Electrician in IBEW here in a poor rural region. Those pay numbers are pretty close to our current rates, actually. And if you can pass a test, you can get into the apprenticeship program pretty easily. They don't expect much from first year apprentices. I had a trade school diploma and my Limited Liability Electrician license already when I applied, but it didn't matter much. The competitiveness is very dependent on your local.

You gotta buy your own hand tools, but power tools, conduit benders, etc are all provided.

So... like with everything career-related, it's gonna depend on where you live.