3-Way Switch Wiring With the Light Between the Switches

Power enters switch 1, the travelers run up through the light box on wire nuts, and continue to switch 2 on the far side. Switch 2’s common sends the switched hot back to the fixture.

Safety first. Turn off the breaker and confirm the power is off with a non-contact voltage tester before touching any wire. Follow your local electrical code; some areas require a licensed electrician or a permit. If you find aluminum wiring, cloth-covered wiring, scorched insulation or more than one circuit in a box, stop and call an electrician.

Switch box 1

Grounds: join the bare copper wire in the 14/2 cable bringing power in, the bare copper wire in the 14/3 cable to light box and a short bare copper pigtail to the 3-way switch 1’s green ground screw under one wire nut.
Neutral splice: join the white wire in the 14/2 cable bringing power in and the white wire in the 14/3 cable to light box under one wire nut.
3-way switch 1, COMMON screw (the dark/black one) → the black wire in the 14/2 cable bringing power in.
3-way switch 1, traveler screw (brass) → the black wire in the 14/3 cable to light box.
3-way switch 1, other traveler screw (brass) → the red wire in the 14/3 cable to light box.

Light box

Grounds: join the bare copper wire in the 14/3 cable to switch box 1, the bare copper wire in the 14/3 cable to switch box 2 and the light fixture’s ground lead or screw under one wire nut.
Traveler splice: join the black wire in the 14/3 cable to switch box 1 and the white wire re-marked with black tape in the 14/3 cable to switch box 2 under one wire nut.
Traveler splice: join the red wire in the 14/3 cable to switch box 1 and the red wire in the 14/3 cable to switch box 2 under one wire nut.
Light fixture, black lead → the black wire in the 14/3 cable to switch box 2.
Light fixture, white lead → the white wire in the 14/3 cable to switch box 1.

Switch box 2

Grounds: join the bare copper wire in the 14/3 cable to light box and a short bare copper pigtail to the 3-way switch 2’s green ground screw under one wire nut.
3-way switch 2, COMMON screw (the dark/black one) → the black wire in the 14/3 cable to light box.
3-way switch 2, traveler screw (brass) → the white wire re-marked with black tape in the 14/3 cable to light box.
3-way switch 2, other traveler screw (brass) → the red wire in the 14/3 cable to light box.

What you need

3-way light switchBuy them in pairs; both ends of the circuit need one.

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14/3 NM-B cableTravelers + neutral + ground between the two switches.

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Non-contact voltage testerConfirms the power is really off before you touch a wire.

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Lever wire connectorsFaster and more forgiving than twist-on wire nuts for pigtails and splices.

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3-Way Switch Wiring With the Light Between the Switches

Which setup do you have?

Flip the switches

Wire it box by box

Switch box 1

Light box

Switch box 2

Other 3-way switch setups

What you need

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