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25 electrician apprenticeship programs are listed in California. 1 has applications marked open. Check each sponsor for current availability.
Programs listed
25
Starting pay
$15-$41/hr
Need a license first?
Usually no
Last reviewed
Apr 14, 2026
1 is accepting applications, 4 have applications closed. 20 have application status unknown. Cards below lead with openings that have a status on file.
Confirm pay, deadlines, and how to apply on the sponsor site.
IBEW Local 18 · Los Angeles, California
Accepting applications·Checked this month
Open intake action; Local 18 says job-referral books may be signed at any time.
Continuous book signing; re-sign is required from the 1st through the 20th of January, April, July, and October while listed.
IBEW Local 40 · Los Angeles, California
Applications closed·Checked this month
Closed; the 600-application limit was reached.
Next Inside Construction application window is expected in Spring 2028.
IBEW Local 11 · Los Angeles, California
Applications closed·Checked this month
July 2026 window closed; the next planned window is October 2026.
Last window: July 6 at 7:00 a.m. through July 10, 2026. October 2026 exact dates are pending; windows may close at 2,000 applications.
Starting pay
$26/hr
Top-out pay
$65/hr
IBEW Local 332 · San Jose, California
Applications closed·Checked 30+ days ago · Jul 16, 2026
Recurring monthly application intake; currently between windows.
Online applications open at 8:00 a.m. on the first day of each month and remain open for the first three days, capped at 300 per month.
IBEW Local 6 · San Francisco, California
Applications closed·Checked 30+ days ago · Jul 16, 2026
Closed; the 2026 applicants have completed aptitude testing and are awaiting results.
No next application period is scheduled; future dates will be posted on the official site.
IBEW Local 569 · San Diego, California
Application status unknown·Checked this month
Top-out pay
$40/hr
IBEW Local 617 · San Mateo, California
Application status unknown·Checked 30+ days ago · Jul 14, 2026
IBEW Local 428 · Bakersfield, California
Application status unknown·Checked 30+ days ago · Jul 14, 2026
Starting pay
$25/hr
IBEW Local 234 · Salinas, California
Application status unknown·Checked 30+ days ago · Jul 14, 2026
IBEW Local 639 · San Luis Obispo, California
Application status unknown·Checked 30+ days ago · Jul 14, 2026
IBEW Local 413 · Buellton, California
Application status unknown·Checked 30+ days ago · Jul 14, 2026
IBEW Local 595 · Dublin, California
Application status unknown·Checked 30+ days ago · Jul 14, 2026
Starting pay
$23/hr
Usually yes, but California asks you to pay closer attention to whether the opening is a registered apprenticeship or an electrician-trainee path tied to approved schooling.
Current California electrician openings on tradeschool.fyi show starting pay around $15-$41/hr and completion pay around $40-$91/hr.
Compare both starting pay and completion pay when the listing shows them. The wage progression is often more useful than the first number alone.
Because cost of living varies sharply across California metros, local openings are usually more useful than one statewide pay average.
Usually not. Most beginners apply through an apprenticeship or trainee route first, then work toward state certification later.
California is stricter than many states about how new electricians enter the trade. If you are not ready for state certification yet, the usual legal routes are a registered apprenticeship or an electrician-trainee setup tied to approved schooling.
If you are using the trainee route, the state says you need to be enrolled in an approved school and work under a certified electrician who supervises only one trainee.
That means the first question is not just "Is this an opening?" It is also "Is this a registered apprenticeship or a trainee route, and do I have the school piece in place?"
Start with an opening that is hiring now, then follow that sponsor's instructions.
Use the program website links above for the sponsor’s current instructions. Save or compare programs while you check your options.
Compare apprenticeships with trade schoolLicensing and pathway answers were checked on September 29, 2026 against the official pages linked under each question. These answers do not say who is hiring, what a program pays, or whether an application window is open.
DIR lets you work for a C-10 electrical contractor before certification if you are a registered apprentice in a state-approved program or a registered electrician trainee. A trainee must be enrolled in a state-approved school, register with the Electrician Certification Unit, and work under a certified electrician who supervises only one trainee. Trainee registration has to be renewed to keep that status until you are certified. The C-10 classification is the contractor license through CSLB. It is not the same credential as your electrician certification.
Title 8 section 291.1 sets two ways to show experience. You can finish an apprenticeship approved for that classification, or you can document on-the-job work for a C-10 electrical contractor: 8,000 hours for a General Electrician or 4,800 hours for a Residential Electrician. The section caps how many hours from each kind of work can count, so not every hour fills the total. These figures are certification rules, not a wage and not a statement that any sponsor is hiring.
Yes. Section 291.1 requires that experience and a certification exam. A registered apprentice within one year of finishing an approved program may take the exam, and certification follows when the apprenticeship is complete. An electrician trainee may test after completing the approved curriculum for that classification, and is not certified until the exam is passed and the experience is documented. Use the Electrician Certification Unit for the current application. When we checked on September 29, 2026, DIR said exam scheduling had changed for exams on or after June 1, 2026.
It depends on the path. Electrician trainees must be enrolled in a state-approved school. A registered apprenticeship includes that program's related instruction, so you apply to the apprenticeship instead of registering as a trainee first. Attending a school does not by itself certify you, and it does not replace the experience rule or the exam.
Choose a registered apprenticeship or the electrician-trainee route, then follow that path's instructions. For an apprenticeship, apply with the sponsor and confirm the program is state-approved. For the trainee route, enroll in an approved school and use DIR's registration steps. When we checked on September 29, 2026, DIR said trainee registration was still by mail. This guide does not list local committees. Browse current California electrician openings, DIR's apprenticeship page, and Apprenticeship.gov, then confirm deadlines, pay, and status on the sponsor's site.
Not automatically. Section 291.1 lets the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards credit an out-of-state electrician license when that state's experience requirement is comparable. That decision is case by case. It does not skip the California exam or the trainee and apprenticeship rules for people who are not yet certified.
Use these state and licensing sources to verify rules, deadlines, and longer-term credential requirements.
This guide combines current California electrician openings on tradeschool.fyi with official state or municipal sources.
Reviewer: tradeschool.fyi editorial team
Start with the current openings, then verify the final details on the sponsor's site before you apply.
Use sponsor and state sites for the final word on deadlines, eligibility, and licensing rules.