquerque, NM	$59,120	$36,650, $81,310	94	$62,894	2,440
57	Charlotte, NC	$59,080	$43,770, $76,310	96.7	$61,096	5,250
58	Dallas, TX	$59,010	$38,740, $81,660	104.1	$56,686	20,930
59	Atlanta, GA	$58,650	$37,380, $84,000	99.2	$59,123	13,430
60	Knoxville, TN	$58,640	$38,020, $79,530	90.3	$64,939	2,170
61	Miami, FL	$58,630	$38,360, $80,840	123.1	$47,628	12,990
62	Greensboro, NC	$58,380	$43,430, $73,090	91.3	$63,943	1,990
63	Jacksonville, FL	$58,280	$38,080, $77,200	95.1	$61,283	4,990
64	Tampa, FL	$57,450	$38,960, $76,700	99.6	$57,681	7,170
65	Lexington, KY	$57,320	$36,420, $78,330	91.3	$62,782	1,500
66	San Antonio, TX	$57,010	$37,460, $75,670	91.5	$62,306	6,660
67	Raleigh, NC	$56,800	$45,700, $73,760	99.8	$56,914	3,740
68	Birmingham, AL	$56,630	$38,880, $78,550	90.4	$62,644	2,780
69	Orlando, FL	$50,820	$37,820, $74,540	103.1	$49,292	6,970
70	Little Rock, AR	$48,200	$34,740, $70,720	88.2	$54,649	1,870

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Electrician paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Chicago, IL	$95,387	$102,350	107.3
2	Detroit, MI	$86,215	$81,990	95.1
3	St. Louis, MO	$85,744	$77,170	90
4	Buffalo, NY	$84,249	$77,930	92.5
5	Rochester, NY	$83,219	$77,310	92.9
6	Spokane, WA	$81,961	$79,830	97.4
7	Portland, OR	$80,776	$105,090	130.1
8	Kansas City, MO	$80,566	$76,860	95.4
9	Milwaukee, WI	$79,877	$77,800	97.4
10	Wichita, KS	$78,179	$65,670	84
11	Minneapolis, MN	$77,109	$81,890	106.2
12	Madison, WI	$75,559	$78,430	103.8
13	Bakersfield, CA	$75,408	$75,860	100.6
14	Pittsburgh, PA	$75,125	$69,340	92.3
15	Albany, NY	$74,369	$74,890	100.7
16	Memphis, TN	$72,488	$60,890	84
17	Indianapolis, IN	$72,286	$65,130	90.1
18	Tulsa, OK	$71,751	$62,280	86.8
19	Oklahoma City, OK	$70,532	$61,010	86.5
20	Cincinnati, OH	$69,616	$63,490	91.2
21	Columbus, OH	$69,495	$64,700	93.1
22	Louisville, KY	$69,224	$62,440	90.2
23	Hartford, CT	$68,988	$77,680	112.6
24	Reno, NV	$68,357	$72,800	106.5
25	Seattle, WA	$68,126	$101,780	149.4
26	Omaha, NE	$68,017	$62,440	91.8
27	Fresno, CA	$67,972	$71,710	105.5
28	Des Moines, IA	$67,353	$62,840	93.3
29	Greenville, SC	$66,826	$60,210	90.1
30	New Orleans, LA	$65,162	$62,490	95.9
31	Las Vegas, NV	$65,037	$70,890	109
32	Knoxville, TN	$64,939	$58,640	90.3
33	Anchorage, AK	$64,913	$82,440	127
34	Greensboro, NC	$63,943	$58,380	91.3
35	Nashville, TN	$63,151	$63,340	100.3
36	Philadelphia, PA	$62,998	$74,590	118.4
37	Albuquerque, NM	$62,894	$59,120	94
38	Lexington, KY	$62,782	$57,320	91.3
39	Birmingham, AL	$62,644	$56,630	90.4
40	Tucson, AZ	$62,348	$59,480	95.4
41	San Antonio, TX	$62,306	$57,010	91.5
42	Providence, RI	$61,960	$73,980	119.4
43	Salt Lake City, UT	$61,755	$62,620	101.4
44	Houston, TX	$61,326	$59,180	96.5
45	Jacksonville, FL	$61,283	$58,280	95.1
46	Charlotte, NC	$61,096	$59,080	96.7
47	Phoenix, AZ	$60,785	$61,210	100.7
48	Boise, ID	$60,343	$61,610	102.1
49	Richmond, VA	$60,088	$61,350	102.1
50	Sacramento, CA	$60,008	$74,830	124.7
51	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$59,469	$72,790	122.4
52	Atlanta, GA	$59,123	$58,650	99.2
53	Austin, TX	$58,631	$60,390	103
54	Bridgeport, CT	$57,862	$79,560	137.5
55	Tampa, FL	$57,681	$57,450	99.6
56	Baltimore, MD	$57,434	$65,590	114.2
57	Raleigh, NC	$56,914	$56,800	99.8
58	Dallas, TX	$56,686	$59,010	104.1
59	Colorado Springs, CO	$56,660	$59,210	104.5
60	Denver, CO	$55,984	$63,150	112.8
61	Little Rock, AR	$54,649	$48,200	88.2
62	Boston, MA	$52,538	$79,910	152.1
63	San Francisco, CA	$51,687	$92,830	179.6
64	Washington, DC	$49,692	$75,930	152.8
65	Orlando, FL	$49,292	$50,820	103.1
66	Miami, FL	$47,628	$58,630	123.1
67	San Diego, CA	$47,541	$76,160	160.2
68	San Jose, CA	$46,491	$91,030	195.8
69	Los Angeles, CA	$44,464	$73,810	166
70	New York, NY	$42,212	$79,020	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

Portland, OR pays the highest median Electrician salary at $105,090. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Chicago, IL offers the most purchasing power at $95,387 adjusted.

The national median Electrician salary is $69,189 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $48,200 to $105,090 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.