Commercial electrical hiring in Akron.
A $160M NSF grant is fueling advanced manufacturing across the region. Advanced-manufacturing electricians now run about 9% above national — the clearest premium in an otherwise discounted market.
A rubber-town legacy site, becoming a mixed-use district.
Electrical hiring in Akron is a generally discounted market — most conventional work runs a few points below national average — with one real specialty premium.
A $160M National Science Foundation grant is backing the NEO-SMART advanced manufacturing initiative, aiming to create or retain 20,000 regional jobs and train 12,000 workers over 10 years. Process-power and specialized equipment-circuit work tied to that push is exactly why advanced-manufacturing electricians carry the clearest premium in this metro.
Separately, the former Goodyear headquarters campus is midway through "The East End" redevelopment, reimagining 1.4 million sq ft of historic Goodyear buildings as a mixed-use, live-work-play district — adding substantial adaptive-reuse electrical scope.
Capital projects driving Akron electrical demand
- NEO-SMART advanced manufacturing initiative$160M (NSF grant)
A 10-year regional initiative aiming to create or retain 20,000 jobs and train 12,000 workers in new materials and manufacturing. Advanced-manufacturing electrical work — specialized equipment circuits, process-control power, and facility upgrades tied to new materials production — is why advanced-manufacturing electricians carry the clearest premium in this metro, even against an otherwise discounted general market.
- East End & Goodyear HQ redevelopmentUndisclosed (400-acre site)
Phase II reimagining the original 1.4 million sq ft Goodyear Headquarters and Goodyear Hall as a mixed live-work-play district — substantial electrical scope for adaptive-reuse commercial and residential conversion work.
What you'll actually pay — by role.
Most conventional Akron commercial electrical work runs a few points below BLS national averages. Advanced-manufacturing electricians are the clear exception at about 9% above national.
| Role | Akron wage range | National average | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial electrician (journeyman) | $27 – $35/hr | $27 – $34/hr | +1% |
| Commercial electrician (apprentice, 3rd-4th year) | $19 – $24/hr | $19 – $24/hr | 0% |
| Advanced-manufacturing electrician | $32 – $41/hr | $29 – $38/hr | +9% |
| Healthcare-construction electrician | $29 – $38/hr | $29 – $38/hr | Parity |
| Low-voltage / controls electrician | $25 – $32/hr | $26 – $33/hr | −3% |
| Building automation systems (BAS) technician | $28 – $36/hr | $29 – $37/hr | −3% |
| Electrical foreman | $31 – $40/hr | $33 – $42/hr | −4% |
| Electrical project manager | $38 – $50/hr | $40 – $52/hr | −4% |
| Electrical superintendent | $44 – $56/hr | $46 – $58/hr | −4% |
| Electrical estimator (5+ yrs) | $40 – $52/hr | $42 – $54/hr | −4% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Akron MSA. Ranges reflect 25th-75th percentile, projected to 2026. Actual offer rates depend on certifications, advanced-manufacturing experience, and years of experience.
What it takes to win the hire in Akron.
Notes from our own placements in this market — not a ranking of specific competitor contractors.
Where the talent actually comes from
Akron's own commercial electrical labor pool covers standard journeyman demand at close to national parity, in a generally discounted overall labor market. Advanced-manufacturing electricians are sourced more selectively, often from candidates with prior industrial or process-power experience tied to the NEO-SMART initiative's manufacturing focus.
Credentials to filter for
Ohio has no state-level general contractor license, but regulates electrical work statewide through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), requiring a qualifying individual to pass a trade exam and business/law exam, plus at least $500,000 in liability insurance. For NEO-SMART-adjacent work specifically, industrial process-power experience matters as much as OCILB licensure.
What candidates actually expect
Advanced-manufacturing electricians know NEO-SMART is a 10-year regional commitment, not a short-term project — expect them to weigh offers against the stability of a sustained regional manufacturing investment.
What kills hires in this market
Pricing advanced-manufacturing electrical work at the region's generally discounted conventional-electrical rate. The documented +9% premium reflects genuinely specialized process-power and equipment-circuit work tied to new materials manufacturing.
Realistic timelines by role
Standard commercial journeyman electricians: 4-6 weeks. Advanced-manufacturing electricians: 6-8 weeks, because the NEO-SMART initiative's facilities and workforce investment is drawing on a more specialized skill set even in a generally balanced-to-discounted labor market.
The positions we fill, most often.
- Advanced-manufacturing electrician — The hardest hire in the region — process-power and specialized equipment circuits tied to the NEO-SMART initiative's new materials manufacturing push.
- Healthcare-construction electrician — Serves Akron Children's Hospital's Considine Professional Building addition.
- Commercial electrician (journeyman) — Core field role across every conventional commercial and institutional project in the metro.
- Electrical foreman — Runs crews on both conventional commercial work and The East End's adaptive-reuse redevelopment.
- Electrical superintendent — Oversees multi-crew electrical scope on the largest jobs — mixed-use redevelopment or manufacturing delivery experience is the premium hire.
- Electrical project manager — Coordinates scheduling, procurement, and subcontractor management across NEO-SMART and The East End projects.
- Building automation systems (BAS) technician — Controls integration for commercial and institutional buildings across the metro.
- Low-voltage / controls electrician — Data, security, and life-safety systems wiring for conventional commercial builds.
- Electrical estimator — Prices bids across a market where advanced-manufacturing scope carries materially different unit costs than the region's generally discounted conventional commercial work.
- Electrical apprentice (3rd-4th year) — Pipeline talent working toward Ohio OCILB electrical licensure.
For the full commercial electrical role catalog, see the Commercial Electrical industry page.
How My Trade Talent hires electrical talent in Akron.
We don't run a generic trades desk. We track Akron's electrical labor market specifically — the NEO-SMART initiative's 10-year manufacturing investment, The East End's adaptive-reuse redevelopment, and Ohio's OCILB licensing structure. We source advanced-manufacturing electricians from candidates with prior industrial process-power experience, then screen against the market's actual wage data — not guesswork.
Frequently asked questions.
How much do commercial electricians make in Akron?
Journeyman commercial electricians in Akron run $27-$35/hr, essentially at national parity with the $27-$34/hr national average, in an otherwise discounted overall market. Advanced-manufacturing electricians run considerably higher, $32-$41/hr, about 9% above the comparable national range — the clearest electrical wage premium in this metro, tied to the $160M NEO-SMART advanced manufacturing initiative.
How long does it take to hire a commercial electrician in Akron?
Standard commercial journeyman electricians: 4-6 weeks from intake to signed offer. Advanced-manufacturing electricians run 6-8 weeks, because the NEO-SMART initiative's facilities and workforce investment is drawing on a more specialized skill set even in a generally balanced-to-discounted labor market.
Why do advanced-manufacturing electricians earn more in Akron?
A $160 million National Science Foundation grant is backing the NEO-SMART advanced manufacturing initiative, aiming to create or retain 20,000 regional jobs and train 12,000 workers in new materials and manufacturing over 10 years. Process-power and specialized equipment-circuit work tied to that push is a distinct skill set from standard commercial electrical, worth about a 9% wage premium even in an otherwise discounted market.
What licensing does a commercial electrician need in Akron?
Ohio has no state-level general contractor license, but regulates electrical work statewide through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), requiring a qualifying individual to pass a trade exam and a business/law exam, plus at least $500,000 in liability insurance.
Where does My Trade Talent find electrical candidates for Akron?
Akron's own commercial electrical labor pool covers standard journeyman demand well, at close to national parity. For advanced-manufacturing electricians, we source more selectively from candidates with prior industrial or process-power experience.
Does My Trade Talent have an office in Akron?
No. We're headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. We serve Akron clients remotely with same-day intake calls, market-specific candidate sourcing, and on-site visits as needed.
Hiring commercial electricians in Akron?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate — in under 30 minutes.
My Trade Talent is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, serving commercial trades clients across the continental US — including the Akron OH MSA.