To be an electrician in Texas you’ll need a professional government granted license to legally perform electrical services within the state. This license is processed by the Department of Licensing and Regulation of the state of Texas which is located in Austin.
Once you obtain the proper license, you are well on your way to making a career for yourself as an electrician in the great state of Texas.
You are likely to start out in TX with an apprentice license. Once you have your state license you will need to renew it every year. You also need to complete 4 hours of education per year in order to be in good standing with the Texas authorities. This is a safety requirement which keep your skills fresh which they take seriously and you should as well.
State Reciprocity in TX
Reciprocity from another US state to Texas depends on the type of license you are trying to transfer over. A master electrician license from Louisiana or North Carolina would be valid if other documented conditions are met. Likewise, a journeyman or journeyperson electrician license could be reciprocal with Arkansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Idaho, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming depending on other factors which the state government of Texas will determine for you.
If you are moving over a master license from one of these states you must have taken and passed the reciprocal state exam and held the license for 1 or more years and have more than 12,000 hours of work under verified supervision. For a journeyman, the requirement is a third less at 8,000 hours.
Types of Electrician Licenses in Texas
Texas breaks down their licenses into two groups which are business and individual licenses. The two most popular are master and journeyman within these two groups which can be confusing.
For a Master Electrician license in Texas you will need at least 12,000 hours of on the job training all under supervision of an already licensed master electrician. You also need to have held a journeyman electrician license for 2 or more years. Finally you must have passed a master electrician test.
For a journeyman license you will need at least 8,000 hours of on the job training all under the supervision of an already licensed master electrician. You also need to have passed a journeyman electrician test held in the state.
The difference between these two licenses is that a master electrician can perform all work without supervision while a journeyman need to be under supervision of a master. This is standard regulatory practice. Obviously a master electrician in the state of Texas can better serve customers and demand higher rates for work performed. Many people strive to become master electricians in TX.
Other TX Licenses & Fees
Texas offers other licenses including Master Sign Electrician, Journeyman Sign Electrician, Residential Wireman, Maintenance Electrician, Electrical Contractor, and Electrical Sign Contractor. The fees associated with all the available licenses are as follows:
- Master Electrician – $50.00
- Master Sign Electrician – $50.00
- Journeyperson Electrician – $35.00
- Journeyperson Sign Electrician – $35.00
- Residential Wireman – $25.00
- Maintenance Electrician – $25.00
- Residential Appliance Installer – $35.00
- Residential Appliance Installer Contractor – $115.00
- Electrical Contractor – $115.00
- Electrical Sign Contractor – $115.00
- Electrical Apprentice – $20.00
- Electrical Sign Apprentice – $20.00
View, download or print Texas’s license application
This Texas FAQ is also highly recommended.
Taking the Texas Electrician Exam
The electrician test for the state of Texas is administered by PSI which charges a fee of $78 to take the exam. Your test will differ based on which type of TX license you are applying. For example, the exam for a master license contains 100 questions with a time limit of 5 hours.
The material covered relates to wiring methods, conductors, control devices, switchboards, motors and generators, special occupancies, plan reading and services. You’ll need to get a score of 75% or more to pass it.
If you are going for the journeyman license the exam has just 80 questions with a time limit of 4 hours. The material covered relates to switchboards, conductors, wiring methods, motors, generators and services. You’ll need to get a score of 75% or more to pass.
Starting September of 2014, all tests for Texas electrical licenses are based on NEC’s 2014 standards which is common throughout the United States.
Best TX Cities for Electrical Work
If you are planning a career as an electrician in the state of Texas you should know which areas will offer you the most work. The population centers and highest overall electricity consumption are in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Houston. These places tend to have people who can spend money on electrical projects because they have decent income. You probably know there are vast areas of Texas which are very sparsely population which tend to offer little electrical work.
Depending on the city, you may do well to speak some Spanish when dealing with customers and coworkers. Best of luck pursuing a career as an electrician in Texas!