Electrician Classes in Washington (Top Schools)

According to the Employment Security Department of Washington State, electrician jobs will see a 21.8% increase between 2014 and 2024.

The reason for this lies in the new construction of residential and commercial buildings requiring the installation and maintenance of electrical systems.

So if you want to pursue an electrical career, now’s your chance to do so.

Here’s how you can become an electrician in Washington.

Potential Salary

Washington electricians have the following salary information as of May 2021 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Mean Wage:

• Annually – $79,050
• Hourly – $38

How to Become an Electrician in Washington

The WA State Department of Labor and Industries (WDLI) oversees the licensing regulations for the following individuals:

• Electrical trainee
• Electrician
  • General journey-level electrician
  • Specialty electrician
• Master electrician
  • Journey-level master electrician
  • Specialty master electrician
• Electrical administrator
  • General electrical administrator
  • Specialty electrical administrator
• Telecommunications administrator
• Electrical contractor
  • General electrical contractor
  • Specialty electrical contractor
• Telecommunications contractor

Regarding the specialty classifications, these are as follows:

• Residential (02)
• Pump and irrigation (03)
• Domestic pump (03A)
• Signs (04)
• Limited energy system (06)
• HVAC/R systems – unrestricted (06A) and restricted (06B)
• Nonresidential maintenance (07)
• Nonresidential lighting maintenance and lighting retrofit (07A)
• Residential maintenance (07B)
• Restricted nonresidential maintenance (07C)
• Appliance repair (07D)
• Equipment repair (07E)
• Telecommunications (09)
• Door, gate, and similar systems (10)

For the scope of each specialty, please review WAC 296-46B-920(2).

Becoming an Electrical Trainee

Qualifications

To qualify, you must meet these requirements:

• Must be at least 16 years old
• Valid SSN

License Application

To apply for the trainee certificate, you must submit the following:

• Completed initial certificate application online
• Application fee

License Renewal

Your trainee certificate will need renewal every 2 years.

To renew, you must submit the following:

• Completed renewal application online
• Applicable renewal fee
• Proof of completing 48 hours of basic classroom instruction
• Affidavit of experience

Note: You can opt to apply for a nonrenewable trainee certificate provided you’ve met its qualifications.

• 6-Month Electrical Training Certificate; OR,
• 0% Supervision Modified Electrical Training Certificate and Specialty Examination

Becoming an Electrician

Qualifications

To qualify, you must meet these requirements:

• Successfully pass the required exam

-AND-

General Journey-level Electrician

• At least 8,000 hours of experience as an electrical trainee, of which 4,000 hours must be on commercial or industrial installations
• Must be under at least 75% supervision of a certified journey-level electrician
• Completed 96 hours of basic classroom instruction

Specialty Electrician

If you’re applying for residential (02), pump and irrigation (03), signs (04), limited energy system (06), HVAC/R system (06A), or nonresidential maintenance (07):

• At least 4,000 hours of experience in the chosen specialty
• Must be under at least 75% supervision of a certified journey-level or specialty electrician
• Completed 48 hours of basic classroom instruction

If you’re applying for domestic well (3A), HVAC/R – restricted (6B), nonresidential lighting maintenance and lighting retrofit (7A), residential maintenance (7B), restricted nonresidential maintenance (7C), appliance repair (7D), equipment repair (7E), door, gate, and similar systems (10):

• At least 2,000 hours of experience in the chosen specialty
• Must be under 100% supervision of a certified journey-level or specialty electrician
• Completed 24 hours of basic classroom instruction

License Application

To apply, you must submit the following:

For general journey-level and specialties with 4,000 hours of experience:

• Completed In-State Application for Electrical Examination form
• Application fee – $95.20
• Affidavits of experience

For specialties with 2,000 hours of experience:

• Completed 0% Supervision Modified Electrical Training Certificate and Specialty Examination form
• Application fee – $84.90
• Affidavit of experience

License Renewal

Your certificate will need renewal every 3 years, expiring on your birthday.

To renew, you must submit the following:

• Completed renewal application, online, in-person, or by mail
• Applicable renewal fee
• Proof of completing 24 hours of approved continuing education courses

Becoming a Master Electrician

Qualifications

To qualify, you must meet these requirements:

• Successfully pass the required exam

-AND-

Journey-level Master Electrician

• Must be a certified general journey-level electrician for at least 4 years

Specialty Master Electrician

• Must be a certified specialty electrician for at least 2 years

License Application

To apply, you must submit the following:

• Completed Application for Master Electrician Certification Examination form
• Application fee – $169.80

License Renewal

Your certificate will need renewal every 3 years, expiring on your birthday.

To renew, you must submit the following:

• Completed renewal application, online, in-person, or by mail
• Applicable renewal fee
• Proof of completing 24 hours of approved CE courses

Becoming an Electrical Administrator

Qualifications

To qualify for a general or specialty administrator certificate, you must only successfully pass the administrator exam.

License Application

To apply, you must submit the following:

• Exam score report
• Application fee – $132.80

License Renewal

Your certificate will need renewal every 3 years, expiring on your birthday.

To renew, you must submit the following:

• Completed renewal application, online, in-person, or by mail
• Applicable renewal fee
• Proof of completing 24 hours of approved CE courses

Becoming a Telecommunications Administrator

Qualifications

Same with the electrical administrator, you only need to successfully pass the telecommunications administrator exam to qualify.

License Application

To apply, you must submit the following:

• Exam score report
• Application fee – $88.30

License Renewal

Your certificate will need renewal every 2 years, expiring on your birthday.

To renew, you must submit the following:

• Completed renewal application, online, in-person, or by mail
• Applicable renewal fee

Exam Details for All Individual Electrical Licenses

WDLI has contracted with PSI to help administer the licensure exams.

Here are the details for the electrician exam:

• Exam eligibility period – 1 year
• Exam fee – on a per-hour basis
• Exam type – open book with only the authorized reference materials allowed
• Passing score – 70%
• Exam attempts – 3 attempts

Please refer to the WA Electrical Certification Candidate Information Bulletin for the exact fees and detailed exam content.

How to Become an Independent Electrical Contractor in Washington

Becoming an Electrical Contractor

Qualifications

To qualify for a general or specialty electrical contractor license, you must meet these requirements:

• Assigned a certified master electrician or electrical administrator
• Valid UBI number issued by the WA Secretary of State or Department of Revenue
• Surety bond of $4,000 or assignment of savings account
• Worker’s compensation, if applicable
• General liability insurance (optional)

License Application

To apply, you must submit the following:

• Completed Application for Electrical Contractor’s License form
• Application fee – $337.60
• Completed Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate form
• Surety bond certificate or assignment of savings account form

License Renewal

Your license will need renewal 2 years from its effective date.

To renew, you must submit the following:

• Completed renewal application, online, in-person, or by mail
• Applicable renewal fee
• Current surety bond or assignment of savings account
• Current assigned master electrician or electrical administrator

Becoming a Telecommunications Contractor

Qualifications

To qualify for a general or specialty electrical contractor license, you must meet these requirements:

• Assigned a certified telecommunications administrator
• Valid UBI number issued by the WA Secretary of State or Business Licensing Service
• Surety bond of $4,000 or assignment of savings account
• General liability insurance – $17,000 minimum
• Worker’s compensation, if applicable

License Application

To apply, you must submit the following:

• Completed Application for Electrical Contractor’s License form
• Application fee – $337.60
• Completed Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate form
• Surety bond certificate or assignment of savings account form
• General liability insurance certificate

License Renewal

Your license will need renewal 2 years from its effective date.

To renew, you must submit the following:

• Completed renewal application, online, in-person, or by mail
• Applicable renewal fee
• Current surety bond or assignment of savings account
• Current general liability insurance certificate
• Current assigned telecommunications administrator

Electrical Training Programs and Schools in Washington

The electrical industry needs highly-skilled electricians to provide services to customers.

That’s why as an aspiring electrician, you must possess the knowledge and skills the industry requires.

You can obtain this by enrolling in an accredited trade school or sponsored apprenticeship program.

Trade Schools

Attending a trade school ensures you’ll have the fundamental trade education and training to become a trainee or even apply for an entry-level position.

Some of the key areas you’ll learn include:

• Electrical codes
• Trades math
• Ohm’s Law
• Electrical circuits
• Wiring and protection
• Basic motor controls
• Safety practices

Apprenticeship Programs

An apprenticeship program is usually sponsored by a union (through JATCs) or a non-union (through private companies).

If you want to directly apply for an apprenticeship after high school, then you can browse WDLI’s website for accredited programs.

You may also refer to the table below for a list of schools and associations offering electrical training programs.

Electrician Schools by City

• Seattle
• Spokane
• Vancouver

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