Electrician Salary in Tennessee: What You Really Earn in 2025

When you think about becoming an electrician, a licensed professional who installs, maintains, and repairs electrical systems in homes, businesses, and industrial sites. Also known as wireman, it’s one of the most stable skilled trades in the U.S., especially in growing states like Tennessee. You’re not just fixing wires—you’re keeping lights on, machines running, and homes safe. And yes, that work pays well—if you know where to look.

Electrician salaries in Tennessee vary by city, experience, and specialization. In Nashville and Memphis, journeyman electricians earn between $55,000 and $75,000 a year. In smaller towns, you might start lower, but the cost of living is too. Apprenticeships, structured on-the-job training programs that combine classroom learning with paid fieldwork are the standard path in Tennessee, and most start at 40-50% of a journeyman’s wage. After 4-5 years, you can take the state licensing exam. Once licensed, your pay jumps fast—especially if you work for contractors in booming areas like Chattanooga or Knoxville, where new construction is heating up.

What really moves the needle? Specializing in commercial electrical work, installing and maintaining electrical systems in offices, factories, and retail spaces can boost your income by 20-30% over residential work. Solar panel installations and EV charger setups are new high-demand skills—Tennessee’s clean energy push means electricians with these certs are getting hired fast. Overtime is common, and many electricians pick up side gigs on weekends, fixing panels or upgrading panels for homeowners. One electrician in Clarksville told me he makes nearly $100,000 a year just by doing after-hours residential service calls.

You don’t need a four-year degree. You don’t even need to be great at math. You just need to be careful, consistent, and willing to learn the code. The electrician salary in Tennessee is rising because demand keeps climbing and workers are aging out. Companies are desperate to hire. That means you can walk into an apprenticeship right now and lock in a career that pays better than most college grads.

Below, you’ll find real guides from people who’ve been there—how to start, what tools to buy, how to pass the test, and how some electricians in Tennessee doubled their income without switching jobs. No fluff. Just what works.