Electricians Salary
In Wilmington, NC, electricians earn $54,080 at the median, or about $26 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $56,088 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 39.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About electricians
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Wilmington
Pay for electricians in Wilmington runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $63K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 39.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for electricianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for electricians in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $59K | $61K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $57K | $58K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $58K | $63K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $59K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level electricians (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Electricians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Electricians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $101K | +60% | 10,590 |
| Illinois | $100K | +58% | 23,120 |
| Hawaii | $96K | +53% | 3,070 |
| Washington | $95K | +51% | 19,380 |
| Alaska | $89K | +42% | 1,870 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +26% | 17,810 |
| District of Columbia | $79K | +25% | 2,440 |
| New York | $79K | +25% | 40,130 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +24% | 14,350 |
| Connecticut | $78K | +23% | 7,710 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +22% | 13,520 |
| Montana | $77K | +21% | 2,750 |
| Wisconsin | $77K | +21% | 14,310 |
| Michigan | $76K | +21% | 23,530 |
| California | $76K | +21% | 73,310 |
| Wyoming | $76K | +20% | 2,960 |
| Maine | $75K | +19% | 3,780 |
| Rhode Island | $74K | +17% | 2,420 |
| Nevada | $74K | +16% | 8,350 |
| Maryland | $73K | +16% | 13,690 |
| Indiana | $68K | +8% | 19,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $68K | +7% | 22,730 |
| Kansas | $66K | +4% | 6,350 |
| North Dakota | $66K | +4% | 3,570 |
| Missouri | $65K | +4% | 12,780 |
| West Virginia | $65K | +3% | 4,290 |
| Ohio | $65K | +2% | 28,950 |
| Delaware | $64K | +1% | 2,260 |
| Vermont | $63K | +0% | 1,270 |
| Idaho | $63K | -0% | 5,690 |
| Virginia | $63K | -0% | 23,630 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | -1% | 3,330 |
| Colorado | $62K | -2% | 17,010 |
| Utah | $62K | -2% | 11,450 |
| Louisiana | $62K | -3% | 10,550 |
| South Dakota | $61K | -3% | 2,980 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -3% | 17,070 |
| Arizona | $61K | -3% | 21,140 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -3% | 8,500 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -4% | 6,610 |
| Iowa | $61K | -4% | 10,310 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -4% | 6,440 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -5% | 11,030 |
| South Carolina | $59K | -7% | 8,010 |
| Texas | $59K | -7% | 76,770 |
| New Mexico | $58K | -8% | 5,020 |
| Georgia | $58K | -8% | 21,650 |
| Florida | $57K | -9% | 49,700 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -10% | 21,640 |
| Alabama | $56K | -12% | 10,900 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -22% | 7,500 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track electricians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wilmington numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a electrician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 39.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for electricians in Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electricians typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,261/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is electrician a high-paying job in Wilmington?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $54K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for electricians?
Wilmington pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do electricians make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $54,080 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,680, and experienced electricians can clear $75,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,588/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 39.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a electricians salary go in Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median electricians salary is worth about $56,088 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do electricians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.