Short answer: Year 2 is roughly your 2,000th to 4,000th hour. It is when you take on more supervised tasks: conduit work, ampacity checks, grounding and bonding, load calculations and services, all within your apprentice license and supervision. Renew your apprentice license every year with 4 hours of CE or a registered training course, keep your own hour log, and get signed experience forms before you change employers.
Year 2 is when the NEC starts connecting to the work you see on the job, so you can start practicing code lookups now instead of waiting until you are eligible for the Journeyman exam. The Texas Journeyman Practice Pack has 1,000 practice questions on the 2026 NEC to use alongside your own code book, and 10 timed two-part mocks for later. US$39 once, no subscription.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with TDLR or PSI. TDLR does not define apprentice “years”; the 2,000-hour bands below are a planning tool we use, not a legal rule. License facts come from TDLR’s public pages as we checked them in October 2026.
What TDLR requires of you this year
- Work under supervision. An apprentice may do electrical work under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman (TDLR apprentice page).
- Renew every year. Apprentice licenses are valid for one year.
- Continuing education. Apprentices need 4 hours of continuing education for renewal, or enrollment in a department-registered electrical apprenticeship training course (TDLR continuing education page).
- Your hours count toward Journeyman only under a Master. TDLR’s Journeyman page asks for at least 7,000 hours under a Texas Master Electrician to apply for the exam and 8,000 hours for the license (TDLR Journeyman page).
Skills to build in year 2
| Skill | Why it matters this year | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Raceways and conduit fill | Commercial jobs move you from cable to EMT | NEC 300 and raceways |
| Conduit bending | Offsets and saddles are daily work | Conduit bending |
| Conductor ampacity | You start choosing wire, not just pulling it | NEC 310 ampacity |
| Grounding and bonding | The most misunderstood part of the code | NEC 250 mistakes |
| Dwelling load calculation | The base of every service question | Dwelling load calculation |
| Services and overcurrent protection | Where the building’s power starts | NEC 230 and 240 |
| Voltage drop | Long runs on commercial and rural jobs | Voltage drop calculator |
| Commercial layout | Gridlines, elevations and conflicts | Commercial layout |
You do not need to master every topic in year 2. For each skill, aim to complete one supervised task and explain the code rule behind it. For conduit fill, identify the conductors, look up their areas and check the permitted fill. For ampacity, identify the conductor insulation, the terminal temperature limits and any adjustment factors. For grounding and bonding, explain the fault-current path before the work starts. Write down which tasks you have done and which still need help from your supervising electrician.
How fast your hours add up
- Hours to finish year 2: 4,000 − 2,000 = 2,000 hours.
- At 40 hours a week: 2,000 ÷ 40 = 50 weeks.
- At 45 hours a week (some overtime): 2,000 ÷ 45 = 44.4, so 45 weeks.
- At 4,000 hours you are halfway to the 8,000-hour license: 4,000 ÷ 8,000 = 50%. You are 3,000 hours from the 7,000-hour exam application.
Check: 50 × 40 = 2,000 and 45 × 45 = 2,025, which is the first whole week past 2,000.
Weeks with no work, school weeks or layoffs stretch this out. That is why a dated log of your own matters: you will need to show each Master’s hours on separate forms.
Pay in year 2
Apprentice pay is set by your employer or your apprenticeship program, and some programs raise pay as you complete hours or classes. Ask for the pay scale in writing when you start, so you know what each step requires. For the trade as a whole, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median wage for electricians of $63,190 in May 2025, and says most electricians learn the trade in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). That is a national figure for the whole electrician occupation, not a Texas apprentice wage. We did not find an official Texas apprentice wage figure we could cite, so we do not quote one.
If you change employers
If you change contractors during your second year, protect your experience records before you leave. A higher wage, steadier hours or different work may be reasons to consider a move. Before you go:
- Ask each Master who supervised you to complete and sign an experience verification form for your hours with them.
- Keep a dated hour log: work period, employer, job or project, hours worked, and the supervising Texas Master Electrician. For example: September 14 to 18, commercial project A, 40 hours, the supervising Master’s name and license number. Match your log against your employer’s records, and ask each supervising Master for the signed TDLR experience verification form. Your own log supports your records but does not replace the signed forms.
- Check your apprentice license is current and moves with you; the license is yours, not the employer’s.
Our full checklist is in changing employers without losing hours.
Working toward the Texas Journeyman exam? TDLR accepts the exam application at 7,000 supervised hours. When you start studying for it, the Texas Journeyman Practice Pack (US$39, one payment) has 1,000 questions and 10 timed two-part mock exams on the 2026 NEC.
Check yourself
Our own practice questions. Answers below each.
- You are at 2,600 hours and work 40 hours a week. Weeks to 4,000? Answer: 1,400 ÷ 40 = 35 weeks.
- Who may supervise a Texas apprentice? Answer: A Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman.
- What does an apprentice need for renewal besides the fee? Answer: 4 hours of CE, or enrollment in a department-registered apprenticeship training course.
FAQ
How many hours is a second-year electrical apprentice?
TDLR does not define apprentice years. A common planning band is about 2,000 to 3,999 hours, based on roughly 2,000 working hours a year. What counts for the Journeyman license is total documented hours under Texas Masters.
Do Texas apprentice electricians need continuing education?
Yes. To renew each year, an apprentice needs 4 hours of continuing education or enrollment in a department-registered electrical apprenticeship training course.
How much does a second-year electrical apprentice make in Texas?
It depends on the employer or program. Ask for the written pay scale. For reference, BLS reports a national median annual wage of $63,190 for electricians in May 2025. That is an occupation-wide figure, not a Texas apprentice pay estimate.
Can I switch electrical contractors as an apprentice in Texas?
Yes. Your apprentice license is yours. Before you leave, get each supervising Master to sign an experience verification form for your hours with them and keep your own dated log.
Sources checked October 2026
- TDLR apprentice page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/apprentice-electrician.htm
- TDLR continuing education page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecce.htm
- TDLR Journeyman application page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/journeyman-electrician.htm
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Electricians: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm
