How much does an Electrician make in West Virginia?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $63,850 for Electricians in West Virginia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $48,160 and the 75th-percentile is $82,440.

What does the top of the Electrician pay scale look like in West Virginia?

The 90th percentile lands at $88,960. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $82,440.

How many Electricians does West Virginia employ?

BLS OES counts 4,010 Electricians employed in West Virginia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

How wide is the wage spread in West Virginia?

P10 to P90 spans $38,340 to $88,960. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

How much do journeyman vs master electricians earn in West Virginia?

Master electrician status (typically 4+ years post-journeyman plus state exam) commands a 15-25% premium over journeyman pay in most West Virginia markets. Master licensure also enables business ownership and permit-pulling — the income upside compounds via owner-operator scenarios.

How long is the electrician apprenticeship in West Virginia?

West Virginia typically requires 4 years (8,000 hours) of supervised on-the-job training plus classroom hours before the journeyman exam. Apprenticeship pay starts at roughly 40-50% of journeyman scale and steps up annually. Many West Virginia apprentices reach full journeyman pay 5-6 years after starting.

West Virginia Electrician Salary: BLS $64K Median, Real $71K (2026)

TL;DR

Electricians in West Virginia earn a BLS median of $63,850, with real take-home of $71,235 after BEA RPP adjustment.
Below-100 RPP flips this state above its nominal rank in real-wage terms; the gap is about $7,385.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $38,340 · P25 $48,160 · P75 $82,440 · P90 $88,960.
Nominal: #25/51 · Real: #17/51 — ranking shifts by 8 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — West Virginia

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$38,340	$42,774
P25 (lower quartile)	$48,160	$53,730
P50 (median)	$63,850	$71,235
P75 (upper quartile)	$82,440	$91,975
P90 (top tier)	$88,960	$99,249
Mean	$65,890	$73,511
Employment	4,010 Electricians in West Virginia

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	West Virginia index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	89.6
Goods	95.7
Services	87.8
Rents	56.2

West Virginia sits below the national baseline (RPP 89.6), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 56.2.

After-tax take-home — West Virginia (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Electrician)	$63,850	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$5,524	8.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$2,225	2.27–4.82% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$4,885	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$51,216	80.2% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$57,140	÷ (89.6 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the West Virginia state-tax burden means for Electrician take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.5% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $51,216 (80.2% of gross). After the 89.6 RPP, real take-home is $57,140.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $62,350 for Electricians with mean pay of $69,630 and total employment of 742,580. West Virginia sits at #25 on nominal pay and #17 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, West Virginia climbs 8 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an Electrician make in West Virginia?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $63,850 for Electricians in West Virginia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $48,160 and the 75th-percentile is $82,440.
What does the top of the Electrician pay scale look like in West Virginia?: The 90th percentile lands at $88,960. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $82,440.
How many Electricians does West Virginia employ?: BLS OES counts 4,010 Electricians employed in West Virginia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
How wide is the wage spread in West Virginia?: P10 to P90 spans $38,340 to $88,960. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
How much do journeyman vs master electricians earn in West Virginia?: Master electrician status (typically 4+ years post-journeyman plus state exam) commands a 15-25% premium over journeyman pay in most West Virginia markets. Master licensure also enables business ownership and permit-pulling — the income upside compounds via owner-operator scenarios.
How long is the electrician apprenticeship in West Virginia?: West Virginia typically requires 4 years (8,000 hours) of supervised on-the-job training plus classroom hours before the journeyman exam. Apprenticeship pay starts at roughly 40-50% of journeyman scale and steps up annually. Many West Virginia apprentices reach full journeyman pay 5-6 years after starting.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 47-2111, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how West Virginia Electrician pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.