Electrician Salary in Virginia (2026)
The average Electrician in Virginia earns around $70,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $54,811/year ($4,568/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $54,811 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $4,568 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,108 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $26/hr |
Federal Tax | $6,570 |
State Tax | $3,264 |
FICA Taxes | $5,355 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 21.7% |
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Working overtime? The 2025 OBBBA deduction may save you up to $12,500 on federal tax. Open the No Tax on Overtime calculator →
1099 contract work or side gigs? Self-employment tax adds 15.3% on top. Open the 1099 tax calculator →
Electrician Salary Ranges in Virginia
Not all Electricians earn the same — not even close
VA electrician specialties cluster four ways: (1) NoVA data-center hyperscale construction — Loudoun County hosts world's largest data-center concentration, with multi-decade buildout pipeline; (2) NoVA cleared-tech commercial (Capital One McLean, AWS HQ2 Crystal City, cleared-contractor ecosystem); (3) Hampton Roads military-adjacent (Norfolk Naval Station, Newport News Shipbuilding, Joint Base Langley-Eustis); (4) IBEW Local 26 (DC/NoVA), Local 666 Richmond, Local 80 Norfolk union work plus Richmond corporate.
Electrical Contractor (VA Master + Owner)
$110,000–$280,000+
VA state master license · data-center boom + cleared contractor demand drives growth
Master Electrician
$88,000–$135,000
Pulls permits, signs off · foreman or shop-owner track · VA state-licensed
Loudoun Data Center Specialist
$92,000–$140,000
Hyperscale data-center electrical · transformers, switchgear, MV distribution · multi-decade pipeline
NoVA Cleared-Tech Commercial Lead
$88,000–$132,000
Capital One McLean / AWS HQ2 / Pentagon-adjacent · clearance often required
Foreman / Lead Electrician
$85,000–$125,000
Runs crews on data-center / cleared / commercial
Journeyman (IBEW Local 26 NoVA)
$78,000–$118,000
NoVA union scale + benefits + multi-employer pension · DC adjacency
Hampton Roads Military-Adjacent
$68,000–$98,000
Norfolk Naval Station + Newport News Shipbuilding + base contractor work
Lineman (Dominion Energy)
$80,000–$140,000
Storm OT during winter ice events + Sandy-style nor easter response
Solar / EV / Renewable Specialist
$65,000–$95,000
Growing VA solar mandates + EV charger residential market · NABCEP cert premium
Apprentice (Years 1–4)
$34,000–$62,000
IBEW Local 26/666/80 + IEC + ABC apprenticeship pathways
Worth knowing: Loudoun County data-center concentration is the structural unique VA electrician anchor. Roughly 70% of all internet traffic flows through Loudoun. AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Oracle plus second-tier (DataBank, Equinix, Digital Realty, CyrusOne) all maintain massive hyperscale facilities requiring sustained electrical infrastructure: transformers, switchgear, medium-voltage distribution, generator + UPS systems, ongoing capacity expansion. Wages for journeymen with data-center experience have risen 25-40% since 2022. Capital One McLean alone employs 50,000+ at its Capital One Way HQ. AWS HQ2 Crystal City Arlington brings 25,000 jobs by 2030. The cleared-contractor ecosystem (Booz Allen Hamilton McLean, Leidos Reston, SAIC Reston, MITRE McLean, CACI International Reston) drives sustained Pentagon-adjacent commercial. VA hasn't passed AB5-equivalent — 1099 path preserved.
OBBBA, Loudoun data-center pipeline, and the VA flat-AGI-conformity advantage
$12.5K
OBBBA 2025 federal OT premium deduction (single, $25K MFJ; 2025–2028)
~70%
of US internet traffic flows through Loudoun County data centers
50,000+
Capital One McLean HQ employees · plus AWS HQ2 Arlington 25K jobs by 2030
Virginia electricians are -eligible — federal 40-hour-week rule triggers 1.5× pay above 40 hours/week. VA has its own state OT statute (Virginia Overtime Wage Act) mirroring the federal threshold without adding a daily-OT trigger. Most dealer + chain + Loudoun data-center construction electricians are FLSA-covered. Service writers / project managers above the federal $1,128/week salary threshold are exempt; foremen managing crews of 5+ may qualify under executive exemption depending on actual duties. Loudoun data-center construction crews and NoVA cleared-tech commercial typically pay weekly OT premium calculated on the regular rate of pay (averaged per workweek per the FLSA fluctuating-workweek rule).
The 2025 law (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) created a federal above-the-line deduction on the premium portion of -required overtime. Tax years 2025 through 2028 only, capped at $12,500/year (single) or $25,000 (married filing jointly). The deduction targets the 'half' in time-and-a-half — applied above-the-line on Form 1040, claimed without itemizing. still applies on the full OT amount.
Electrician-specific catches. only applies to wages, not 1099 self-employment income. Most VA dealer + Loudoun data-center + cleared-tech electricians are W-2 — they qualify if they actually book OT premium hours. VA 1099 path is preserved for legitimate independent shop owners. Loudoun data-center construction crews running 50-60 hour weeks during build phases are exactly the techs OBBBA was designed for.
Real numbers for an IBEW Local 26 NoVA journeyman at $44/hr base running Loudoun data-center 50 hours/week × 50 weeks. 10 OT hours/week × 50 weeks = 500 OT hours. Premium portion (the 'half') at ~$22/hour × 500 = $11,000. Well under the $12,500 single cap — full federal deduction available. At a 22% federal marginal bracket, that's about $2,420 back. VA's 5.75% top bracket means another ~$632 of state savings if VA conforms. Combined federal + state savings ~$3,050 on the OT premium portion alone.
Two structural catches. First, only — straight-time wages and shift differentials don't qualify. Second, phaseout — single deduction tapers $100 per $1,000 over $150K and zeros at $275K (married $300K / $550K). Most VA Local 26 journeymen at $78K-$118K stay well under the threshold; senior masters at $135K+ approach the lower edge of phaseout when OT is layered on. Senior data-center specialists at $140K and cleared-tech leads at $132K can cross it.
Virginia conformity: VA's progressive bracket (top 5.75% above $17,000 — applies to virtually every working electrician) is calculated from federal as the starting point on Form 760. Above-the-line federal deductions like OT typically flow through automatically. As of mid-2026, the VA Department of Taxation has not issued an OBBBA-specific decoupling notice — assume default conformity. The structural VA advantages compound favorably: no local income tax (unlike OH, IN, KY, MD, NY); 0.82% effective property tax (moderate-low); strong public schools in NoVA (Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington top-rated); federal-civilian and military pension exemptions (subtract up to $20,000 of military retirement income, phasing toward $40,000 by 2027). Combined with OBBBA OT premium federal-and-state flow-through, NoVA electricians at $90K+ comp have favorable working-tech economics relative to peer high-income states.
Virginia for electricians — Loudoun data-center anchor + NoVA cleared-tech + Hampton Roads + Richmond
VA electricians cluster in NoVA (Fairfax / Loudoun / Arlington / Prince William counties) — Loudoun data-center concentration plus Tysons / McLean / Reston / Sterling cleared-tech commercial. Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Chesapeake) is military-adjacent service country. Richmond metro (Henrico / Chesterfield) is corporate-exec commercial. Charlottesville is UVA-faculty plus private-client commercial. Roanoke / Lynchburg / Blacksburg are secondary regional markets.
NoVA electrician lifestyle profile: workforce housing in Manassas / Woodbridge / Stafford / Dale City / Centreville / Chantilly ($350K-$500K modest homes feasible). Fairfax County 1.0% effective property tax; Loudoun 0.95%; Prince William 1.05%. Lower COL than coastal CA/NY/MA peer markets but higher than Southeastern peers. NoVA Local 26 master electricians at $115K-$135K can buy comfortably in outer-NoVA suburbs. Top public schools in Loudoun (Loudoun County Public Schools), Fairfax (Fairfax County Public Schools), and Arlington (Arlington Public Schools).
Hampton Roads electrician lifestyle: workforce housing in Chesapeake / Suffolk / Portsmouth / Newport News inner suburbs ($250K-$400K modest homes). Hampton Roads has lower COL than NoVA but lower wages — Hampton Roads master tech tier $68K-$98K vs NoVA $115K-$135K. Richmond electrician lifestyle: workforce housing in Glen Allen / Mechanicsville / Midlothian / Chesterfield ($300K-$450K).
Most VA dealer electricians are with employer-sponsored , health insurance, paid vacation. IBEW Local 26 (DC/NoVA), Local 666 Richmond, Local 80 Norfolk operate multi-employer defined-benefit pension plans funded by employer contributions. The structural VA advantages — federal conformity, no local income tax, moderate property tax, military-pension exemption, strong NoVA luxury concentration — compound to favorable working-tech economics. Many senior VA electricians stay in-state for retirement (vs the FL/NC migration pattern from MD/PA/OH peer states) given the military retirement subtraction and overall favorable working-tech economics.
How VA taxes work for electricians (and the no-local-income-tax + Loudoun pipeline advantages)
Most VA electricians are at IBEW + open-shop dealers, Loudoun data-center construction, NoVA cleared-tech commercial, Hampton Roads military-adjacent, or commercial fleet operations. At $90,000 wage: federal income tax ~$10,500 + $6,885 + VA state tax (5.75% top × $73,000 above $17K threshold = $4,200; 5% on $14,000 = $700; etc., total ~$5,000) = ~$22,385 total tax. Take-home roughly $67,615 ($5,635/month). The no-local-income-tax structural feature is the meaningful VA advantage vs OH (1.0-2.5%), KY (1.5-2.45%), MD (2.25-3.20%), NY (3.876% NYC) — saves $1,800-$3,000/year on $90K wage.
VA progressive structure (2% to $3K, 3% to $5K, 5% to $17K, 5.75% above $17K) means working electricians sit overwhelmingly in the 5.75% bracket. The progression is steep at the bottom; the top bracket kicks in at a low threshold. Above-the-line federal deductions flow through to VA via federal conformity, so OT premium deduction yields ~$632 of state savings on top of federal savings on a $11,000 OT premium portion.
Schedule A itemized deductions: most VA electricians take standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 2026 federal). VA allows Schedule A itemized deductions on the state return that mirror federal itemizations — meaningful state-conformity feature relative to NJ. Tools/uniforms NOT deductible federally for employees post- 2018.
VA Master Electrician + Owner election at $300K+ net SE income. Reasonable comp 50-70% + S-corp distribution remainder. Saves $8K-$25K/year SE tax. VA has no state-level S-corp friction. VA master license is state-issued by DPOR (Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation). Solo for owner-operators shelters $72K/year combined ($24.5K elective + $47.5K profit-share) — over 15 peak earning years compounds to $1.5M-$3M tax-deferred retirement.
VA military retirement income subtraction: military retirees aged 55+ can subtract up to $20,000 (2026 phasing toward $40,000 by 2027) of military retirement income from VA taxable income. Combined with federal-employee retirement (taxable but with Social Security exemption from VA tax), the senior-electrician retirement angle is meaningful for those with military or federal-civilian backgrounds — particularly relevant to the NoVA cleared-tech ecosystem retiree pipeline.
- →Loudoun data-center pipeline — IBEW Local 26 journeymen with hyperscale data-center experience earn premium plus sustained 50-60 hour weeks during build phases. OT premium deduction lands hardest here.
- →Max your match — at $90K with 4% match, $3,600/year free. NoVA luxury dealer plans typically offer 4-6% match.
- →VA Master Electrician license at 6 years documented experience + DPOR exam — state-managed + portable across all VA counties.
- → election at $300K+ net SE income for Master + Owner. Saves $8K-$25K/year SE tax. VA has no state-level S-corp friction.
- →Solo at $72K/year combined for owner-operators. Saves $25K-$30K/year current-year tax.
- →Property tax suburb arbitrage in NoVA — Loudoun 0.95% vs Fairfax 1.0% saves ~$200/year on $400K home.
- →VA 529 (Virginia529 Invest) — $4,000 tax deduction per account per year for VA contributors; can carry forward unused deduction. Meaningful for electricians with kids.
Three VA submarkets — what each looks like for electricians
NoVA Loudoun data-center + cleared-tech, Hampton Roads military, and Richmond corporate are three different VA electrician submarkets.
NoVA (Loudoun data-center + Tysons / McLean / Reston / Sterling cleared-tech)
Local 26 journeyman ~$44/hr + benefits = $88K-$118K · data-center foreman $115K-$140K · master $115K-$145KLoudoun County hosts ~70% of all US internet traffic — densest data-center concentration on planet. AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Oracle plus second-tier (DataBank, Equinix, Digital Realty, CyrusOne) drive sustained hyperscale electrical buildout. Capital One McLean (50,000+ employees), AWS HQ2 Crystal City (25,000 by 2030), cleared-contractor ecosystem (Booz Allen, Leidos, SAIC, MITRE, CACI) drive cleared-tech commercial.
Workforce housing in Manassas / Woodbridge / Stafford / Dale City / Centreville / Chantilly ($350K-$500K). Fairfax 1.0% / Loudoun 0.95% / Prince William 1.05% effective property tax. Top-rated public schools across Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington.
Hampton Roads (Norfolk Naval Station / Newport News Shipbuilding / military-adjacent)
Local 80 journeyman ~$36/hr + benefits = $72K-$92K · senior $90K-$115KNorfolk Naval Station (world's largest naval base), Newport News Shipbuilding HMS-Newport (largest US Navy shipbuilder, USS Gerald R. Ford-class carriers), Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Naval Air Station Oceana drive sustained military-adjacent electrical demand. IBEW Local 80 plus open-shop covers Hampton Roads. Lower wages than NoVA but lower COL.
Workforce housing in Chesapeake / Suffolk / Portsmouth / Newport News inner suburbs ($250K-$400K). Hampton Roads property tax 0.85-1.0% effective. Strong public schools in Virginia Beach.
Richmond (Local 666 + Henrico / Chesterfield corporate)
Local 666 journeyman ~$38/hr + benefits = $76K-$98K · master $100K-$130KIBEW Local 666 anchors Richmond commercial / industrial. Markel Corporation HQ, Capital One Glen Allen, Genworth, Altria HQ corporate exec clientele plus VCU Health system facility electrical. Richmond commercial demand stable but doesn't grow at NoVA's pace. Solid mid-career master electrician market.
Workforce housing in Glen Allen / Mechanicsville / Midlothian / Chesterfield ($300K-$450K). Henrico 0.85% / Chesterfield 0.91% effective property tax.
The VA electrician career arc — from apprentice to VA Master to retirement
Years 1-4 (apprentice). $34K-$62K. IBEW Local 26 (NoVA/DC), Local 666 (Richmond), Local 80 (Norfolk) paid 4-year apprenticeship. Apprenticeship includes 8,000 hours OJT + 600 classroom hours. Healthcare + pension begin year 1. Open-shop helpers (IEC + ABC) earn slightly less but ramp to journeyman responsibility faster (3 years vs 4 years).
Years 5-10 (journeyman). $78K-$118K at IBEW Local 26 scale. $65K-$98K open shop. Specialty cert decisions matter most here: Loudoun data-center commissioning + medium-voltage distribution, cleared-tech specialty for Capital One/AWS/Pentagon, NABCEP solar, lineman cert for Dominion Energy, low-voltage data/fire alarm. Each cert adds $4-$12/hr above base. NoVA cleared-tech specialty pipeline starts here — building relationships with Capital One/AWS/cleared-contractor clientele requires consistent service-quality reputation + clearance maintenance.
Years 10-15 (foreman / lead specialty). $90K-$140K. Foreman runs crews on data-center / cleared / commercial jobs. Loudoun data-center foreman crews command premium for hyperscale-experienced leads. Many VA electricians at this stage prepare for VA Master Electrician license (6 years documented experience + DPOR exam). Most senior journeymen at this tier own homes in outer-NoVA suburbs ($400K-$550K).
Years 12-25+ (VA Master / contractor / shop owner / retirement). $115K-$280K+. VA Master license unlocks general electrical contracting business. + Solo becomes structural at $300K+ net. Most successful VA Master + contractors run 8-20 person crews and operate from outer-NoVA suburbs (Manassas / Stafford / Loudoun outer ring). Section 199A + Solo 401(k) + S-corp federal-tax-deferral compound retirement assets to $2M-$4M+ over 15-year contractor career. Many senior VA electricians stay in-state for retirement given the military retirement subtraction and overall favorable working-tech economics.
Where Virginia electricians actually live
NoVA electricians typically live in Manassas / Woodbridge / Stafford / Dale City / Centreville / Chantilly (workforce housing $350K-$500K). Hampton Roads electricians in Chesapeake / Suffolk / Portsmouth / Newport News inner suburbs ($250K-$400K). Richmond electricians in Glen Allen / Mechanicsville / Midlothian / Chesterfield ($300K-$450K). Loudoun data-center electricians cluster in Sterling / Ashburn / Leesburg.
Sterling (Loudoun)
Loudoun data-center adjacent · 0.95% property tax · $400K-$550K · top schools
Manassas (Prince William)
Workforce housing $350K-$450K · 1.05% property tax · NoVA commute via I-66
Stafford (Stafford County)
Stafford County 0.92% property tax · $350K-$450K · Pentagon commute via I-95
Glen Allen (Richmond NW)
Henrico 0.85% property tax · $350K-$500K · top schools
Chesapeake (Hampton Roads)
Workforce housing $300K-$400K · Norfolk Naval Station 30-min commute
Centreville (Fairfax)
Fairfax 1.0% property tax · $400K-$550K · top schools
VA's combination of moderate progressive bracket (5.75% top), federal conformity, no local income tax, moderate property tax, and the structural Loudoun data-center + NoVA cleared-tech concentration makes mid-career electrician homeowner economics achievable. The Capital One McLean + AWS HQ2 + cleared-contractor ecosystem + Loudoun data-center pipeline drives sustained luxury demand pipeline for multi-decade horizon.
Is this the right move?
Virginia for electricians — Loudoun data-center anchor + NoVA cleared-tech + federal AGI conformity
Working in your favor
- +Loudoun County hosts ~70% of US internet traffic — densest data-center concentration on the planet, multi-decade pipeline
- +VA federal AGI conformity flows OBBBA OT premium deduction through to state automatically
- +No local income tax in VA — saves $1,800-$3,000/year vs OH/KY/MD/NY peers on $90K wage
- +Capital One McLean (50,000+) + AWS HQ2 Arlington (25K by 2030) + cleared-contractor ecosystem drives sustained NoVA commercial
- +VA military retirement income subtraction ($20K phasing to $40K by 2027) meaningful for cleared-tech ecosystem retirees
- +0.82% effective property tax (NoVA suburbs 0.95-1.05%) is moderate — homeowner-tech economics achievable
Worth knowing before you sign
- −VA progressive top bracket (5.75% above $17K) kicks in at low threshold — every working electrician dollar above $17K hits top rate
- −NoVA cost of living risen materially since 2020 — outer-NoVA workforce housing now $350K-$500K vs $250K-$350K pre-2020
- −Loudoun / Fairfax / Arlington traffic among worst US — 60+ min commutes routine
- −Hampton Roads master tech wage tier lower than NoVA ($68K-$98K vs $115K-$145K)
- −Government-shutdown + contract-recompete cycles introduce cleared-contractor clientele volatility
Job Market in Virginia
Virginia has active demand for Electricians.
Growth outlook: 11% growth through 2032 (much faster than average)
Related job titles:
Cost of Living in Virginia
Virginia has a varied cost of living by region.
💰 Monthly take-home: $4,568
🏠 Typical rent: $1,600/mo
📊 After rent: $2,968/mo
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