Varies a lot by state. I have a friend (was ringbearer at my wedding when he was a wee lad), and he did a lot of research on which state to go through this in (he chose Colorado, btw).
The journeyman/apprentice system, for all its problems, is probably a net bonus to the lifetime wages, since it prevents a huge surge of new entrants in a short time. Also, although it may not be all we would want, it does probably prevent the worst safety/incompetence concerns that we would have if it were left to the market (since people hiring electricians often don't have the knowledge to tell if they are competent or not).
The journeyman/apprentice system, for all its problems, is probably a net bonus to the lifetime wages, since it prevents a huge surge of new entrants in a short time. Also, although it may not be all we would want, it does probably prevent the worst safety/incompetence concerns that we would have if it were left to the market (since people hiring electricians often don't have the knowledge to tell if they are competent or not).