Any time you're adding circuits, upgrading your panel, installing EV chargers, or dealing with flickering lights and tripped breakers that won't reset - call an electrician. Electrical fires are the fourth-leading cause of house fires in the US, and most of them start in walls where nobody's looking.
The difference between a licensed electrician and a handyman doing electrical work is permits and liability. A licensed electrician in Maryland, Virginia, or DC pulls permits, gets inspections, and their work is on record. If your house burns down or you sell the house and unpermitted work gets flagged, that matters.
Master electricians charge more than journeymen - typically $95-$200/hr in this area - but for panel work or whole-home rewiring, you want the experience. Red flags: anyone who says they can skip the permit to save you money (they're actually saving themselves paperwork), or quotes that seem suspiciously low for the scope of work.