Construction and Extraction
Electricians
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.
Also called: Control Electrician, Electrical Journey Person, Electrical Troubleshooter, Electrician, Housing Maintenance Electrician, Industrial Electrician
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $79,910
- $38.42/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 13,410
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +11.6%
- 1,790 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Apprenticeship
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $47,240 | $58,300 | $79,910 | $102,160 | $129,320 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
- Place conduit, pipes, or tubing, inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas, and pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between boxes.
- Work from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
- Use a variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.
- Assemble, install, test, or maintain electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, apparatus, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.
- Connect wires to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure25 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 23
- Language-model AIOE 21
- GPTs-are-GPTs 31
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
Electricians have lower AI exposure, and there is little or no observed AI use in this work so far. AI tools may help with planning tasks like reading blueprints, checking code rules, and sketching layouts. Most of the job is hands-on work like running conduit, pulling wire, and installing and testing equipment, often on ladders or roofs.
Likely to change
- Checking blueprints and code requirements
- Drafting sketches and wiring layouts
Still relies on people
- Pulling wire through walls and conduit
- Working safely on ladders, scaffolds, and roofs
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
Your electrical skills and safety habits carry over to power lines. The move offers higher Boston median pay ($111,490) and 13.3% expected Massachusetts growth.
- Pay difference
- +$31,580 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +13.3%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Testing and troubleshooting wiring is like inspecting and testing cables to find faults. The move offers Boston median pay of $103,090 and long-term on-the-job training.
- Pay difference
- +$23,180 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +0.9%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Reading blueprints, following codes, and installing systems in buildings carry over to pipe work. The move offers an apprenticeship and Boston median pay of $96,760.
- Pay difference
- +$16,850 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +6.5%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
1 program near Boston
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (school website, opens in a new tab)
Boston, MA · 1.2 mi from City Hall
Electrician · Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year)
35 completed in 2023-24
Who employs electricians on Boston construction projects
Hours worked on projects covered by the Boston Residents Jobs Policy over the last 24 months. This shows who has employed electricians, not who has openings.
2,866,917 worker hours from Oct 20, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026 (trades: Electrician).
- 21.6%
- of hours by boston residents
- 32.1%
- of hours by people of color
- 7.9%
- of hours by women
| Employer | Worker hours | Boston resident share | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Electric Corporation | 556,434 | 19.7% | 5 |
| Sullivan & McLaughlin Co. | 497,708 | 15.8% | 12 |
| Mcdonald Electrical Corp. | 376,671 | 23.6% | 9 |
| Gaston Electrical Company, Inc. | 128,283 | 22.7% | 5 |
| K&H Electrical Systems, Inc. | 127,222 | 34.2% | 4 |
| Ostrow Electric Company (BRJP) | 108,894 | 22.5% | 2 |
| Lynnwell Associates, Inc | 98,810 | 28.2% | 10 |
| Your Electrical Solutions Inc. | 97,760 | 16.4% | 4 |
Related occupations
- Lighting Technicians
- Helpers--Electricians
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
- Solar Photovoltaic Installers
- Millwrights
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach