Electrician apprenticeships in California

California has 7,941 registered electrician apprentices in active status (fiscal year 2025, DOL RAPIDS), placed in 55 counties, 2.0 per 10,000 residents. That is 11.0 apprentices for every 100 employed electricians in the state, the rate at which the trade is training its own replacements.

Where the apprentices are

Registered electrician apprentices by county of the apprentice, largest first. Each county links to its electricians market page.

Source: DOL RAPIDS apprenticeship FY2025, active status, county-coded; as of December 31, 2025.

The apprentice tier on the California register

California records apprentices on its own electrician license register as Electrician Trainee: 21,814 active apprentice-tier records against 43,577 journeyman records, a ratio of 0.5 apprentice records per journeyman, register read October 6, 2026. The register's apprentice tier and the federal registered-apprenticeship count in the county table are two different systems: a license-register apprentice is anyone the state has credentialed to work under supervision, a registered apprentice is enrolled in a DOL-registered program.

Counts are license records, not people: a holder with more than one license appears once per license, and a contractor license is a business, not a worker.

Credential types the DIR Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), Electrician Certification Unit (individual certification); Contractors State License Board (CSLB) for the C-10 electrical contractor license issues for this trade: General Electrician certification (DIR/DLSE), Residential, Fire/Life Safety, Voice Data Video, and Non-Residential Lighting certifications (DIR), C-10 Electrical Contractor (CSLB). See how to get an electrician license in California for hours, exams and renewal.

Common questions

How many registered electrician apprentices are there in California?

7,941 in active status for fiscal year 2025, per DOL RAPIDS, placed in 55 California counties.

Which California county has the most electrician apprentices?

Los Angeles County, with 1,402 (18% of the state).

How strong is the electrician training pipeline in California?

11.0 registered apprentices per 100 employed electricians (BLS QCEW employment, OEWS occupation share). On the license register the apprentice-to-journeyman ratio is 0.5.

Are any electrician apprenticeship programs in California accepting applications now?

ATI tracks open recruitment windows only where a state labor department publishes an announcements feed; California is not covered yet, so this page reports registered apprentices, not open programs.

Does California license electrician apprentices?

Yes. The register carries 21,814 active apprentice-tier records (Electrician Trainee).

Sources: registered apprentices: DOL RAPIDS apprenticeship FY2025, active status, as of December 31, 2025; employment: BLS QCEW construction x OEWS occupation share (estimate); license tiers: California register read October 6, 2026; population: U.S. Census 2023 estimates.

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