If you are in high school and thinking about the electrical trade, the good news is that it is one of the few careers where you can start earning almost as soon as you graduate, without a four-year degree. The less obvious news is that different organizations set the rules for age, classes, and applications, and almost nobody lays them out in one place. This guide does, with a link to the source for every rule. It is written for students, and for the parents and counselors helping them.

Can you become an electrician right out of high school?

Yes, as an apprentice. Electricians typically learn the trade through an apprenticeship that combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Programs accept applicants straight out of high school. What you will not be at graduation is a licensed electrician, because the apprenticeship takes several years and licensing is handled by your state or city.

Age is the question that trips most people up, so here is exactly what the rules say:

• The federal floor is 16. Under 29 CFR 29.5, a registered apprenticeship program must have an eligible starting age of not less than 16 years.
• Programs can set a higher minimum, and many do. The Independent Electrical Contractors say their applicants generally must be at least 18. The Electrical Training Alliance, which runs the IBEW and NECA apprenticeships, lists a minimum age requirement but leaves the number to each local program.
• Construction sites are off-limits before 16. Federal child labor rules at 29 CFR 570.33 bar 14- and 15-year-olds from construction work at the actual site of construction.
• Under-18 apprentices work under extra rules. Certain hazardous jobs are banned for anyone under 18, with limited exemptions for registered apprentices and school-based student-learners under 29 CFR 570.50. Programs that take 16- and 17-year-olds build their training around those limits.

Licensing ages and hours vary by state, and some states have no statewide electrician license at all. Our state-by-state licensing table shows where your state stands.

What high school classes should you take?

The Independent Electrical Contractors name the subjects directly: mathematics, physics, electricity, mechanical drawing, and shop provide a good background. Two of those carry extra weight at application time:

• Algebra. The IBEW and NECA programs ask for one full year of high school algebra with a passing grade, or one algebra course after high school. The bar is a passing grade, not an A. Our guide to the math electricians need covers what that requirement means in practice.
• Reading. The IBEW and NECA entrance test has two parts: Algebra and Functions (33 questions in 46 minutes) and Reading Comprehension (36 questions in 51 minutes), according to the Electrical Training Alliance. English class is apprenticeship prep too.

The organization that writes that test publishes free sample questions with an answer key. A junior who works through them has a clear picture of where they stand, a year before it matters.

Ways to get a head start while you are still in school

You do not have to wait until graduation to begin. The U.S. Department of Labor describes registered apprenticeships that begin in high school, community college, or through dual enrollment and career and technical education (CTE) programs, with on-the-job learning starting at age 16.

Take a high school electrical class

Many high schools and regional career centers teach electrical courses, often on curriculum from NCCER, the construction industry’s training organization. Some are built to line up with apprenticeship. Pasco High School in Florida says its four-level electrical program complies with Department of Labor time-based apprenticeship standards. In Texas, the IEC Fort Worth/Tarrant County high school program, approved by the Texas Education Agency, lets students complete the first year of a four-year apprenticeship through at least 148 classroom hours at their own school.

Join a youth apprenticeship

A youth apprenticeship puts you in a paid job while you finish high school. Programs are local, so what exists depends on where you live. Two examples:

• Guilford Apprenticeship Partners in North Carolina runs an electrical youth apprenticeship you can apply to starting your junior year. Apprentices are paid; their tuition, books, and fees are covered, and they finish with an associate degree from Guilford Technical Community College.
• Wisconsin’s statewide Youth Apprenticeship program is open to high school juniors and seniors.

Compete in SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is a national organization for students in career and technical programs, and its Electrical Construction Wiring competition goes all the way to a national level. According to SkillsUSA Illinois, competitors take a written test, complete a practical exercise, and install a system from drawings and specification sheets, judged on workmanship and accuracy. The full technical standards are available to members. If your school has a chapter, it is one of the few places a student can show real trade skills on a résumé.

Consider the OSHA 10-hour course

The OSHA 10-hour Outreach course is a safety class that OSHA describes as a voluntary program primarily intended for entry-level workers. It is not a certification, and OSHA notes it does not replace the safety training an employer must provide. It shows an employer you took jobsite safety seriously before your first day.

Your options after graduation, compared

Here is how the main routes compare for someone finishing high school. Details vary by program, so treat this as a map, then check the program itself.

Route	When you can start	What it costs you	Paid while training?
High school electrical class (CTE)	While in high school	Part of your public school schedule	No, but some count toward apprenticeship (IEC Fort Worth example)
Youth apprenticeship	Junior or senior year, 16 or older	Often covered (GAP covers tuition, books, and fees)	Yes
Pre-apprenticeship (Job Corps)	Ages 16 through 24	No cost to students; housing and meals included	Living allowance, not a wage
Union apprenticeship (IBEW and NECA)	After graduation; each local sets its minimum age	Varies by local	Yes
Non-union apprenticeship (IEC)	Generally 18 or older	Some costs; employers may help with tuition	Yes, typically starting at 50% of a journeyman’s rate
Trade school or community college	After graduation	Tuition; scholarships can help	No, it is school

If you are 16 to 24, want to finish a diploma and train at the same time, and meet the income guidelines, Job Corps is worth a close look. It provides training at no cost to students, and its Electrical pre-apprentice program is offered at 37 centers.

What apprentices earn

Apprentices are paid employees, which is the biggest difference between an apprenticeship and school. The Independent Electrical Contractors say starting wages are typically 50 percent of a journeyman’s rate, rising as your skills grow.

• Where it leads: The national median wage for electricians is $63,190 a year, and the top 10 percent earn more than $108,510, according to BLS data for May 2025. These are national figures, and local pay varies.
• Demand: The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9 percent employment growth for electricians from 2024 to 2034.
• The trade-off: An apprenticeship is a full-time job plus scheduled classes. Federal standards recommend at least 144 hours of related instruction for each year of apprenticeship under 29 CFR 29.5.

Paying for training

Apprenticeships are the lowest-cost route because you are paid while you learn, though the IEC notes there are some costs, such as books, and that employers may help with tuition. If you choose a trade school or community college program instead, scholarships exist specifically for the trades.

• The mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship accepts high school seniors and graduates who are U.S. citizens and are enrolled, or plan to enroll, in an approved program of two years or less at an accredited school. It awards scholarships four times a year.
• Your school counselor, local trade associations, and community foundations often know of local scholarships that never appear on national lists.

A note for parents and counselors

The questions below are worth asking any program before a student applies. They come straight from the requirements the programs themselves publish:

• What is your minimum age, and do you take 16- and 17-year-olds? The federal floor is 16, but each program sets its own.
• Which transcripts do you need? The IBEW and NECA programs ask for official high school and post-high-school transcripts. Homeschooling families should ask how the program evaluates a homeschool transcript.
• What does it cost, and who pays? Every program handles tuition, books, and tools differently.
• Will a high school class or youth apprenticeship count toward the program? Some programs, like IEC Fort Worth’s, give first-year credit. Others start everyone at year one.

Step-by-step checklist for high school students

A practical order of operations, from sophomore year to your first application. Use the federal apprenticeship finder to see what programs exist near you.

1. Take a full year of algebra and pass it. It is the one academic requirement the IBEW and NECA programs spell out.
2. Load up on the useful electives. Physics, electricity, mechanical drawing, and shop, per the IEC.
3. Ask your counselor about CTE and youth apprenticeship. Programs are local, and your counselor is the person most likely to know what exists nearby.
4. Join SkillsUSA if your school has a chapter. Competition results are something concrete to put on an application.
5. Try the free sample test. Work through the published sample questions in your junior year so there is time to fix any weak spots.
6. Check the minimum age for the programs you want. Several accept applicants at 18; some take younger students. Ask before assuming.
7. Gather your documents. Official transcripts and your diploma or GED are standard requirements.
8. Apply to more than one program. Union and non-union programs have different requirements and intake calendars. If you are headed to school instead, apply for the Work Ethic Scholarship in your senior year.

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

A high school student who wants to become an electrician has a clearer path than most: take algebra and pass it, look for a CTE class or youth apprenticeship while you are still in school, and apply for a paid apprenticeship when you are old enough for the programs near you. Multiple organizations set the rules, so check each one at its source, starting with the Department of Labor’s guide to apprenticeship for young people. Godspeed!

This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Apprenticeship requirements, minimum ages, and licensing rules vary by program, state, and city, and they change. Confirm the current requirements with the program or licensing authority before making decisions about education or employment.