The average salary for a Electrician in Oakland is 86,902 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 7,242 $ gross per month and 41.78 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 42,857 $ to 133,333 $. The analysis is based on 28 salary reports from workers and employers in Oakland. Part-time salaries are proportionally converted to 40 weekly hours so the values are comparable.
| Date | Job title | Weekly hours | Reported gross/year | Normalized to 40h/year | Gross/month 40h | Gross/hour 40h | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/14/2026 | Journeyman Electrician (Union) | 40.0 h | 115,000 $ | 115,000 $ | 9,583 $ | 55.29 $ | I'm a journeyman in the local union working on high-demand infrastructure projects; full-time with premium pay and shift differentials. |
| 01/21/2026 | Master Electrician (Self-Employed) | 45.0 h | 150,000 $ | 133,333 $ | 11,111 $ | 64.10 $ | I run a small electrical contracting firm as a master electrician, manage crews, pull permits, and still do hands-on installations; long weeks reflect management and billable work. |
| 10/09/2025 | Maintenance Electrician | 40.0 h | 96,000 $ | 96,000 $ | 8,000 $ | 46.15 $ | I do full-time maintenance for a large mixed-use building and handle electrical emergencies and preventative projects; my experience and overtime contribute to pay. |
| 07/27/2025 | Apprentice Electrician (Part-time) | 30.0 h | 36,000 $ | 48,000 $ | 4,000 $ | 23.08 $ | I'm part-time as an apprentice while finishing classroom hours; I work about 30 hours per week on site assisting with basic installs. |
| 03/15/2025 | Electrical Estimator / Supervisor | 44.0 h | 135,000 $ | 122,727 $ | 10,227 $ | 59.00 $ | I perform estimating and supervise project delivery for medium to large projects; it's a management role and I work extended hours during bid season. |
| 12/03/2024 | Senior Industrial Electrician | 42.0 h | 128,000 $ | 121,905 $ | 10,159 $ | 58.61 $ | I work as a senior electrician in an industrial plant and oversee control upgrades; my role includes after-hours troubleshooting and occasional supervision of two techs. |
| 06/22/2024 | Union Journeyman Electrician | 40.0 h | 110,000 $ | 110,000 $ | 9,167 $ | 52.88 $ | As a union journeyman on prevailing-wage municipal projects I've seen wages rise; I'm full-time and receive union benefits on top of wages. |
| 01/10/2024 | Lead Electrician - Large Contractor | 40.0 h | 120,000 $ | 120,000 $ | 10,000 $ | 57.69 $ | I'm lead electrician on large-scale commercial builds for a national contractor; full-time with significant responsibility for quality and coordination. |
| 11/30/2023 | Electrical Supervisor | 44.0 h | 140,000 $ | 127,273 $ | 10,606 $ | 61.19 $ | I supervise electrical crews on large commercial projects and handle scheduling and compliance; my role is management-heavy and I work longer weeks. |
| 08/30/2023 | Service Electrician (Part-time) | 20.0 h | 52,000 $ | 104,000 $ | 8,667 $ | 50.00 $ | I work part-time doing high-rate emergency service calls in the evenings and weekends; although hours are low, rates and call volume produce this annual figure. |
| 04/18/2023 | Electrical Contractor (Self-Employed) | 40.0 h | 125,000 $ | 125,000 $ | 10,417 $ | 60.10 $ | I own a small contracting company and take on both residential and light commercial projects; income reflects business revenue after expenses. |
| 11/12/2022 | Electrical Technician (Mid-level) | 38.0 h | 82,000 $ | 86,316 $ | 7,193 $ | 41.50 $ | I'm a mid-level technician specializing in troubleshooting control panels; I'm full-time and receive occasional overtime for emergency calls. |
| 05/01/2022 | Master Electrician | 45.0 h | 115,000 $ | 102,222 $ | 8,519 $ | 49.15 $ | I hold a master electrician license and manage larger projects while still doing hands-on work; my weeks often run long due to permit and inspection responsibilities. |
| 02/17/2022 | Solar Electrician | 40.0 h | 95,000 $ | 95,000 $ | 7,917 $ | 45.67 $ | I install and maintain commercial and residential solar inverters and panels; full-time work and demand for solar pushed my pay up over the last couple of years. |
| 09/09/2021 | Senior Electrician | 40.0 h | 98,000 $ | 98,000 $ | 8,167 $ | 47.12 $ | I have over ten years of experience and handle complex commercial projects; I'm full-time and often act as technical lead though I don't have formal managerial title. |
| 02/27/2021 | Self-Employed Residential Electrician | 40.0 h | 85,000 $ | 85,000 $ | 7,083 $ | 40.87 $ | I run my own residential contracting business as the sole technician; I work full-time and handle bidding, customer service, and installations. |
| 11/18/2020 | Journeyman Electrician | 40.0 h | 76,000 $ | 76,000 $ | 6,333 $ | 36.54 $ | I'm a journeyman with five years' experience working full-time on commercial projects; overtime and prevailing wage jobs raised my annual earnings. |
| 06/30/2020 | Maintenance Electrician (Part-time) | 30.0 h | 42,000 $ | 56,000 $ | 4,667 $ | 26.92 $ | I do part-time maintenance for a medium-sized rental property portfolio doing preventative and reactive work; I average 30 hours weekly. |
| 12/05/2019 | Residential Apprentice - Service | 28.0 h | 30,000 $ | 42,857 $ | 3,571 $ | 20.60 $ | I work part-time while finishing my apprenticeship, responding to service calls and learning troubleshooting skills; about 28 hours a week. |
| 07/07/2019 | Independent Contractor (1099) | 35.0 h | 82,000 $ | 93,714 $ | 7,810 $ | 45.05 $ | I work as an independent contractor focusing on tenant improvements; hours are typically 35 per week but I handle my own benefits and taxes. |
| 04/23/2019 | Lead Electrician | 40.0 h | 78,000 $ | 78,000 $ | 6,500 $ | 37.50 $ | I lead a small crew on commercial remodels and handle on-site decisions; I'm full-time and responsible for mentoring two apprentices. |
| 12/29/2018 | Residential Service Electrician | 28.0 h | 36,000 $ | 51,429 $ | 4,286 $ | 24.73 $ | I do part-time evening and weekend service calls for homeowners while attending schooling; typically around 28 hours a week. |
| 09/14/2018 | Industrial Electrician | 38.0 h | 70,000 $ | 73,684 $ | 6,140 $ | 35.43 $ | I maintain industrial control systems and motors at medium-sized facilities; I'm full-time and often do rotating weekend shifts. |
| 03/08/2018 | Union Electrician | 40.0 h | 65,000 $ | 65,000 $ | 5,417 $ | 31.25 $ | I'm a union journeyman working primarily on retrofit projects for two years; I work full-time with union benefits contributing to the total pay. |
| 08/05/2017 | Small Business Owner - Electrician | 40.0 h | 65,000 $ | 65,000 $ | 5,417 $ | 31.25 $ | I run a two-person electrical contracting business and do hands-on work as well as client estimates; income reflects steady local residential work. |
| 05/20/2017 | Journeyman Electrician | 40.0 h | 52,000 $ | 52,000 $ | 4,333 $ | 25.00 $ | I hold my journeyman card and work full time on residential and small commercial jobs; I've been here two years and I don't manage staff. |
| 12/19/2016 | Residential Electrician | 40.0 h | 45,000 $ | 45,000 $ | 3,750 $ | 21.63 $ | I work full-time installing and remodeling residential wiring; I have three years of experience and do not supervise others. |
| 08/15/2016 | Apprentice Electrician | 25.0 h | 28,000 $ | 44,800 $ | 3,733 $ | 21.54 $ | I'm an apprentice and have been working part-time while finishing my schooling; I usually work about 25 hours a week doing basic wiring and assisting journeymen. |
Oakland, California sits at the heart of the East Bay’s infrastructure network, with a deep-water port, a major international airport, regional transit hubs, and dense commercial and residential neighborhoods. That mix creates steady, diverse demand for electricians across construction, industrial facilities, transit, and building maintenance. Local climate and electrification policies, aging building stock, and ongoing capital improvements in transportation and utilities all contribute to a healthy outlook for the trade.
Electricians in Oakland typically see opportunities tied to modernization of public infrastructure (transit power, traffic signals, wastewater plants), tenant improvements in offices and health care, and fast-growing areas like EV charging, solar, battery storage, and building electrification. The City of Oakland adopted an all-electric new construction ordinance in 2020, and the Port of Oakland continues to expand shore power and cargo-handling electrification in response to state air-quality rules—both of which can increase demand for skilled electrical work.
Oakland is part of the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley metro, where construction and facility operations often run year-round. Hiring is split between signatory union contractors and open-shop firms, as well as direct in-house roles with public agencies, utilities, hospitals, and universities. Many projects require night or weekend shifts to minimize service disruptions, especially in transit, airport, and hospital settings.
In California, electricians who work for C-10 contractors generally must be state-certified (for example, as a Certified General Electrician) or registered apprentices through the Department of Industrial Relations. Supervisory and business ownership roles often require a C-10 contractor license. Employers also commonly look for OSHA-10/30 safety cards, a clean driving record, and familiarity with Title 24 energy code, California Electrical Code, and local permitting through the City of Oakland. Union pathways are active in Alameda County through IBEW Local 595 and the associated apprenticeship programs, which many contractors and public agencies recognize.
Market drivers in Oakland include: ongoing BART system maintenance and power upgrades; Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport facility projects; EV charging buildouts for fleets and multifamily properties; seismic and life-safety retrofits in older buildings; and energy-efficiency retro-commissioning in commercial space. Job boards and union dispatch lists in the East Bay regularly show postings for journeylevel and apprentice electricians in service, construction, industrial, and low-voltage specialties.
Electricians in Oakland can build careers in several directions: commercial construction and tenant improvements; industrial and utility work (substations, water/wastewater, shore power); transportation systems (BART, AC Transit, airport); and facilities maintenance in hospitals, schools, and public buildings. Growth areas include EV charging infrastructure, building electrification and heat pump retrofits, solar plus storage, and advanced controls and building automation. Traffic signal and roadway lighting work also remains active through city and regional transportation projects.
Progression typically runs from registered apprentice to journeylevel, then to foreman, general foreman, estimator, or project manager. Electricians who add niche skills—such as instrumentation and controls, fire alarm (often supported by NICET certifications), medium-voltage terminations, or EVSE manufacturer training—can access specialized roles on complex jobs. Strong code knowledge, safety leadership, and the ability to coordinate with other trades are highly valued on Oakland projects, where many sites are occupied facilities or critical infrastructure.
Overall, the combination of public capital programs, private development, port and airport operations, and California’s push toward cleaner, electrified buildings supports a favorable outlook for electricians in Oakland. Candidates who maintain state certification, keep up with evolving codes and technology, and are comfortable working in live, mission-critical environments are well positioned to find steady work across the city and the broader East Bay.
The average salary for a Electrician in Oakland is 86,902 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 7,242 $ gross per month.
Part-time and full-time reports are normalized to a 40-hour workweek so salary reports can be compared fairly.
You can find more comparisons on the profession overview for Electrician and the city overview for Oakland. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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