Commercial electrical hiring in Albany-Schenectady-Troy.
GlobalFoundries' $11.6B Fab 8 expansion and the Albany NanoTech Complex's $10B EUV Lithography Center - North America's only publicly-owned facility of its kind - are pulling cleanroom electricians to 19-21% above national.
A two-decade-old chip cluster, still expanding.
Electrical hiring in Albany-Schenectady-Troy is shaped by an already-deep semiconductor cluster that's expanding on two fronts at once.
GlobalFoundries is investing $11.6 billion to expand its Fab 8 campus in Malta, adding a new 358,000 sq ft manufacturing facility and creating 1,500+ direct jobs. Cleanroom-grade electrical work - process power, specialized grounding, gas-hazard-rated wiring - is why semiconductor-grade cleanroom electricians carry a real premium here.
At the Albany NanoTech Complex, a $10 billion partnership is funding the first publicly-owned High NA Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Center in North America. EUV lithography facility electrical work is even more specialized than standard fab cleanroom wiring - the largest electrical premium tracked in this metro.
Capital projects driving electrical demand in this market
- GlobalFoundries Fab 8 expansion (Malta)$11.6B (plus $575M packaging/testing + $186M R&D)
A new 358,000 sq ft semiconductor manufacturing facility on GlobalFoundries' existing Malta campus, creating 1,500+ direct jobs. Cleanroom-grade electrical work - process power, specialized grounding, and gas-hazard-rated wiring - is why semiconductor-grade cleanroom electricians carry a real premium here, even in a market with an already-established two-decade-old semiconductor labor pool.
- Albany NanoTech High NA EUV Lithography Center$10B partnership
The first and only publicly-owned High NA Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Center in North America, at NY CREATES' Albany NanoTech Complex. EUV lithography facility electrical work is even more specialized than standard cleanroom work, requiring the most advanced process-power and precision-grounding systems in the industry - the largest premium tracked in this metro.
What you'll actually pay - by role.
Standard commercial electrical work runs about 8-9% above BLS national averages. Semiconductor-grade cleanroom electricians (+19%) and EUV/advanced lithography facility electricians (+21%) carry the largest premiums in this market. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Electrical Salary Guide.
| Role | Metro wage range | National average | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial electrician (journeyman) | $30 – $39/hr | $27 – $34/hr | +9% |
| Commercial electrician (apprentice, 3rd-4th year) | $21 – $27/hr | $19 – $24/hr | +9% |
| Semiconductor-grade cleanroom electrician | $35 – $46/hr | $29 – $38/hr | +19% |
| EUV / advanced lithography facility electrician | $36 – $47/hr | $29 – $38/hr | +21% |
| Low-voltage / controls electrician | $29 – $37/hr | $26 – $33/hr | +9% |
| Building automation systems (BAS) technician | $32 – $41/hr | $29 – $37/hr | +8% |
| Electrical foreman | $36 – $46/hr | $33 – $42/hr | +9% |
| Electrical project manager | $44 – $57/hr | $40 – $52/hr | +8% |
| Electrical superintendent | $50 – $63/hr | $46 – $58/hr | +8% |
| Electrical estimator (5+ yrs) | $46 – $60/hr | $42 – $54/hr | +8% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA. Ranges reflect 25th-75th percentile, projected to 2026. Actual offer rates depend on certifications, semiconductor/cleanroom experience, and years of experience.
What it takes to win the hire in this market.
Notes from our own placements in this market - not a ranking of specific competitor contractors.
Where the talent actually comes from
This metro has an established, two-decade-deep semiconductor electrical labor pool from the existing GlobalFoundries campus - a genuine advantage over newer fab markets. Even so, GlobalFoundries' expansion and the NanoTech Complex's EUV center are competing for the same narrow, highly-certified pool at once.
Credentials to filter for
New York has no statewide electrical license - licensing is entirely local, set by Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and surrounding counties. Since December 2024, a separate statewide DOL contractor registration also applies to public and certain private work. For fab and EUV-facility work specifically, verified cleanroom and gas-hazard wiring experience matters as much as local licensing.
What candidates actually expect
Semiconductor-grade cleanroom electricians in this market know their skill set is scarce even locally - expect them to weigh offers against the stability of a two-decade-old chip cluster that keeps expanding, not a one-time build.
What kills hires in this market
Underpricing EUV-facility work as standard cleanroom electrical. The documented +21% premium for EUV/advanced lithography facility electricians reflects genuinely more specialized process-power and precision-grounding requirements than conventional fab cleanroom work.
Realistic timelines by role
Standard commercial journeyman electricians: 4-6 weeks. Semiconductor-grade cleanroom electricians and EUV-facility specialists: 8-11 weeks, because GlobalFoundries' expansion and the NanoTech Complex's EUV center are both drawing on the same narrow, highly-certified labor pool.
The positions we fill, most often.
- EUV / advanced lithography facility electrician - The hardest hire in the region - the most specialized process-power and precision-grounding work for North America's only publicly-owned High NA EUV center.
- Semiconductor-grade cleanroom electrician - Cleanroom-grade process power and gas-hazard-rated wiring for GlobalFoundries' Fab 8 expansion.
- Commercial electrician (journeyman) - Core field role across every commercial and institutional project in the metro.
- Electrical foreman - Runs crews on both conventional commercial work and the semiconductor cluster's concurrent expansions.
- Electrical superintendent - Oversees multi-crew electrical scope on the largest jobs - semiconductor fab delivery experience is the clear premium hire.
- Electrical project manager - Coordinates scheduling, procurement, and subcontractor management across GlobalFoundries' expansion and the NanoTech Complex.
- 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 fab and EUV-facility scope carry fundamentally different unit costs than conventional commercial work.
- Electrical apprentice (3rd-4th year) - Pipeline talent working under local Albany/Schenectady/Troy licensing requirements.
For the full commercial electrical role catalog, see the Commercial Electrical industry page.
How My Trade Talent hires electrical talent in this market.
We don't run a generic trades desk. We track this market's electrical labor pool specifically - GlobalFoundries' expansion, the NanoTech Complex's EUV center, and New York's fragmented local licensing structure. We source from the region's established, two-decade-deep semiconductor electrical labor pool first, then screen against the market's actual wage data - not guesswork.
Albany runs 17% fewer commercial electrical workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Electricians. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Albany's commercial electrical market compares
In 2023 the Albany metro had 98 nonresidential electrical contractors (counted by business location). BLS publishes that count but withholds headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. The number of these employers rose 7.7%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 11 per 100,000 residents, close to the 11 national rate.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Albany ranks 66th for headcount, 27th for median pay and 78th for concentration for electricians.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 36,550 | $79,020 | 0.79 | 1,876 |
| Rochester | 2,540 | $77,310 | 1.05 | 90 |
| Buffalo | 2,340 | $77,930 | 0.90 | 88 |
| Albany | 1,820 | $74,890 | 0.83 | 98 |
| Syracuse | 1,160 | $77,110 | 0.80 | 63 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial electrical employers in Albany, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Albany metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Albany's commercial electrical market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Albany rose from 95 in 2018 to 98 in 2023, up 3%, close to the 6% national change. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Albany, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 95 | 98 | +3% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked questions.
What does it cost to hire commercial electrical staff in Albany?
Median pay for electricians in Albany is $74,890 a year, per BLS. That is the midpoint for the metro, so half the market is paid above it — an offer at or below the median asks someone to move for no raise. Specialty and supervisory roles sit well above it, and the wage table on this page breaks those out by role.
How hard is it to hire commercial electrical staff in Albany?
Albany has 17% fewer electricians per job than the country as a whole, below the national concentration. Albany employs about 1,820 of them. A thinner pool means the people you want already have jobs, usually with someone who would rather keep them. Filling these seats is outbound work, not a posting.
How many commercial electrical employers are there in Albany?
In 2023 the Albany metro had 98 nonresidential electrical contractors (counted by business location). BLS publishes that count but withholds headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. The number of these employers rose 7.7%, more firms competing for the same crews. Source: BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2023.
How does Albany compare with other metros for electrical hiring?
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Albany ranks 66th for headcount, 27th for median pay and 78th for concentration for electricians.
How does Albany compare with other New York metros for electrical talent?
Albany has the 4th-largest electricians workforce of the 5 New York metros we cover, with about 1,820. For comparison: New York (36,550), Rochester (2,540), Buffalo (2,340). Candidates often move between these metros, so a search here usually reaches into them too.
How much do commercial electricians make in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Journeyman commercial electricians run $30-$39/hr, about 9% above the national average of $27-$34/hr. Semiconductor-grade cleanroom electricians run considerably higher, $35-$46/hr, about 19% above the comparable national range, and EUV/advanced lithography facility electricians run even higher at about 21% above national - the largest electrical wage premium in this metro, tied to the Albany NanoTech Complex's EUV center.
How long does it take to hire a commercial electrician in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Standard commercial journeyman electricians: 4-6 weeks from intake to signed offer. Semiconductor-grade cleanroom electricians and EUV-facility specialists run 8-11 weeks, because GlobalFoundries' $11.6B expansion and the Albany NanoTech Complex's EUV center are both drawing on the same narrow, highly-certified labor pool.
Why do EUV-facility electricians earn more than standard cleanroom electricians here?
The Albany NanoTech Complex is home to the first and only publicly-owned High NA Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Center in North America, backed by a $10 billion partnership. EUV lithography facility electrical work requires more specialized process-power and precision-grounding systems than conventional semiconductor cleanroom wiring, worth about a 21% wage premium versus 19% for standard cleanroom electrical work.
What licensing does a commercial electrician need in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
New York has no statewide electrical contractor license - licensing is handled entirely at the city/county level. Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and surrounding counties each set their own requirements. Since December 2024, New York State also requires a separate statewide contractor registration (not a license) through the Department of Labor for public and certain private work.
Where does My Trade Talent find electrical candidates for Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
This metro has an established, two-decade-deep semiconductor electrical labor pool tied to the existing GlobalFoundries campus - a genuine advantage over newer fab markets. We source from that established pool first, supplementing with candidates from other semiconductor markets when GlobalFoundries' expansion and the NanoTech Complex's EUV center compete for the same talent simultaneously.
Hiring more than one trade in Albany? The Albany market page covers every trade we recruit here, with the wage data and capital projects behind them.
Hiring commercial electricians in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.