Electrician vs Teacher Salary
Teachers earn approximately 3.3% more than Electricians nationally — $63,000 vs $61,000.
These two pay almost the same nationally — within 3% of each other — so the choice comes down to working conditions rather than money.
What it takes to get in
Electrician roles typically require a high school diploma, while Teacher roles require a bachelor's degree. From standing start to hireable, including training hours and licensing, the totals are roughly 4.5 years for Electrician and 4 for Teacher.
Licensing applies on both sides: State journeyman/master electrician license after apprenticeship for Electrician and State teaching license/certification required for public schools for Teacher. Neither transfers automatically across state lines, which constrains where you can work on short notice.
Pay range, not just the median
The medians hide most of what matters. Electrician pay runs from roughly $38,000 at the low end to $99,000 at the high end; Teacher runs $47,330 to $104,670. Position within the range is driven by what you specialize in and who you work for, not by the title on the offer.
Where each field is heading
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects Electrician employment to grow 11% over the decade to 2034 — growing faster than average — against a decline of 2% for Teacher.
Growth rate is not the same thing as opportunity. Electrician roles see roughly 73,500 openings a year and Teacher roles about 66,500, counting replacements for people who retire or leave. Electrician has the larger raw number, which is usually what you feel when actually job hunting — a small field growing fast can still be harder to break into than a large flat one.
A declining projection is not a reason to rule out Teacher work — declining occupations still hire, and replacement demand often exceeds what the growth rate suggests. It does mean competition tightens over time and geographic flexibility matters more, so it belongs in the decision rather than being ignored.
What the work is actually like
Electrician: Residential and commercial construction sites, indoors and outdoors. Teacher: Public or private school classroom, standard academic-year calendar.
Moving between the two
There is little skill overlap here — Trades and Education train differently and recruit through different channels — so a move between them is closer to starting over than pivoting. Military electricians and low-voltage/cable techs transfer in easily via credit toward apprenticeship hours; unrelated trades must start the apprenticeship from zero. Career-changers can often enter via alternative certification programs while teaching on a provisional license, completing coursework nights/summers.
If you are entering rather than switching: Electrician — Complete a 4-5 year IBEW or non-union apprenticeship combining paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction, then pass the state journeyman licensing exam. Teacher — Complete a bachelor's degree with a teacher-prep program, student-teach a semester, then pass state certification exams (e.g., Praxis) to get licensed.
Pay ranges, education requirements, and employment projections come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. See our methodology for how these are compiled and updated.
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Electrician salary by state — Teacher salary by state — Best cities for Electrician — Best cities for Teacher — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.