Costs
How much does it cost to hire an electrician’s apprentice?
Short answer: a full-time electrician’s apprentice paid $21.19 an hour costs $44,075.20 a year in wages, plus $3,371.75 of employer FICA and $42 of net FUTA. In the labeled example below, state unemployment, workers’ comp, and payroll software bring the total to $49,741.21, or $23.91 per paid hour. A registered apprenticeship may set a different starting wage, but the same employer-cost stack still applies.
Key takeaways
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national table May 2025 annual mean for electricians’ helpers is $44,080, or $21.19 an hour over 2,080 hours, rounded.
- Registered apprenticeships use a progressive wage schedule (Apprenticeship.gov (DOL)); informal apprentices are regular employees who must still be paid at least the applicable minimum wage.
- State licensing boards often require apprentice registration before the person can do electrical work. That is separate from payroll tax setup.
On this page
Try these figures Prefills $21.19 an hour, 40 hours, and the electrical trade. Add your state for official unemployment rates.
Open the calculator with these figuresApprentice, helper, and registered program
People use “apprentice” to mean a beginner electrician. Legally, a registered apprenticeship is a program approved by the DOL or a state apprenticeship agency, with on-the-job training, related instruction, and a wage that rises as skills increase (Apprenticeship.gov (DOL)). If you are not in one of those programs, the person is simply your employee. Either way, the hire is usually a W-2 worker: they train on your jobs, on your clock, with your tools.
Many states also require an apprentice electrician license or registration before the person can perform licensed work. That rule comes from the state electrical board, and it is worth checking before the first day. It does not replace an EIN, payroll tax accounts, Form I-9, or workers’ comp.
Worked example at $21.19 an hour
This wage is the BLS May 2025 annual mean for helpers—electricians ($44,080) expressed over 2,080 hours and rounded to the cent. The official annual mean is $4.80 above $21.19 × 2,080 ($44,075.20). If your registered program starts at 40% or 50% of a journey rate, use that number instead; do not go below the highest applicable minimum wage (DOL minimum wage page, DOL state minimum wage table).
Federal tax lines are real 2026 figures from IRS Publication 15 and IRS Topic 759 (Form 940/FUTA). State unemployment and workers’ comp are hypothetical (2.7% on a $10,000 base; $3.00 per $100 of payroll). Electrical wiring inside buildings is often NCCI class 5190; this site prefills a verified advisory rate only for Indiana.
| Line (one year, 2,080 hours) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wages at $21.19/hour (from the BLS $44,080 annual mean, rounded) | $44,075.20 |
| Employer Social Security, 6.2% | $2,732.66 |
| Employer Medicare, 1.45% | $639.09 |
| FUTA, net 0.6% on first $7,000 | $42.00 |
| State unemployment (hypothetical 2.7% on a $10,000 base) | $270.00 |
| Workers’ comp (hypothetical $3.00 per $100 of payroll) | $1,322.26 |
| Payroll software (Gusto Simple public price, 1 person) | $660.00 |
| Estimated annual cost | $49,741.21 |
| Per paid hour | $23.91 |
Overtime matters for apprentices, who often stay late on a job. Hours over 40 generally must be paid at time and a half (DOL overtime page). A jump from 40 to 45 hours is not a 12.5% raise in cost; the extra five hours are paid at 1.5 times the regular rate, so wages rise faster than the clock hours. Run both schedules in the calculator before you promise a weekly schedule. For the broader true-cost view, see true cost of a W-2 electrician’s helper.
Add overtime or a state Start from the $21.19 electrical defaults, then raise hours above 40 or pick a state.
Open the calculator with these figuresFrequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire an electrician's apprentice?
Using $21.19 an hour, derived from the BLS May 2025 annual mean of $44,080 for electricians' helpers, a full-time W-2 apprentice costs $44,075.20 in wages, $3,371.75 in employer FICA, and $42 in net FUTA. With hypothetical state unemployment of $270, hypothetical workers' comp of $1,322.26, and $660 of payroll software, the example total is $49,741.21, or $23.91 per paid hour. A registered program's wage schedule may start lower or higher.
Does an electrician's apprentice need a license?
In many states, yes, or at least a registration, before the person can do licensed electrical work. The rule is set by the state electrical board, not by the IRS. A registered apprenticeship through the DOL or a state agency is separate from a license, and both may apply. Check the board in the state where the work is done.
Can I hire an electrician's apprentice as a 1099 contractor?
Only if the person is actually independent under IRS and state tests. An apprentice who trains on your jobs, under your supervision, with your tools and materials is usually an employee. See the IRS independent contractor guidance.
Federal figures were checked against 2026 IRS Publication 15 and the linked official pages in November 2026. Rows marked hypothetical are examples only. State rules and rates vary; confirm with your state agencies, an insurance agent, and your accountant before you hire.