In Michigan, O*Net projected a 13% employment growth from 2020 to 2030, with 2,660 average annual job openings.
This growth means that city residents need highly-skilled electricians to deliver electrical services.
So if you want to become one, here’s how you can be a licensed electrician in Michigan.
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Potential Salary
Michigan electricians have the following salary information as of May 2021 per the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Mean Wage:
- Annually – $62,810
- Hourly – $30.20
| Percentile | Average Annual Wage |
| 10% | $36,420 |
| 25% | $46,920 |
| 50% | $61,930 |
| 75% | $78,140 |
| 90% | $93,150 |
Annual Salary Range:
Average Salary of Electricians in Michigan
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Detroit | $49,130 |
| Grand Rapids | $46,785 |
| Warren | $49,130 |
| Flint | $44,350 |
| Sterling Heights | $48,977 |
| Lansing | $46,949 |
| Ann Arbor | $50,331 |
| Livonia | $48,977 |
| Dearborn | $49,130 |
| Westland | $49,539 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor, MI | 650 | $78,840 | $37.90 | $101,660 | $46,710 |
| Battle Creek, MI | 180 | $66,180 | $31.82 | $91,540 | $37,440 |
| Bay City, MI | 220 | $65,790 | $31.63 | $84,280 | $41,070 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 11,840 | $75,730 | $36.41 | $102,850 | $44,640 |
| Flint, MI | 780 | $72,980 | $35.09 | $100,170 | $38,050 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 2,980 | $65,560 | $31.52 | $95,960 | $38,460 |
| Jackson, MI | 260 | $67,300 | $32.36 | $102,030 | $37,810 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 710 | $69,610 | $33.47 | $96,260 | $39,010 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 1,230 | $70,400 | $33.85 | $94,030 | $40,500 |
| Midland, MI | 230 | $54,840 | $26.37 | $81,380 | $34,600 |
| Monroe, MI | 170 | $74,180 | $35.66 | $94,120 | $42,800 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | 430 | $69,620 | $33.47 | $114,810 | $37,110 |
| Niles, MI | 210 | $74,160 | $35.66 | $116,500 | $38,310 |
| Saginaw, MI | 360 | $67,650 | $32.53 | $90,200 | $42,420 |
| Traverse City, MI | 400 | $59,950 | $28.82 | $83,360 | $36,800 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
How to Become a Licensed Electrician in Michigan
The MI Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes, Electrical Section regulates and issues the licenses of the following electricians:
- Apprentice electrician
- Fire alarm specialty technician apprentice
- Journeyman electrician
- Master electrician
- Electrical contractor
- Fire alarm specialty technician
- Fire alarm contractor
- Sign specialist
- Sign specialty contractor
However, the Electrical Section doesn’t oversee the licensing of electricians in the City of Detroit.
In Detroit, the local licensing board has the power to license its electricians.
So if you reside there, you should contact the local licensing board for the licensing requirements and process.
In this article, we’ll focus on the state-wide licensing procedures issued by the Electrical Section.
Becoming an Apprentice
Qualifications
To qualify for registration as an apprentice electrician or fire alarm specialty technician apprentice, you must meet the following:
- Enrolled in an approved training program
- Working under a sponsoring employer
License Application
To apply, you must submit the following:
- Completed apprentice application form
- Certification from the approved training program provider
- Certification from the sponsoring employer
- Copy of current contractor’s license of the sponsoring employer
- License fee – $15
License Renewal
Your license will require annual renewal.
To renew, you must complete the renewal application and pay the renewal fee of $15.
Becoming a Professional Electrician
Qualifications
To qualify for a professional electrician license, you must meet the following:
Journeyman Electrician
- Must be at least 20 years old
- At least 4 years with 8,000 hours of experience
- Successfully pass the licensure exam
Master Electrician
- Must be at least 22 old
- Holds a current journeyman electrician license for at least 2 years
- At least 6 years with 12,000 hours of experience
- Successfully pass the licensure exam
Fire Alarm Specialty Technician
- Must be at least 20 old
- Must be a NICET-certified associate engineering technician level II or equivalent
- Successfully pass the licensure exam
Sign Specialist
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Completed an approved sign specialist training program
- At least 2 years with 4,000 hours of experience
- Successfully pass the licensure exam
License Application
To apply, you must submit the following:
- Completed journeyman/master/fire alarm specialty technician/sign specialist application form
- For journeyman/master/sign specialist – notarized letter from employer(s) verifying your experience
- For fire alarm specialty technician – NICET certificate
- Application/licensing fee
- Journeyman/sign specialist – $40
- Master/fire alarm specialty technician – $50
Exam Details
The Electrical Section has contracted with PSI to help administer the electrician exams.
Here are the exam details for each licensure:
- Eligibility period – 1 year
- Exam fee – $100 each
- Exam type – open book with only authorized reference allowed to bring to the testing center
- No. of questions and duration
- Journeyman – 80 questions in 150 minutes
- Master – 76 questions in 180 minutes
- Fire alarm specialty technician – 36 questions in 90 minutes
- Sign specialist – 32 questions in 60 minutes
- Passing rate – 75%
- No. of exam attempts
- Journeyman/master/sign specialist – 2 attempts within the eligibility period
- Fire alarm specialty technician – unlimited
License Renewal
Your license will require annual renewal.
To renew, you must submit the following:
- Completed renewal application
- Proof of completing 15 hours of approved continuing education on the updated NEC
- Renewal fee
- Journeyman/sign specialist – $40
- Master/fire alarm specialty technician – $50
Becoming an Independent Electrical Contractor
Qualifications
To qualify for a contractor license, you must meet the following:
Electrical Contractor
- Holds a current master electrician license
- If you’re an out-of-state entity, you must employ an MI licensed master electrician
- Successfully pass the licensure exam
Fire Alarm Contractor
- Holds a current fire alarm specialty technician license
- If you’re an out-of-state entity, you must employ an MI licensed fire alarm specialty technician
- Successfully pass the licensure exam
Sign Specialty Contractor
- Holds a current sign specialist license
- If you’re an out-of-state entity, you must employ an MI licensed sign specialist
- Proof of public liability insurance
- Successfully pass the licensure exam
License Application
To apply, you must submit the following:
- Completed electrician/fire alarm/sign specialty contractor application form
- Copy of your current license
- For sign specialty contractor – certificate of insurance
- Application/licensing fee
- Electrical/fire alarm contractor – $300
- Sign specialty contractor – $200
Exam Details
Here are the exam details for the licensure:
- Eligibility period – 1 year
- Exam fee – $100 each
- Exam type – open book with only authorized reference allowed to bring to the testing center
- No. of questions – 40 questions each
- Duration – 90 minutes
- Passing rate – 75%
- No. of exam attempts – unlimited within the eligibility period
License Renewal
- Completed renewal application
- Renewal fee
- Electrical/fire alarm contractor – $300
- Sign specialty contractor – $200
Electrical Training Programs and Schools in Michigan
You have two options to receive electrician education and training:
- Enroll at an accredited technical school
- Apply at an approved apprenticeship program
Both will provide you with classroom instruction, practical training, and on-the-job experience in the trade.
The table below lists some of the schools and associations offering electrician programs that you can check out.
34 Electrician Schools in Michigan
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Alpena Community College | 665 Johnson St. Alpena, MI 49707 |
| Henry Ford College - Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Division | 5101 Evergreen Rd. Dearborn, MI 48128-1495 |
| Glen Oaks Community College | 62249 Shimmel Road Centreville MI 49032 |
| Gogebic Community College | E-4946 Jackson Road Ironwood, MI 49938 |
| Grand Rapids Community College | 143 Bostwick Avenue NE Grand Rapids, MI |
| Jackson College - Central Campus | 2111 Emmons Rd. Jackson, MI 49201 |
| JATC of Battle Creek | 1375 West Michigan Avenue Battle Creek, MI 49017 |
| JATC of Ann Arbor Electrical | 13400 Luick Drive Chelsea, MI 48118 |
| JATC of Bay City | 1206 West Thomas Bay City, MI 48706 |
| JATC of the Detroit Area | 2277 East 11 Mile Road Warren, MI 48092 |
| JATC of Flint | 5209 Exchange Drive Flint, MI 48507 |
| JATC of Iron Mountain | 205 East Flesheim Street Iron Mountain, MI 49801 |
| JATC of Kalamazoo | 3641 East Cork Street Kalamazoo, MI 49001 |
| JATC of Lansing | 5708 Cornerstone Drive Lansing, MI 48901 |
| JATC of Marquette | 119 South Front Street Marquette, MI 49855 |
| JATC of Saginaw | 7303 Gratiot Road Saginaw, MI 48609 |
| JATC of Traverse City | 3912 Blair Townhall Road West Traverse City, MI 49684 |
| JATC of West Michigan | 140 North 64th Avenue Coopersville, MI 49404 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | 6767 West O Ave. Kalamazoo, MI 49003 |
| Kellogg Community College | 450 North Avenue Battle Creek, MI 49017 |
| Kirtland College - Gaylord Campus | 60 Livingston Boulevard Gaylord, MI |
| Kirtland - West Branch Campus | 2479 South M-76 West Branch, MI 48661 |
| Kirtland College - Central campus | 10775 North Saint Helen Road Roscommon, MI 48653 |
| Lansing Community College | 610 North Capitol Ave Lansing, MI 48933 |
| Monroe County Community College - Main Campus | 1555 South Raisinville Rd. Monroe, MI |
| Monroe County Community College - Whitman Center | 7777 Lewis Avenue Temperance, MI 48182 |
| Montcalm Community College | 2800 College Drive Sidney, MI 48885 |
| Muskegon Community College | 221 South Quarterline Rd. Muskegon, MI 49442 |
| Oakland Community College | 2480 Opdyke Road Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 |
| Schoolcraft College | 18600 Haggerty Road Livonia, MI 48152 |
| Southwestern Michigan College - Niles Campus | 33890 U.S. Highway 12 Niles, MI 49120 |
| Southwestern Michigan - Dowagiac campus | 58900 Old Cherry Grove Rd. Dowagiac, MI |
| Wayne County Community College | 801 West Fort Street Detroit, MI 48226 |
| West Shore Community College | 3000 North Stiles Road Scottville, MI 49454 |
Electrician Schools by City
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