Regional Pricing
Ceiling Fan Installation Cost by State and Metro
The national labor cost for a standard ceiling fan replacement is $100 to $250. Where you live moves that a long way, because electrician pay varies by more than 2x across the country. Every state and metro figure below is scaled from the published BLS OEWS, May 2025 median hourly wage for electricians, so you can check the arithmetic yourself.
How these numbers are built
- The anchor. The US median hourly wage for Electricians (SOC 47-2111) is $30.38, across 757,220 electricians, in the BLS OEWS, May 2025 release. That is the 1.00x line.
- The multiplier. Each state and metro multiplier is simply that area's published BLS median wage divided by $30.38, to two decimals. Oregon at $48.71 gives 1.60x. Arkansas at $23.59 gives 0.78x.
- The dollar range. Our national $100 to $250 labor model, multiplied by that figure, rounded to the nearest $5. Oregon: $100 x 1.60 = $160, $250 x 1.60 = $400.
- What this is not. BLS publishes what electricians are paid, not what shops bill. A quote also carries overhead, insurance, vehicle and profit, and those vary less by geography than wages do. So treat the spread below as the direction and rough size of the local difference, not a quote.
Wage data: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 47-2111 Electricians, state and metropolitan files. bls.gov/oes. Downloaded and parsed 28 September 2026.
Highest and Lowest Electrician Wages by State
This is the ranking most cost guides get wrong. The expensive states are not the ones you would guess from cost of living: Oregon, Illinois and Washington all pay their electricians more than New York or California.
5 Highest Paid
- 1. Oregon $48.71/hr (1.60x)
- 2. Illinois $47.87/hr (1.58x)
- 3. Hawaii $46.38/hr (1.53x)
- 4. Washington $45.78/hr (1.51x)
- 5. Alaska $43.00/hr (1.42x)
5 Lowest Paid
- 1. Arkansas $23.59/hr (0.78x)
- 2. Alabama $26.78/hr (0.88x)
- 3. North Carolina $27.31/hr (0.90x)
- 4. Florida $27.52/hr (0.91x)
- 5. Georgia $28.04/hr (0.92x)
Median hourly wage for Electricians (SOC 47-2111), BLS OEWS, May 2025. Multiplier is the wage divided by the $30.38 US median.
All 50 States and DC
Labor only, for a standard fan replacement on an existing fan-rated box. Sorted alphabetically. Wage column is published BLS data; the cost column is our model.
| State | BLS median wageMay 2025, per hour | vs US$30.38 = 1.00x | Modelled laborreplacement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $26.78 | 0.88x | $90 - $220 |
| Alaska | $43.00 | 1.42x | $140 - $355 |
| Arizona | $29.36 | 0.97x | $95 - $245 |
| Arkansas | $23.59 | 0.78x | $80 - $195 |
| California | $36.62 | 1.21x | $120 - $305 |
| Colorado | $29.92 | 0.98x | $100 - $245 |
| Connecticut | $37.28 | 1.23x | $125 - $310 |
| Delaware | $30.63 | 1.01x | $100 - $255 |
| District of Columbia | $37.97 | 1.25x | $125 - $315 |
| Florida | $27.52 | 0.91x | $90 - $230 |
| Georgia | $28.04 | 0.92x | $90 - $230 |
| Hawaii | $46.38 | 1.53x | $155 - $385 |
| Idaho | $30.29 | 1.00x | $100 - $250 |
| Illinois | $47.87 | 1.58x | $160 - $395 |
| Indiana | $32.93 | 1.08x | $110 - $270 |
| Iowa | $29.26 | 0.96x | $95 - $240 |
| Kansas | $31.66 | 1.04x | $105 - $260 |
| Kentucky | $28.71 | 0.95x | $95 - $240 |
| Louisiana | $29.59 | 0.97x | $95 - $245 |
| Maine | $36.24 | 1.19x | $120 - $300 |
| Maryland | $35.33 | 1.16x | $115 - $290 |
| Massachusetts | $38.18 | 1.26x | $125 - $315 |
| Michigan | $36.67 | 1.21x | $120 - $305 |
| Minnesota | $37.58 | 1.24x | $125 - $310 |
| Mississippi | $29.26 | 0.96x | $95 - $240 |
| Missouri | $31.45 | 1.04x | $105 - $260 |
| Montana | $36.90 | 1.21x | $120 - $305 |
| Nebraska | $29.24 | 0.96x | $95 - $240 |
| Nevada | $35.37 | 1.16x | $115 - $290 |
| New Hampshire | $30.21 | 0.99x | $100 - $250 |
| New Jersey | $37.14 | 1.22x | $120 - $305 |
| New Mexico | $28.07 | 0.92x | $90 - $230 |
| New York | $37.86 | 1.25x | $125 - $315 |
| North Carolina | $27.31 | 0.90x | $90 - $225 |
| North Dakota | $31.59 | 1.04x | $105 - $260 |
| Ohio | $31.11 | 1.02x | $100 - $255 |
| Oklahoma | $29.33 | 0.97x | $95 - $245 |
| Oregon | $48.71 | 1.60x | $160 - $400 |
| Pennsylvania | $32.50 | 1.07x | $105 - $270 |
| Rhode Island | $35.62 | 1.17x | $115 - $295 |
| South Carolina | $28.24 | 0.93x | $95 - $235 |
| South Dakota | $29.51 | 0.97x | $95 - $245 |
| Tennessee | $29.37 | 0.97x | $95 - $245 |
| Texas | $28.16 | 0.93x | $95 - $235 |
| Utah | $29.81 | 0.98x | $100 - $245 |
| Vermont | $30.49 | 1.00x | $100 - $250 |
| Virginia | $30.24 | 1.00x | $100 - $250 |
| Washington | $45.78 | 1.51x | $150 - $380 |
| West Virginia | $31.16 | 1.03x | $105 - $260 |
| Wisconsin | $36.80 | 1.21x | $120 - $305 |
| Wyoming | $36.59 | 1.20x | $120 - $300 |
Wages are the published BLS OEWS May 2025 state medians for occupation 47-2111. Cost ranges are this site's model, not observed quotes. Always get local written quotes.
20 Major Metros, Most to Least Expensive
Metro medians differ from their state, sometimes sharply: Chicago at $49.21 pulls the whole Illinois figure up, and Denver sits almost exactly on the national median.
| Metro | BLS median wageMay 2025, per hour | vs US | Replacement | New wiring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, ORPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $50.53 | 1.66x | $165 - $415new wiring $415 - $995 | $415 - $995 |
| ChicagoChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49.21 | 1.62x | $160 - $405new wiring $405 - $970 | $405 - $970 |
| SeattleSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48.93 | 1.61x | $160 - $405new wiring $405 - $965 | $405 - $965 |
| San JoseSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $43.77 | 1.44x | $145 - $360new wiring $360 - $865 | $360 - $865 |
| MinneapolisMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $39.37 | 1.30x | $130 - $325new wiring $325 - $780 | $325 - $780 |
| New York CityNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $37.99 | 1.25x | $125 - $315new wiring $315 - $750 | $315 - $750 |
| San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $36.62 | 1.21x | $120 - $305new wiring $305 - $725 | $305 - $725 |
| PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $35.86 | 1.18x | $120 - $295new wiring $295 - $710 | $295 - $710 |
| Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $35.49 | 1.17x | $115 - $295new wiring $295 - $700 | $295 - $700 |
| Las VegasLas Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $34.08 | 1.12x | $110 - $280new wiring $280 - $670 | $280 - $670 |
| NashvilleNashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $30.45 | 1.00x | $100 - $250new wiring $250 - $600 | $250 - $600 |
| DenverDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $30.36 | 1.00x | $100 - $250new wiring $250 - $600 | $250 - $600 |
| PhoenixPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $29.43 | 0.97x | $95 - $245new wiring $245 - $580 | $245 - $580 |
| AustinAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $29.03 | 0.96x | $95 - $240new wiring $240 - $575 | $240 - $575 |
| HoustonHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $28.45 | 0.94x | $95 - $235new wiring $235 - $565 | $235 - $565 |
| DallasDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $28.37 | 0.93x | $95 - $235new wiring $235 - $560 | $235 - $560 |
| AtlantaAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $28.20 | 0.93x | $95 - $235new wiring $235 - $560 | $235 - $560 |
| MiamiMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $28.19 | 0.93x | $95 - $235new wiring $235 - $560 | $235 - $560 |
| JacksonvilleJacksonville, FL | $28.02 | 0.92x | $90 - $230new wiring $230 - $550 | $230 - $550 |
| San AntonioSan Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $27.41 | 0.90x | $90 - $225new wiring $225 - $540 | $225 - $540 |
Both cost columns are labor only and are our model: the national $100 to $250 replacement anchor and the $250 to $600 single-room new-circuit anchor, each scaled by the metro multiplier. Materials, permits and drywall repair are extra and do not scale with local wages.
What Drives Regional Differences
Licensing structure
Oregon and Washington license electricians at state level with strict scope rules on who may do residential electrical work. States that let a journeyman or a licensed handyman swap a fixture have a deeper pool of people who can legally do the job, and lower prices.
Union density
Union electricians are typically paid more than non-union, and the states topping the wage table (Illinois, Oregon, Washington) are ones with a strong organised presence in the electrical trade. This is the most likely reason the wage ranking does not track cost of living.
Electrician supply and demand
Metros with sustained construction booms compete for the same licensed workforce, which keeps pay elevated even where general living costs are moderate. Austin and Nashville both sit near the national median despite fast growth, because their state labor pools are large.
Permit costs
Permit fees range from around $25 in some rural counties to $200 or more in major cities. These are charged on top of labor and are not in any figure on this page.
Trip and minimum charges
A minimum service call does not scale with local wages. That is why real quote spreads are usually narrower than the wage spread: a $75 truck roll is a bigger share of a cheap market's bill than an expensive one's.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state has the highest electrician wages?
Oregon. The BLS median hourly wage for electricians (SOC 47-2111) in Oregon is $48.71, the highest of any state in the May 2025 OEWS release, ahead of Illinois at $47.87 and Hawaii at $46.38. Arkansas is the lowest at $23.59. The US median is $30.38.
Is ceiling fan installation really cheapest in the Deep South?
Partly. Arkansas and Alabama do have the two lowest electrician medians in the country, at $23.59 and $26.78. But Mississippi, routinely named as the cheapest state for trade work, sits at $29.26, only 4 percent below the US median of $30.38, and West Virginia at $31.16 is actually above the national median with exactly 25 states cheaper than it. Low general cost of living does not reliably mean low electrician wages.
Why is installation more expensive in Chicago than in New York City?
Because Chicago electricians are paid more. The BLS median hourly wage is $49.21 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro against $37.99 in New York-Newark-Jersey City. Portland, Oregon is higher still at $50.53. Manhattan quotes can be steep, but on a metro-wide basis the priciest electrician labor markets in the US are in the Pacific Northwest and Chicago, not New York.
Can I save money by getting quotes from a nearby cheaper area?
Rarely. Most electricians have a service area and charge a trip fee for longer drives, so the trip charge tends to cancel the rate difference. Getting three quotes inside your own area is the more reliable saving.
Do rural areas always cost less?
Usually, but not always. Very rural areas sometimes have fewer electricians available, which can keep prices higher than expected through limited competition and longer drive times. Alaska is the clearest case: high wages and a thin supply of licensed electricians.
Are these prices just for labor?
Yes. Every figure on this page is labor only for a standard fan replacement on an existing fan-rated box at standard ceiling height. The fan itself, box upgrades, permits, and new wiring are additional.