Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license. The Department of Labor and Industry says the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors or their employees. Cities write their own rules. On November 2, 2026, Local 163 in Wilkes-Barre has 21 open positions at a $45.08 scale. GoHereBro tracks 300 IBEW locals.
There is no statewide Pennsylvania journeyman card
The search "pennsylvania electrical license reciprocity" did not put a readable GoHereBro page in the top 10. The results were Google redirect wrappers. This guide is the state answer. The live calls stay on the local pages.
The Department's contractor-licensing page says some of Pennsylvania's 2,562 municipalities license contractors or tradespeople, typically home-improvement contractors, electrical contractors or electricians, and plumbers. The Commonwealth has no jurisdiction over those local cards, and the Department keeps no list of which towns require one. There is no statewide reciprocity table to transfer a journeyman card into, because the state does not issue that card. The 50-state roundup is electrician license reciprocity by state.
Philadelphia says you need its electrical contractor license to do electrical work in the city, including low-voltage wiring. Individuals who perform electrical work can apply. The page requires four years of employment doing electrical work for a company licensed through a local or state jurisdiction. Two years of electrical education count as one year of practical experience, and education can stand in for up to two years. You need the Philadelphia Electrical Contractor Examination from the International Code Council, tied to the current Philadelphia Code or submitted within 12 months of passing. You also need eight hours of coursework in the current or later edition of NFPA 70, from a provider approved by the Department of Labor and Industry, finished in the 12 months before you apply. The page labels the license fee at $262. A $60 application fee is not refundable and is applied to that license fee. The balance is due after the application is approved. The license is renewed every year. If you renew more than 60 days late, the page adds 1.5 percent of the license fee for each month since it expired. The electrical permit page prices the permit at $25 for each $1,000 of estimated electrical construction cost, or fraction of that, with a $63 minimum and an $18,975 maximum.
Pittsburgh requires an Electrical Trade License to perform electrical work in the city. A new license needs a government photo ID, proof of passing the certified standardized test, and a resume or other documentation of at least six years of combined experience and education. Renewal needs eight hours of continuing education in the 12 months before the renewal date.
Wilkes-Barre and the other boards
Local 163 shows 21 open positions. That matches the first line of the outlook. The 30-day scrape high is also 21. Book counts are not on the record. The lines add to those same 21 people.
Joyce wants 6 journeyman wiremen at AWS Building 101 in Berwick, on 6-10s, Monday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., starting November 3. Scholes wants 5 journeymen at the same campus, long call, starting November 4 at 6:30 a.m., Monday through Saturday with possible overtime, and the line says a $15 an hour incentive is added. H.B. Frazer wants 1 journeyman wireman at AWS Building 102, with a $15 per hour incentive, 10-hour days Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and an 8-hour Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. None of those lines print an overtime rate, so the hours past 40 are not priced, and the $15 is not turned into a weekly gross.
Advanced Electrical wants 1 journeyman for service work at a printed $51.09 for this call only, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a van to take home. A 40-hour week at that printed rate is $2,043.60. The same contractor wants 2 BMS technicians at PHL 101 and 1 journeyman in Building 101 with a $600 weekly bonus if they finish a 40-hour week. The hourly rate on those bonus lines is not printed. Albarell wants 2 journeyman wiremen at Geisinger Wyoming Valley. Urban wants 2 at the VA hospital on 4-10s, second shift. Another Advanced Electrical line wants 1 BMS technician at the Wyoming Area Catholic school. Several of the lines tell a selected person to come to the union hall on Monday, November 2, 2026, between 9:00 a.m. and noon, to fill out paperwork.
A 40-hour week at the $45.08 scale on file is $1,803.20. That row is the scale. It is not a rate printed on every call.
| Week | Rate | Hours | Straight | OT | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local 163 scale on file | $45.08 | 40 | $1,803.20 | $0.00 | $1,803.20 |
| AEC service call, printed rate | $51.09 | 40 | $2,043.60 | $0.00 | $2,043.60 |
Local 743 in Reading has 17 open positions at $48.02. Book 1 is 20 and Book 2 is 38. The 30-day high was 37, so the headline there is 17. The calls are on the Reading traveler guide. Local 607 in Shamokin has 6 open positions at a $43.73 scale on file. The named call is Geisinger South Tower, a long call, five 8-hour days, starting November 2. The line does not print a headcount or a rate. Local 812 in Williamsport has 4 open positions. Bruce & Merrilees wants 4 journeyman wiremen at Kellogg's in Muncy. The scale on file is $41.57, and the call does not print hours or a rate.
Local 5 in Pittsburgh has a stored count of 0. The outlook, last scraped October 23, says work is steady and to call the hall. Those two facts do not get added into a new open-call total. Book 1 is 22 and Book 2 is 28 on that older record. Local 98 in Philadelphia shows 0 calls and a $75.05 scale, last scraped October 9. That record is too old to use as today's board. Local 81 in Scranton, Local 143 in Harrisburg, and Local 375 in Allentown showed no open calls on the November 2 scrape.
The Pennsylvania pay page and the pay hub sit next to the calls. Hot spots and the map cover the rest of the 300 locals. Book 2 travel is the signup path. Start at the homepage and use compare when you are stacking this state against another directory.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania have a journeyman electrician license?
No statewide card. The Department of Labor and Industry says the Commonwealth has no licensure requirement for most construction contractors or their employees. Cities can require their own.
Is there Pennsylvania electrical license reciprocity?
There is no statewide journeyman card to reciprocate. The Department keeps no list of the municipalities that license electricians. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh each run their own license.
What does Philadelphia require?
An electrical contractor license, including for low-voltage work. Four years of work for a licensed company, an ICC exam, and eight hours of NFPA 70 in the prior 12 months. The page labels the license fee at $262, with a $60 application fee applied to it.
What does Pittsburgh require?
An Electrical Trade License to perform electrical work in the city. New applicants need the standardized test and at least six years of combined experience and education. Renewal needs eight hours of continuing education in the prior 12 months.
How many calls does Local 163 have?
21 on November 2, 2026. Joyce wants 6 journeyman wiremen at AWS Building 101 on 6-10s. Book counts are not on the record.
What is the Local 163 scale?
$45.08 an hour on file. A 40-hour week at that scale is $1,803.20. One service call prints $51.09 for that call only. A 40-hour week at $51.09 is $2,043.60.
Does the Wilkes-Barre board print overtime?
The 6-10 and 10-hour lines do not print an overtime rate. The extra hours are not priced. Two lines print a $15 an hour incentive. One line prints a $600 bonus for a finished 40-hour week.
Where are the other Pennsylvania calls?
Reading has 17 at $48.02. Shamokin has 6. Williamsport has 4. Scranton, Harrisburg, and Allentown showed none on the November 2 scrape. Pittsburgh's stored count is 0 on an October 23 record that also says to call the hall.
