Electrician Cost: Hourly Rates, Service Calls, and Per-Project Prices (3 References)

An electrician costs $50 to $130 per hour, plus a $100 to $200 service call that usually covers the first hour.¹² A typical small job runs $150 to $600² — Angi’s average is $351 — while big projects like rewiring or panel work reach $2,000 to $10,000+.¹² Fixr’s average service visit lands at $176 to $327.³ Prices below are national averages* for 2026.

*National averages, not local quotes. Your price depends on the job, your electrician’s license level, location, and whether it is an emergency.

$50 – $130/hr

hourly rate, all 3 sources

$100 – $200

service call (first hour), HomeGuide & Angi

$351

average job, Angi

$150 – $600

typical small job, HomeGuide

Quick math: a 2-hour job = the $100 to $200 first hour + one hour at $50 to $130 = $150 to $330, our arithmetic — almost exactly Fixr’s average service-visit range of $176 to $327.³ The service call is why one tiny job costs more per minute than a full day of work: bundle several small fixes into one visit.¹²

Rates by experience level

Level	Angi	HomeGuide
Apprentice	$40 – $60	$40 – $70
Journeyperson	$60 – $90	$50 – $100
Master	$90 – $120	$90 – $130+
Emergency (off-hours)	up to 2x standard	$150 – $200
Commercial	—	$100 – $130

Apprentices work supervised by a licensed journeyperson or master.² Urban rates run $100+ per hour versus about $50 in rural areas, though rural pros may add travel fees.¹ Emergencies add $100 to $200 or double the hourly rate — and 36.4% of switch, outlet, and fixture jobs on Angi come in as emergencies.¹

Cost by project

Project	Angi	HomeGuide	Fixr
Replace an outlet	$200 – $300 (install)	$80 – $200	$18 – $34
Light switch	$85 – $200	$50 – $300	$33 – $61
Light fixture	$150 – $6,000	$100 – $650	$93 – $173 (swap)
Ceiling fan	$140 – $350	$150 – $500	$312 – $580
Circuit breaker	$500 – $1,800 (box)	$100 – $260 (switch)	$52 – $97
Panel upgrade / replacement	$1,200 – $2,000	$1,400 – $2,800	$1,325 – $2,466
Dedicated circuit	—	$250 – $900	—
EV charger	—	$750 – $2,600	—
Whole-house generator	$1,540 – $8,740	$6,000 – $11,000	$5,505 – $10,245
Rewire a house	$1,500 – $10,000	$5 – $17 per sq. ft.	$7,191 – $13,384

Fixr’s micro-prices on outlets and switches are the parts-and-minutes cost of the swap itself; everyone else’s rows include the $100 to $200 service call. Add the fee to Fixr’s outlet ($18 to $34 + $100 to $200 = $118 to $234, our arithmetic) and it matches HomeGuide’s $80 to $200.¹²³ Panel upgrades are the rare point of full agreement: all three sources bracket $1,200 to $2,800.¹²³

Rewiring, the big one

Whole-home rewiring runs $5 to $17 per square foot² — a 2,000 sq. ft. home: $10,000 to $34,000, our arithmetic on HomeGuide’s rate. Fixr’s whole-home figure is $7,191 to $13,384 and Angi’s is $1,500 to $10,000; both describe partial-to-standard jobs rather than gut rewires.¹³ Knob-and-tube replacement costs $8 to $17 per square foot² — $16,000 to $34,000 for that same 2,000 sq. ft. home. New-construction wiring is cheaper at $4 to $9 per square foot because the walls are open.²

What moves the price

License level and location: masters cost 50 to 100% more per hour than apprentices, and city rates roughly double rural ones.¹

Minimums: expect to pay for 1 to 4 hours no matter how quick the job.¹

Emergency timing: nights, weekends, and holidays add $100 to $200 or double the rate.¹²

Permits and inspections: $75 to $150 for standard permits, $200 to $900 on older homes, plus $100 to $125 for safety inspections.¹

Access: panels and wiring in cramped or finished spaces take longer.¹

Worked examples

Example 1 — one dead outlet. The swap itself: $18 to $34 (Fixr) or $80 to $200 with trip fee (HomeGuide).²³ Booked alone it lands near the service-call floor of $100 to $200; bundled with two more small fixes, the same visit covers all three — the single easiest way to cut electrical bills.¹²

Example 2 — 200-amp panel upgrade. $1,200 to $2,000 (Angi), $1,400 to $2,800 (HomeGuide), $1,325 to $2,466 (Fixr) — call it $1,500 to $2,500 for most homes, our synthesis of the tightest agreement among the three sources.¹²³

Example 3 — emergency vs. planned. A burning-smell call at 9 PM: standard $150 to $330 visit + $100 to $200 emergency fee = $250 to $530, our arithmetic on Angi and HomeGuide rates.¹² A true emergency (burning smell, hot panel, sparking) is never worth waiting on, but everything else is cheaper booked ahead.¹

FAQ

What signs mean I need an electrician? Flickering lights, frequently tripping breakers, warm outlets, burning smells, two-prong ungrounded outlets, and any panel over 25 years old.¹³

Can I do electrical work myself? Swapping a like-for-like outlet cover or fixture is common DIY, but permits, code, and fire risk make panel, circuit, and wiring work pro territory — and unpermitted work can void insurance.¹

What is the service call fee? $100 to $200 covering travel and usually the first hour of labor; some pros charge a separate $40 to $100 trip fee on top.²

Journeyperson or master? Masters handle complex diagnosis, panels, and rewires; a journeyperson is fine for standard installs and costs $20 to $40 less per hour.¹²

How do I save? Bundle small jobs into one visit, book non-emergency slots, and get three quotes — self-employed electricians often undercut franchise pricing.¹²

Sources

Angi, How Much Does an Electrician Cost to Hire? (2026 data).
HomeGuide, How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Electrician? (2026).
Fixr, How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Electrician? (updated January 2025).