Hawaii electrician license: levels, hours, reciprocity, pay

A Hawaii Journey Worker Electrician license takes 5 years and at least 10,000 hours of residential or commercial wiring, plus 240 hours of electrical coursework accepted by a University of Hawaii Community College, plus the board exam. Hawaii has no reciprocity, so every mainland hand applies from scratch. The median Hawaii electrician made $46.38 an hour in May 2025, per BLS.

Everything below is as of 2026, from the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers under the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and the board's FAQ. That FAQ is dated July 2018, so its fees and code edition may be stale. Confirm with the board before you file. For other states, see our electrician license requirements in every state.

01Hawaii license facts at a glance

02Which electrician licenses does Hawaii issue?

Hawaii licenses electricians statewide in three tracks, each with a journey and a supervising level, plus a maintenance license. These come from the board's FAQ, and every one needs the board exam.

The EJ is the card most commercial and residential hands want. The supervising license is the top individual card.

A license to do the work isn't a license to sell it. Per the FAQ, a licensed electrician can't contract for work without an electrical contractor's license, except a job of $1,000 or less in total that needs no permit.

03How do you qualify as a journey worker electrician?

Plan on two pieces of paper: your hours and your coursework.

1. Hours. Five years and not less than 10,000 hours in residential or commercial wiring. That's more than the 8,000 most mainland states ask for.
2. Coursework. 240 hours of electrical academic coursework, accepted by a University of Hawaii Community College. The board keeps a list of approved coursework.
3. Exam. Pass the board's examination. The board posts its calendar on its site.

The mainland math

Say you finished a four-year apprenticeship with 8,000 hours on the job. You're still 2,000 hours short of Hawaii's 10,000, which is about one more year at 2,000 hours a year (our math). And it's 5 years, not just the hours. Running 6-10s won't get you there faster on the calendar.

Getting mainland training counted

If your apprenticeship, college or military training isn't on Hawaii's approved list, Honolulu Community College reviews it. Per the FAQ, you send:

• Official proof you completed the apprenticeship, college program or military training
• Detailed program and course descriptions, so the college can match them to the content Hawaii law requires
• Your contact information and the review fee

Start this early. Your coursework has to be accepted before your hours do you any good.

04Does Hawaii have reciprocity?

No. The board's FAQ asks, "Does Hawaii have reciprocal agreements with other states?" and answers, "No. All applicants must meet the same licensing and examination requirements."

So a card from California, Washington or Oregon doesn't skip anything. You show your 10,000 hours and coursework and take the Hawaii exam. Our electrician license reciprocity guide lists where cards do move, and the California electrician license guide covers another state that doesn't reciprocate.

05Fees, renewal and CE

Electrician licenses renew by June 30 every three years: 2026, 2029, 2032. The board lists the on-time renewal at $306 for an active license. Miss the deadline and you're unlicensed and "may not practice," per the board. You can restore within a year for $406 active. Wait longer and the FAQ says you reapply and retake the exam.

The 2018 FAQ lists a $40 application fee and a $95 exam fee, with the first license fee prorated at $306, $204 or $102 depending on which year of the three-year cycle you're licensed in. Confirm current fees with the board.

For CE, every active licensee except maintenance electricians completes an NEC update course from Honolulu Community College or the Hawaii Electricians Training Fund before renewal. The July 2023 to June 2026 requirement covered updates to the 2020 NEC. If you were newly licensed within a year of the expiration date, you're exempt that cycle. Ask the board which edition the 2026 to 2029 course covers. Permits and code enforcement are handled by the county building departments in Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui and Kauai counties.

06What does a Hawaii electrician make?

The median Hawaii electrician made $46.38 an hour in May 2025, the third highest state median in the BLS table, behind Oregon and Illinois. These are BLS OEWS straight-time wages for all electricians, apprentices included. They leave out overtime, per diem and benefits, and they're market data, not what any one contractor will pay you.

The Honolulu median is $17.83 an hour above the national median (our math: $48.21 minus $30.38). Hawaii's median annual wage was $96,460. The state mean was $44.65, under the median. That means a lower-paid tail pulls the average down. Half the state's electricians made $46.38 or more.

The Big Island and Kauai pay less than Oahu and Maui. The nonmetro median is about $9 under Honolulu's. Cost of living runs high across the islands, so price housing before you count the raise. Our highest-paying states for electricians post shows how Hawaii stacks up against the West Coast, and the Washington and Oregon guides cover the two other top-paying states out west.

Run your Pay Check to see what electricians with your license make near you. Takes about a minute and your boss never hears about it.

07Before you book the flight

No mainland card moves in, so the paperwork comes before the move. Do these before you give notice anywhere:

1. Send your apprenticeship or school records to Honolulu Community College for the coursework review, if your program isn't on the approved list.
2. Get letters from past employers that add up your hours. You need 10,000 over at least 5 years.
3. Check the board calendar for the next application deadline and exam date.
4. Price housing on the island where the work is, then compare it with the BLS numbers above.

A Hawaii offer with no Hawaii card behind it doesn't put you on the tools.

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