How to Become an Electrician in Indiana

Becoming an electrician in Indiana is an exciting career choice that offers hands-on work and daily variety. It is also a stable profession with strong job growth. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), electrician jobs are increasing at a 10% rate, which is faster than average. With classroom training, apprenticeship experience, and proper licensing, you can become a licensed electrician in just a few years. [En Español]

Requirements for an Indiana Electrical License

Unlike most states, Indiana does not have a statewide electrician licensing board. To work as an electrician, master electrician, or electrical contractor, you must apply for a license at the county or city level.

For example, in Indianapolis, electricians apply through the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services. The city offers two types of licenses:

• Master Electrician – Has no work restrictions
• Residential Electrician – Can work only on residential buildings

In Indianapolis, electrician license applicants must provide reference letters from employers and past customers, along with copies of degrees, certificates, or licenses. They must also complete an interview and pass an exam.

Other cities in Indiana have similar licensing requirements. Electricians can apply through:

• City of South Bend Building Department for South Bend
• Allen County Building Department for Fort Wayne
• Building Commission for Evansville

Since requirements are similar across cities, obtaining multiple licenses in different areas of Indiana is manageable.

To meet city or county licensing requirements in Indiana, you must complete an electrician training program. This includes learning the National Electrical Code (NEC) and gaining hands-on work experience.

You can qualify through:

• A degree program at a technical college or trade school combined with an apprenticeship
• A union or non-union apprenticeship program, which provides both classroom instruction and on-the-job training

Most Indiana cities require around 150 hours of classroom learning and four to six years of work experience to qualify for licensing.

Electrician Apprenticeship Programs in Indiana

An electrical apprenticeship program includes both classroom work, usually in the evenings, and daytime paid work as an apprentice with a master electrician to learn the trade and gain the needed hours of work experience. There are several union programs in the state, which are offered through local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union (IBEW), in partnership with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) in the form of Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committees (JATC). These Indiana unions and corresponding JATCs offer electrical apprenticeships:

• IBEW Local 305, Fort Wayne – Fort Wayne JATC
• IBEW Local 481, Indianapolis – Indianapolis Electrical Training Institute
• IBEW Local 16, Wabash County – NECA/IBEW Electrical Training Center JATC, Wabash County and Southwestern Indiana
• IBEW Local 153, South Bend – South Bend JATC 153
• IBEW Local 725, Terre Haute – Terre Haute Electrical JATC
• IBEW Local 855, Muncie – Muncie Electrical JATC
• IBEW Local 873, Kokomo – Marion – Kokomo Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee
• IBEW Local 668, Lafayette – Lafayette Electrical JATC

Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) programs in Indiana take five years to complete. To enroll, applicants must be 18 years or older, have a high school diploma or GED, and hold a valid driver’s license. They must also pass a general aptitude test, which includes algebra, and live within the JATC jurisdiction. These programs provide the classroom instruction and hands-on training needed to qualify for licensing in Indiana.

There are also a few non-union apprenticeship programs through the Independent Electrical Contractors in Indianapolis, Southern Indiana and Crown Point. These programs are similar to those offered by the IBEW chapters with classroom hours, apprenticeship hours and the same general requirements for enrolling.

• Central Indiana IEC (Indianapolis)
• IEC Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter
• IEC Southern Indiana Chapter (Evansville)
• Midwest IEC (Crown Point)
• ABC-Indiana/Kentucky Chapter (Indianapolis)

Indiana Electricians Schools

The most direct route to becoming an electrician in Indiana is to enroll in one of the apprenticeship programs, but it is not the only one. You can also choose to earn a degree in electrical technology or engineering at one of Indiana’s trade schools or community colleges to get the required classroom hours and then partner with a local electrician to get the needed hours of work experience.

• Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis and Bloomington. Ivy Tech has a two-year degree program in electrical engineering technology, which prepares students for a variety of related careers. This degree can be used to work toward becoming an electrician or to get entry-level jobs in technical fields.
• Vincennes University, Vincennes. Vincennes offers four different two-year degrees in electronics, including electronics technician. This degree can lead to an entry-level position as a technician and provides the classroom learning necessary to begin apprenticing with a master electrician.

Outlook and Salary Expectations

Careers for electricians in Indiana are growing at a fast rate. The BLS reports that in 2018 there were 15,790 electricians employed in the state and that by 2028 that number should increase to 17,380. That means there will be more than 1,500 new jobs and opportunities for young electricians training right now, creating an average of 2,080 job openings per year.

If you become an electrician in Indiana you can expect to earn a good living. This is skilled work that not anyone can do, and the salaries are commensurate with training. In 2019, the average annual salary for an electrician in the state was $57,240. But, the top earners in the state were making an average of $88,410 that year.

Salaries in Indiana by Occupation 2019

Occupation	Total Employment	Mean Hourly Wage	Mean Annual Wage	Annual Salary 10th Percentile	Annual Salary 25th Percentile	Annual Salary 75th Percentile	Annual Salary 90th Percentile
Electricians	15,330	$32.73	$68,070	$39,520	$50,440	$82,460	$93,660
Helpers--Electricians	680	$15.15	$38,400	$30,260	$35,600	$45,010	$55,840
Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment	220	$23.16	$48,170	$28,740	$44,650	$80,220	$113,640
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment	520	$26.70	$55,530	$40,560	$40,780	$70,330	$80,540
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay	830	$36.96	$96,900	$71,040	$80,560	$104,150	$117,880
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	3,490	$46.18	$96,060	$57,650	$80,250	$101,090	$105,000

Electrician Salaries in Indiana by Region 2019

Area	Total Employment	Mean Hourly Wage	Mean Annual Salary	Hourly Wage 10th Percentile	Hourly Wage 25th Percentile	Hourly Wage 75th Percentile	Hourly Wage 90th Percentile
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	5,230	$30.14	$62,690	$18.03	$22.99	$37.53	$43.34
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	19,390	$47.50	$98,790	$23.99	$35.81	$52.24	$57.54
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	4,050	$29.20	$60,730	$18.45	$23.11	$37.98	$38.84
Evansville, IN-KY	1,000	$36.03	$74,950	$18.38	$24.37	$39.65	$44.24
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI	770	$37.14	$77,250	$19.31	$25.68	$39.02	$45.51
Bloomington, IN	240	$29.42	$61,200	$21.76	$24.64	$40.09	$45.37
Columbus, IN	230	$35.57	$73,980	$25.69	$30.08	$38.59	$38.81
Elkhart-Goshen, IN	1,000	$21.33	$44,370	$10.00	$10.12	$30.60	$38.95
Fort Wayne, IN	1,340	$32.06	$66,670	$19.61	$24.14	$38.72	$39.50
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN	5,080	$31.10	$64,690	$19.38	$23.94	$39.65	$44.41
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN	550	$36.37	$75,650	$18.17	$24.37	$38.98	$39.71
Michigan City-La Porte, IN	120	$30.60	$63,650	$21.30	$23.15	$38.28	$42.63
Muncie, IN	130	$30.93	$64,340	$18.56	$23.40	$36.06	$39.50
Terre Haute, IN	380	$35.63	$74,110	$21.44	$27.59	$40.29	$45.19

Working as an Electrician in Indiana

Job opportunities for new electricians in Indiana are strong and expected to grow. Many electricians obtain city licenses to work as independent electrical contractors, either self-employed or running contracting businesses that hire other electricians. New electricians may find jobs with electrical contractors, city and county governments, builders, or construction companies. With a few years of training and hands-on experience, you can join this in-demand field and build a stable, well-paying career.

College Programs

• Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
• Southern Indiana Nonmetropolitan Area

Indianapolis-Carmel, IN Area

50 W. Fall Creek Parkway N. Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208-5752
(317) 921-4800
Electrical Engineering Technology – Certificate Program, Electrical Engineering Technology – Associate Program

Ivy Tech Community College offers various Certificate program options for future professionals, a Certificate program and an Associate program. Classes are taken at their campus in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. This public college has about 81,668 students in total, with the majority of students on 2-year programs. Ivy Tech Community College is institutionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission. The cost of tuition for students living in the state is roughly around $4,255 and for out-of-state students around $8,211 for each academic year. Learning materials may cost roughly $1,390, although this will vary with the program. The Electrical Engineering Technology program at Ivy Tech Community College prepares students for a variety of careers in technology, such as computing, networking, communications, eletrical power and machinery, process control and automation, robotics, energy management, and transportation. Students can acquire the associate level Certified Electronics Technician (CET) certification.

7225 Winton Drive – Building 128, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268
(317) 632-5553 x40400
Electrical / Electronics – Certificate Program, Electrical / Electronics – Associate Program

Lincoln College of Technology offers multiple training options, including a Certificate program and an Associate program. All programs are offered at their Indianapolis campus in the city of Indianapolis. The majority of of the school’s 1,103 students are on 2-year programs. The college is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. Fees for tuition are about $30,005 yearly, while study materials may cost about $1,458, depending on the program. With 1,200 hours of instruction, students learn electrical, motor and generator theory, and then use this information as their starting knowledge base to learn about more advanced topics such as the National Electrical Code (NEC), telecommunications, residential and commercial wiring and OSHA requirements. This course of study also includes training in power generation and distribution, blueprint reading and semi-conductor applications such as programmatic logic controllers, alarm and CCTV systems, and photovoltaics. The instruction is broken down into 864 hours of classroom teaching and 336 hours of hands-on job experience. After graduation from this program, students are ready to join the industry as electrician apprentices.

Southern Indiana Nonmetropolitan Area Area

1002 N First St, Vincennes, Indiana 47591
(812) 888-8888
Electronics Technician – Associate Program

Vincennes University’s Associate-level Electronics Technician program is taught at their campus in the town of Vincennes. This public college has round 18,711 students in total, with the majority of students on 4-year programs. The university is institutionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission. The cost of tuition for in-state students is usually in the order of $5,737 and for students from outside the state in the order of $13,567 per year. Learning materials may cost in the order of $1,286, although this will vary with the program.

* College accredition status and tuition fees and are, to our best knowledge, correct at the time of writing, and sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (http://nces.ed.gov/). Check all details directly with college before applying.

Neighbor States

Residents of Indiana may also wish to review their options in Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio.

FAQs

How much do electricians earn in the state of Indiana?

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, electricians in the state of Indiana made an average of $59,130 per year in 2019. Entry-level electricians earned around $33,730 and some experienced professionals earned salaries as high as $88,410.