Electrician Helper Salary in California

$25/hr

California helper employee wages help you compare electrical-support offers, training time, travel demands and the duties assigned.

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What Electrician Helpers Earn in California

California electrician-helper employee wages span $18.57–$33.01/hr, or $38,620–$68,660 a year. These figures describe helpers who support electrical crews, including supplying materials and preparing work areas. Premium pay and benefits are excluded. Compare an offer’s duties and supervision with your authorization for C-10 electrical work. The experience bands describe helper wages, without granting journeyman or master electrician status. Trainee registration and school enrollment remain separate requirements for covered work.

Hourly rates by level in California

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$18.57–$21.11/hr
▲ 9.54% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$21.11–$29.45/hr
▲ 9.54% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$29.45–$33.01/hr
▲ 9.54% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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What are you making?

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Electrician Helper
California · Day Shift
Base rate$25.28
+ WECA Electrical Apprenticeship - Commercial Inside Wireman (journeyperson)$6.70
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$0.82
+ Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator$0.07
Effective hourly$32.87
Straight · 40 hrs$1,315
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$394
Weekly gross$1,709
Annualised · 50 weeks
$85,462
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

These national helper medians show three electrical-work settings. For California offers, compare the crew’s assignments, supervision and paid travel arrangements across the proposed work locations.

01 / 03$20/hr

Building Equipment Contractors

Electrical installation and service bring helpers alongside specialist crews. On California C-10 assignments, separate supply handling from regulated connection work. Ask who will direct you when the job moves from unloading supplies to assisting at the installation area.

+ Electrical focus
+ Installation exposure
– Changing jobsites
– Service travel
02 / 03$22.31/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building projects involve staged electrical deliveries and several trades. Ask California employers how they schedule helper work around installation crews. Include the time spent receiving fixtures, moving cable and clearing packaging when discussing the hours attached to an offer.

+ Larger crews
+ Construction experience
– Trade congestion
– Schedule changes
03 / 03$22.31/hr

Utility System Construction

Power-line infrastructure places material support near outdoor utility work. Discuss California project travel, access boundaries and the crew's electrical hazard instruction. Ask where supplies will be staged and how the supervisor keeps support workers clear of restricted electrical activities.

+ Infrastructure exposure
+ Outdoor assignments
– Weather exposure
– Travel demands

Which states pay electrician helpers the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
WECA Electrical Apprenticeship - Commercial Inside Wireman (journeyperson)+$6.70$13,936$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$0.82$1,706$1595 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.27$562$596 weeks
Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator+$0.07$146$5922 weeks
American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED+$0.06$125$10243 weeks
Forklift / Rough-Terrain Forklift Operator (formal instruction)+$0.03$62$6050 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $25.04/hr.

40 hr week
$1,002
No OT
50 hr week
$1,377
+$18,780/yr
60 hr week
$1,753
+$37,560/yr
70 hr week
$2,128
+$56,340/yr

Questions workers ask

Are my rest breaks paid on long install days?▾
Yes. Wage Order 16, enforced by the Labor Commissioner, provides 10 minutes of net rest for every four hours worked or major fraction, counted as paid hours worked. A missed rest period must be made up that day or paid at your regular rate.
When must overtime from a long pull day be paid?▾
By the payday for the next regular payroll period. The Labor Commissioner's payday rules under Labor Code Section 204 set that deadline. Late hours can appear as a correction on the next wage statement.
Does overtime change the comparison?▾
Yes. Under the Labor Commissioner's overtime rules, construction overtime generally applies after eight daily or 40 weekly hours, subject to applicable exceptions. Record required loading and cleanup. Compare base wages separately from overtime earnings, benefits and expenses when assessing the offer.

See Open Electrician Helper Jobs in California

Verified positions matching this trade and location.

Current BLS California employee wages for Helpers--Electricians, SOC 47-3013; excludes premium pay and benefits, licensed-electrician rates and registered-apprentice pay schedules.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.