Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 11 hours ago
Thinking about becoming an electrician? Whether you're just starting as an apprentice or already a journeyman, it's critical to understand your real financial needs, not just what the job pays.
In this video, we walk through how to figure out the cost of living in your area, what your actual bills might look like, and how to calculate the hourly wage you truly need to survive and thrive.
We break it down for both young single adults and those supporting a family, across three very different cities: Austin, TX, San Francisco, CA, and Memphis, TN.
This isn't just about numbers. It's about knowing your worth and planning smart.
00:00 – Intro
00:30 – Can You Afford the Apprentice Pay Cut?
01:43 – Cost of Living Breakdown (Austin, SF, Memphis)
08:15 – How Much You Really Need to Make (Per City)
12:35 – How to Calculate Your Own Required Wage
16:12 – Journeyman Wages for a Family
20:28 – Final Thoughts & Takeaways
🤘⚡️EU Learning System⚡️🤘
For Individuals --- electricianu.com/learning-system-for-individuals
For Businesses --- electricianu.com/learning-system-for-businesses
-Video courses on every side of the electrical trade (theory, code, safety, wiring, install, troubleshooting, leadership, and more)
-Practice exams for 2017, 2020, 2023 code
-YouTube videos categorized and searchable
-Audio lessons
-Forum
-Business version has admin portal and ability to assign learning to technicians and monitor progress
-Any business size from 2 techs to 2,000!
🎓💡CONTINUING EDUCATION💡🎓
Sign up here --- electricianu.com/electrician-continuing-education-online-electrician-u
-State Approved
-Video Based
✍📝PRACTICE EXAMS📝✍
Get them here --- electricianu.com/electrician-exam-practice-tests
-2017, 2020, and 2023 NEC versions
-Online Residential Wireman Exam
-Online Journeyman Exam
-Online Master Exam
-300 Question Online Code Cannon (not license specific, all code)
-Take as many times as you want
-All of the above come with printable PDFs
🎤🎧PODCAST🎧🎤
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7ldCwdxhWnT0R3nne96XjC?si=a42a98b83c3549fc&nd=1
Apple Podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/electrician-u/id1583270265
📱👍SOCIALS👍📱
TikTok - tiktok.com/@electricianu
Instagram - instagram.com/electrician_u
Facebook - facebook.com/TheElectricianU
Reddit - reddit.com/r/ElectricianU
Rumble - rumble.com/c/ElectricianU
Discord - discord.gg/electricianu
🎧🎹Music, Editing, and Videography by Drake Descant and Rob LeBlanc🎹🎧
#electrician #electrical #electricity
Thinking about becoming an electrician? Whether you're just starting as an apprentice or already a journeyman, it's critical to understand your real financial needs, not just what the job pays.
In this video, we walk through how to figure out the cost of living in your area, what your actual bills might look like, and how to calculate the hourly wage you truly need to survive and thrive.
We break it down for both young single adults and those supporting a family, across three very different cities: Austin, TX, San Francisco, CA, and Memphis, TN.
This isn't just about numbers. It's about knowing your worth and planning smart.
00:00 – Intro
00:30 – Can You Afford the Apprentice Pay Cut?
01:43 – Cost of Living Breakdown (Austin, SF, Memphis)
08:15 – How Much You Really Need to Make (Per City)
12:35 – How to Calculate Your Own Required Wage
16:12 – Journeyman Wages for a Family
20:28 – Final Thoughts & Takeaways
🤘⚡️EU Learning System⚡️🤘
For Individuals --- electricianu.com/learning-system-for-individuals
For Businesses --- electricianu.com/learning-system-for-businesses
-Video courses on every side of the electrical trade (theory, code, safety, wiring, install, troubleshooting, leadership, and more)
-Practice exams for 2017, 2020, 2023 code
-YouTube videos categorized and searchable
-Audio lessons
-Forum
-Business version has admin portal and ability to assign learning to technicians and monitor progress
-Any business size from 2 techs to 2,000!
🎓💡CONTINUING EDUCATION💡🎓
Sign up here --- electricianu.com/electrician-continuing-education-online-electrician-u
-State Approved
-Video Based
✍📝PRACTICE EXAMS📝✍
Get them here --- electricianu.com/electrician-exam-practice-tests
-2017, 2020, and 2023 NEC versions
-Online Residential Wireman Exam
-Online Journeyman Exam
-Online Master Exam
-300 Question Online Code Cannon (not license specific, all code)
-Take as many times as you want
-All of the above come with printable PDFs
🎤🎧PODCAST🎧🎤
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7ldCwdxhWnT0R3nne96XjC?si=a42a98b83c3549fc&nd=1
Apple Podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/electrician-u/id1583270265
📱👍SOCIALS👍📱
TikTok - tiktok.com/@electricianu
Instagram - instagram.com/electrician_u
Facebook - facebook.com/TheElectricianU
Reddit - reddit.com/r/ElectricianU
Rumble - rumble.com/c/ElectricianU
Discord - discord.gg/electricianu
🎧🎹Music, Editing, and Videography by Drake Descant and Rob LeBlanc🎹🎧
#electrician #electrical #electricity
