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Best Commercial Electrical Companies to Work For

30 Best Commercial Electrical Companies to Work For (2026) | CommercialElectricianJobs.com

Career Guide · Updated June 2026

30 Best Commercial Electrical Companies to Work For

Most "top electrical contractor" lists rank companies by revenue, which tells you who wins the biggest bids, not who treats electricians well. This one is for the people pulling wire. We ranked commercial electrical employers on what actually matters in the field: what happens when the project ends, who pays for your apprenticeship and license, whether travel work comes with real per diem, and whether there's a path past the tools.

By Matthew Sorensen · Former VP of Talent Acquisition · 15+ years and 500+ placements in the skilled trades

The Scorecard

How We Judge an Electrical Employer

1 · Backlog and what happens between projectsCommercial electrical work is project-based, and the biggest hidden risk is the layoff between jobs. The best contractors carry multi-year backlogs and roll crews to the next project. Ask every shop how many field electricians they laid off in the last 24 months.
2 · Paid apprenticeship and licensingTop employers cover apprenticeship tuition, exam fees, code update classes, and license renewals. Self-funding your journeyman license is a pay cut in disguise.
3 · Per diem and travel policyData center and industrial booms mean travel work is everywhere. Great shops pay untaxed per diem that actually covers lodging and meals. Weak shops let travel costs eat your check.
4 · Tools, PPE, and equipmentYou bring hand tools. Power tools, meters, arc-flash gear, and lifts should be on the company.
5 · A real path past the toolsForeman, superintendent, PM, estimator, plus specialty tracks like medium voltage, controls, prefab, and VDC. The best companies can name field electricians who now run the place.

Know a shop that belongs on this list? Tell us about it.

The Standouts

Best Overall Places to Work

Rosendin

National

The largest employee-owned electrical contractor in the country and an IBEW signatory. Union wages plus an ESOP building employee wealth for over 30 years. Massive data center and renewables backlog keeps crews working.

Gaylor Electric

Indianapolis · 7 States

First company in ABC's 75-year history named Contractor of the Year twice. Four-year registered apprenticeship and 32 hours of continuing education per year for every employee through Gaylor University.

Miller Electric Co.

Jacksonville · Southeast

Century-old IBEW-signatory contractor in aviation, healthcare, and stadium work. Long tenure and one of the most stable backlogs in the Southeast.

Faith Technologies (FTI)

Wisconsin · National

Merit shop with a tuition-free in-house apprenticeship; certifications and licenses come at no cost to the electrician. Heavy prefab investment means more predictable schedules.

Cupertino Electric (CEI)

San Jose · National

Employee-owned, IBEW-signatory, and the electrical backbone of Silicon Valley's tech campuses and data centers. Mission-critical work at union scale with ownership on top.

Interstates

Sioux Center, Iowa · Midwest

Industrial electrical and automation for food processing and manufacturing. Repeatedly recognized as a top workplace, with structured NCCER-based training.

Top of the Scale

Best Pay

E-J Electric Installation Co.

New York City

Family-run since 1899, signatory to IBEW Local 3, which sets some of the highest electrician wages in the country. Local 3's apprenticeship is the only one nationally that includes an associate degree.

Five Star Electric

New York City

One of NYC's largest electrical contractors, also on Local 3 scale, with the transit and infrastructure mega-projects that generate serious overtime.

Rosendin / Cupertino Electric

Bay Area · West

Bay Area IBEW scale is among the highest anywhere, and both companies stack employee ownership on top of the union package.

M.C. Dean

Virginia · Data Center Corridors

Mission-critical specialist in the busiest data center market on earth. Travel assignments come with structured per diem packages.

Continental Electrical Construction

Chicago

Chicago-market union wages with a hundred-year track record on the city's signature commercial projects.

Cache Valley Electric

Utah · National

Family-owned since 1915, IBEW-signatory, and riding the national data center wave with premium travel packages for electricians willing to go where the work is.

Not sure what you should be making? Check the salary estimator or compare pay by state.

You Own a Piece

Best Employee-Owned (ESOP) Companies

RosendinNational · Largest EC ESOP
Cupertino ElectricSan Jose · National
Staff ElectricMilwaukee · 100% ESOP since 2021
Baker ElectricSan Diego · 100% ESOP since 2020
Tri-City Electrical ContractorsFlorida
Commonwealth Electric of the MidwestNebraska · Iowa · Arizona

Collective Bargaining

Best Union (IBEW) Shops

E-J Electric

NYC · Local 3

The oldest family-run electrical contractor in the country, on the strongest local agreement in the trade.

Rosendin

National IBEW

Union wages, pension, and health plans across dozens of markets, plus an ESOP most union shops can't match.

Miller Electric Co.

Jacksonville

A rare large-scale IBEW signatory in the Southeast: union benefits in a lower-cost-of-living market.

Cupertino Electric

Bay Area · National

Silicon Valley IBEW scale on tech campus and data center work.

Sturgeon Electric (MYR Group)

Mountain West

Union commercial and industrial work backed by one of the largest publicly traded specialty contractors in the country.

Five Star Electric

NYC · Local 3

Big infrastructure work, big crews, and the overtime that comes with both.

Weighing both paths? See union vs non-union pay and benefits.

Level Up

Best for Apprenticeships & Training

Faith Technologies (FTI)

Wisconsin · National

In-house apprenticeship with no tuition cost. Choose an electrician or specialty systems track; the licenses you earn are yours.

Gaylor Electric

Indianapolis

Four-year ABC-partnered apprenticeship with financial support, evening classes, and a published career pathway from apprentice to executive.

Wayne J. Griffin Electric

New England · Southeast

Runs its own tuition-free apprenticeship with structured six-month wage reviews. You give up Saturdays for class; they pick up the bill.

M.C. Dean

Virginia · National

Engineering-heavy contractor with registered apprenticeships and deep training in mission-critical, security, and electronic systems.

Helix Electric

San Diego · West · Southwest

Large merit shop with a structured apprenticeship and design-build exposure that accelerates the path to foreman.

Interstates

Iowa · Midwest

NCCER-based craft training with nationally recognized instructors, plus automation and controls tracks most shops can't offer.

Comparing programs? Start with NCCER vs union apprenticeship, then browse open apprentice roles.

Scale & Stability

Best Large National Employers

IES Holdings

National · HQ Houston

Publicly traded with divisions spanning commercial, industrial, residential, and communications. Culture varies by division, so research the specific branch.

MYR Group

National

Parent of Sturgeon Electric and CSI Electrical. Huge transmission, distribution, and commercial footprint with the balance sheet to ride out downturns.

ArchKey Solutions

National · HQ St. Louis

One of the largest electrical and technology contractors in the country, built around Sachs Electric and regional operating companies with long local histories.

EMCOR Group

National

Dozens of local electrical subsidiaries under one of the biggest specialty contractors anywhere. The subsidiary matters more than the parent, so vet the local shop.

Rosendin

National

Scale, union benefits, and employee ownership in one package. The benchmark other large contractors get measured against.

Bergelectric

West · National

Design-build heavyweight since 1946 with major aviation, healthcare, and data center projects across the West and Southeast.

Find Your Market

Best by Region

NortheastE-J Electric · Five Star Electric · Wayne J. Griffin Electric · O'Connell ElectricNY jobs · MA jobs
SoutheastMiller Electric Co. · Power Design · Tri-City Electrical · Inglett & Stubbs · Ace Electric · Cleveland ElectricFL jobs · GA jobs
MidwestGaylor Electric · Faith Technologies · Staff Electric · Interstates · Commonwealth Electric · ERMCO · Continental Electrical · Guarantee ElectricalIN jobs · IA jobs
Southwest & MountainCache Valley Electric · Encore Electric · Sturgeon Electric · Walker Engineering · Rosendin (TX/AZ)TX jobs · CO jobs
WestRosendin · Cupertino Electric · Bergelectric · Helix Electric · Baker Electric · Morrow-MeadowsCA jobs
NationalIES Holdings · MYR Group · ArchKey Solutions · EMCOR · M.C. DeanAll US jobs

Before You Sign

Ask These Before You Accept an Offer

  1. How many field electricians did you lay off in the last two years, and what happens when my project ends?
  2. What's the per diem for out-of-town work, and does it actually cover lodging and meals in your project markets?
  3. Who pays for apprenticeship tuition, license exam fees, code update classes, and renewals?
  4. What tools and PPE does the company provide beyond hand tools?
  5. Name three people in leadership who started in the field here.

If a company dodges any of these, that's your answer. More on reading employers: interview red flags that cost you the job.

Common Questions

FAQ

Is union or merit shop better for commercial electricians?
IBEW shops generally offer higher posted wages, defined pensions, and portable benefits negotiated by collective bargaining. Strong merit shops compete with tuition-free apprenticeships, profit sharing, employee ownership, and year-round work without the hiring hall. Merit shop contractors now perform the majority of electrical construction nationally, so both paths lead to good careers. The right answer depends on your market. Full breakdown: union vs non-union pay and benefits.
Do commercial electricians get per diem?
On travel work, the good contractors pay it. The data center construction boom has made traveling electricians some of the best-paid people in the trade, but only when per diem is untaxed, paid seven days a week, and actually covers costs in the project market. Always ask for the daily rate and how it's paid before accepting a travel assignment. See overtime and per diem explained.
What is an ESOP electrical contractor?
A company owned partly or fully by its employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. You accumulate shares the longer you stay, at no cost to you, and cash them out when you retire or leave vested. It works like a second retirement account on top of your wages, and construction is one of the top industries for ESOPs in the country.
Should I worry about layoffs in commercial electrical work?
It's the trade's biggest hidden risk. Project-based contractors staff up for a job and cut loose when it ends. The best employers on this list carry backlogs measured in years and move crews from project to project instead of laying them off. Asking about the last 24 months of layoffs is the single most revealing interview question you can ask.
Who pays for my journeyman license?
The best ones do. Union apprenticeships are funded through the collective agreement, and top merit shops like FTI, Gaylor, and Wayne J. Griffin run tuition-free programs of their own. If an employer expects you to self-fund school, exams, and renewals, price that into the offer, because it can run thousands of dollars over a career. Requirements vary by state: see how to get a journeyman license in each state.

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