Best And Worst Cities For Electricians To Earn A Living
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As an electrician, you want your wages to take you as far as possible.
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Xemplar assembled a list of average pay rates for electricians nationally adjusted for the cost of living for each of the top metropolitan areas in the United States.
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The average adjusted pay rate for an electrician across the top U.S. metropolitan areas was $22.19/hour.
It’s understandable that as a hardworking electrician you want your wages to take you as far as possible. Xemplar did the research for you: “Which cities of the top 50 metropolitan areas are the best or worst paying for electricians when you consider both wage and the local cost of living?”
We used average pay rate data from Indeed and combined it with cost of living index data from C2ER. The idea behind the study is that a dollar earned in a more expensive city is actually worth less than a dollar earned in a less expensive city. At two extremes, $10 dollars earned in San Francisco, California with a cost of living index of 164 is equivalent to $6.09 in purchasing power (i.e. buying food, paying rent, etc.), while $10 dollars earned in Indianapolis, Indiana with a cost of living index of 87.2 is actually equivalent to $11.47 in purchasing power.
From its data set, Xemplar has assembled a list of the adjusted pay levels for electricians in the top 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
The results will surprise you. With 50 cities, adjusted average hourly pay levels range from $15.56 all the way up to $28.31. You might expect the most expensive cities to provide the least value to its electricians, but that is not the case.
See the best and worst U.S. cities to make a living as an electrician, ranked from worst to best.
50. New York, NY
Population: 20,320,876
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.74
Cost of Living Index: 159.00
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $15.56
49. Riverside, CA
Population: 4,580,670
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.68
Cost of Living Index: 112.50
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $17.49
48. San Diego, CA
Population: 3,337,685
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $23.59
Cost of Living Index: 132.30
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $17.83
47. Philadelphia, PA
Population: 6,096,120
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.66
Cost of Living Index: 126.50
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $17.91
46. Los Angeles, CA
Population: 13,353,907
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.69
Cost of Living Index: 136.40
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $18.10
45. Miami, FL
Population: 6,158,824
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.51
Cost of Living Index: 106.00
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $18.41
44. Orlando, FL
Population: 2,509,831
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $18.44
Cost of Living Index: 97.80
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $18.85
43. San Francisco, CA
Population: 4,727,357
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $31.27
Cost of Living Index: 164.00
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.07
42. Tampa, FL
Population: 3,091,399
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $17.95
Cost of Living Index: 92.40
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.43
41. Washington DC
Population: 6,216,589
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $27.23
Cost of Living Index: 140.10
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.44
40. San Jose, CA
Population: 1,998,463
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $30.86
Cost of Living Index: 156.10
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.77
39. San Antonio, TX
Population: 2,473,974
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.17
Cost of Living Index: 95.70
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.03
38. Jacksonville, FL
Population: 1,504,980
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $18.69
Cost of Living Index: 92.90
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.12
37. Raleigh, NC
Population: 1,335,079
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.80
Cost of Living Index: 98.20
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.16
36. Phoenix, AZ
Population: 4,737,270
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.94
Cost of Living Index: 100.70
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.79
35. Baltimore, MD
Population: 2,808,175
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.91
Cost of Living Index: 119.40
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.86
34. Charlotte, NC
Population: 2,525,305
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.52
Cost of Living Index: 93.20
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.94
33. Cleveland, OH
Population: 2,058,844
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.24
Cost of Living Index: 101.00
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.03
32. Las Vegas, NV
Population: 2,204,079
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.62
Cost of Living Index: 101.90
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.22
31. Chicago, IL
Population: 9,533,040
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.89
Cost of Living Index: 116.90
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.29
30. Sacramento, CA
Population: 2,324,884
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $25.06
Cost of Living Index: 116.20
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.57
29. New Orleans, LA
Population: 1,275,762
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.14
Cost of Living Index: 97.00
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.79
28. Birmingham, AL
Population: 1,149,807
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $19.83
Cost of Living Index: 90.80
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.84
27. Dallas, TX
Population: 7,399,662
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.12
Cost of Living Index: 91.90
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.89
26. Virginia Beach, VA
Population: 1,725,246
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.52
Cost of Living Index: 111.70
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.95
25. Salt Lake City, UT
Population: 1,203,105
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.17
Cost of Living Index: 100.60
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.04
24. Columbus, OH
Population: 2,078,725
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.34
Cost of Living Index: 92.00
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.11
23. Milwaukee, WI
Population: 1,576,236
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.58
Cost of Living Index: 101.90
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.16
22. Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 2,333,367
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.55
Cost of Living Index: 91.50
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.46
21. Austin, TX
Population: 2,115,827
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.47
Cost of Living Index: 95.50
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.48
20. Memphis, TN
Population: 1,348,260
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.32
Cost of Living Index: 88.20
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $23.04
19. Boston, MA
Population: 4,836,531
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $30.69
Cost of Living Index: 132.50
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $23.16
18. Nashville, TN
Population: 1,903,045
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $20.69
Cost of Living Index: 88.90
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $23.27
17. Providence, RI
Population: 1,621,122
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $28.85
Cost of Living Index: 123.30
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $23.40
16. Minneapolis, MN
Population: 3,600,618
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $26.80
Cost of Living Index: 111.00
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.14
15. Denver, CO
Population: 2,888,227
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.95
Cost of Living Index: 103.20
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.18
14. Atlanta, GA
Population: 5,884,736
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $23.17
Cost of Living Index: 95.60
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.24
13. Richmond, VA
Population: 1,294,204
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.22
Cost of Living Index: 90.80
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.47
12. Houston, TX
Population: 6,892,427
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.67
Cost of Living Index: 92.20
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.59
11. Cincinnati, OH
Population: 2,179,082
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $23.20
Cost of Living Index: 93.80
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.73
10. Indianapolis, IN
Population: 2,028,614
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $21.59
Cost of Living Index: 87.20
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.76
9. Detroit, MI
Population: 4,313,002
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.79
Cost of Living Index: 99.40
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.94
8. Kansas City, KS
Population: 2,128,912
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.60
Cost of Living Index: 97.80
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $25.15
7. Louisville, KY
Population: 1,293,953
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $22.28
Cost of Living Index: 87.70
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $25.40
6. Buffalo, NY
Population: 1,136,856
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $24.43
Cost of Living Index: 95.80
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $25.50
5. Hartford, CT
Population: 1,210,259
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $31.15
Cost of Living Index: 121.80
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $25.57
4. Seattle, WA
Population: 3,867,046
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $32.22
Cost of Living Index: 121.40
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $26.54
3. Oklahoma City, OK
Population: 1,383,737
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $25.43
Cost of Living Index: 91.70
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $27.73
2. St. Louis, MO
Population: 2,807,338
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $25.20
Cost of Living Index: 90.40
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $27.88
1. Portand, OR
Population: 2,453,168
Average Electrician Pay Rate: $31.51
Cost of Living Index: 111.30
Adjusted Average Electrician Pay Rate: $28.31
About Xemplar
Xemplar is a specialty industrial staffing and recruiting company focused on the permanent placement of machinists, welders, technicians, mechanics, fabricators, electricians, precision assemblers, quality inspectors and related positions. We match top trades professionals with best-in-class industrial employers and reduce cost-per-hire through a service proven to be 2x more effective than traditional temp-to-hire staffing. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Xemplar provides nationwide support to its clients’ locations. Learn more about Xemplar here.
