Indiana does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license. The Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services says electrical contractor licensing is left to the local municipality, and that there is no state license for electrical contractors. Plumbing is the opposite: the state licenses plumbers, and Indianapolis only registers that state card. The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency profession list includes plumbing and does not list an electrician license.
As of October 22, 2026, inside IBEW halls in Indiana show 299 open positions. Local 481 Indianapolis has 150 of them at $48.80/hr. That 150 is 40 calls, and the largest single call is 30 JW for Electric Plus at IU Hospital, not one 150-person job. GoHereBro tracks 300 IBEW locals. The cards below are Indianapolis (Local 481), Terre Haute (Local 725), Evansville (Local 16), and La Porte (Local 531).
Check the Local 481 dispatch page, the Indiana IBEW pay scale table, the national pay scale hub, the map, and Hot Spots.
Who licenses electrical work in Indiana
There is no Indiana journeyman card that follows you from Evansville to Fort Wayne. The contractor who pulls the permit holds the local license. A referred JW works as a W-2 for that contractor.
Indianapolis Revised Code section 875-201 requires an electrical contractor license to connect construction power or to install, alter, or repair an electrical power system inside the Consolidated City. That city license does not cover the excluded cities of Lawrence, Beech Grove, Speedway, and Southport. Applications go to [email protected] or to Business and Neighborhood Services at 200 E. Washington Street, Suite 107, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The city allots five authorized permit agents free. Each agent past five is $63.
Terre Haute licenses electrical contractors separately, commercial and residential. A commercial license needs a full-time employee who passed a master electrician exam. A residential license (single-family, under 400 amp) accepts a master, journeyman, or residential exam. Monroe County runs its own board to examine and license electrical contractors. An out-of-state JW license does not replace those local steps.
What the Indiana halls are calling in October 2026
The October 22 boards, excluding the Indianapolis line local, add up to 299 inside openings.
Local 481 is 150 open across 40 calls at $48.80/hr. Electric Plus wants 30 JW at IU Hospital, 1330 N. Senate Avenue, on 5-10s Monday through Friday plus 8 hours Saturday, 6:00 a.m. start, long call, drug test, OSHA 10. Saturday is double time only if you work 90% of the available hours Monday through Saturday. Industrial Electric has another 7 JW on that same hospital schedule. The other calls are smaller, including Ermco at the Google data center in Mooresville (7 JW, overtime at double time if you work the available hours) and Lilly work in Lebanon that the outlook prices at $5.00 above scale, $53.90/hr.
Local 725 Terre Haute has 60 open at $48.00/hr. Book 1 is 113. Book 2 is 2. John Burns Construction wants 5 JW at the Heartland Industrial data center on 6-10s at scale plus a $7/hr incentive, 7:00 a.m. start. Local 16 Evansville has 22 at $49.11/hr. Local 531 La Porte has 22 at $52.00/hr, including Lyons-Pinner at the SBN 500 data center in Wheatfield. Local 305 Fort Wayne has 14, with 11 JW on Project Mustang at scale plus $10 and overtime paid as double time.
The contractor list moves. Use the live Local 481 dispatch page for names and start times.
Weekly gross pay math on Local 481 scale
Local 481 JW scale is $48.80/hr. The IU Hospital outlook does not print an overscale rate. Weekday overtime below is time-and-a-half after 40. The Saturday row uses double time, and only if you meet the hall's 90% hours rule.
| Call | Hours | Straight time (40 hrs) | Premium time | Estimated weekly gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40-hour JW at scale | 40 | $1,952.00 | $0.00 | $1,952.00 |
| IU Hospital weekdays, 5-10s | 50 | $1,952.00 | $732.00 | $2,684.00 |
| IU Hospital 5-10s plus 8 Saturday at double time | 58 | $1,952.00 | $1,512.80 | $3,464.80 |
These numbers are estimated gross before taxes, dues, and lodging. Employer-paid health and welfare are not included. Miss the 90% rule and the Saturday double-time row does not apply. Lilly calls that print $53.90/hr are a different rate. Do not paste the $48.80 table onto those.
Compare packages on the Indiana IBEW pay scale table, the national pay scale hub, and how much union electricians make in 2026.
How dispatch works if you are traveling in
Local 481 is at 1828 N. Meridian Street, Suite 205, Indianapolis, IN 46202, phone (317) 923-2596. Book 1 and Book 2 are not printed on the October 22 snapshot. Local 725 is at 5675 Hulman Street, Terre Haute, IN 47803, phone (812) 877-4239. Book 1 there is 113 and Book 2 is 2.
Bring a current dues receipt, OSHA 10 or higher, and a travel letter your home local sent. If this is a first hitch, read how to travel IBEW Book 2 before you leave. The city license still sits with the contractor, not in your wallet.
Where the work sits
- Downtown Indianapolis: IU Hospital at 1330 N. Senate Avenue. Electric Plus (30 JW) and Industrial Electric (7 JW) are both on 5-10s plus Saturday.
- Lebanon and Mooresville: Lilly and the Google data center. Those are outside the hall, and several Lilly calls print $5.00 over scale.
- Terre Haute: Heartland Industrial data center, 5 JW, 6-10s, scale plus $7/hr. Different book. Sign Local 725.
- Wheatfield: SBN 500 data center on the Local 531 board at $52.00/hr.
- Evansville and Fort Wayne: Local 16 and Local 305. Fort Wayne's Mustang call is 11 JW at scale plus $10, with overtime at double time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Indiana have a statewide electrician license?
No. Indianapolis Business and Neighborhood Services says there is no state license for electrical contractors. The Professional Licensing Agency profession list includes plumbing and does not list electrician. Cities and counties license the contractor.
Does my out-of-state journeyman license transfer into Indiana?
There is no state card to reciprocate into. Indianapolis, Terre Haute, and Monroe County each run their own contractor licensing. A referred JW works for the contractor who holds the local license. Confirm the job's city before you treat a home-state card as enough.
What does Indianapolis require for electrical work?
Section 875-201 requires an electrical contractor license to install or repair an electrical power system in the Consolidated City. Lawrence, Beech Grove, Speedway, and Southport are excluded. Email [email protected] or call (317) 327-1291. Five permit agents are free. Each added agent is $63.
How many IBEW calls are open in Indiana right now?
299 inside openings on the October 22 boards. Local 481 Indianapolis has 150. Local 725 Terre Haute has 60. Local 16 Evansville and Local 531 La Porte have 22 each. Local 305 Fort Wayne has 14.
What is the IBEW Local 481 pay scale in 2026?
As of October 22, 2026, Local 481 inside journeyman scale is $48.80/hr. The IU Hospital call is at scale. Some Lilly calls on the same board print $5.00 above scale, $53.90/hr. A foreman rate printed on the board is $54.75/hr.
Is the 150-call Indianapolis number one job?
No. It is 40 calls. Electric Plus has the largest, 30 JW at IU Hospital on 5-10s plus 8 hours Saturday. A 40-hour week at scale estimates $1,952 gross. The 58-hour hospital week estimates $3,464.80 only when Saturday is double time.
Does Terre Haute license journeyman wiremen?
Terre Haute licenses the contractor. A commercial electrical license needs a full-time employee who passed a master exam. A residential license, limited to single-family work under 400 amp, accepts a master, journeyman, or residential exam. The qualifying person is not the same thing as every JW on the Local 725 call.
Which Indiana IBEW local has the most open calls?
Local 481 Indianapolis at 150 and $48.80/hr. Then Local 725 Terre Haute at 60 and $48.00/hr, Local 531 La Porte at 22 and $52.00/hr, and Local 16 Evansville at 22 and $49.11/hr.
