Compare A Electrical Apprentice ↔ B Electrical Foreman

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Your route

2 moves · +$24.45/h Houston union minimum (IBEW 716), from a first-period apprentice

$18.34/h (first-period apprentice) to $42.79/h (Foreman (3 or Less)), one published document for every stop; from the final apprentice period ($34.64/h) the difference is +$8.15/h; +$50,856 a year at 2,080 h. source

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license, 8,000 h on the job (7,000 h to sit the exam).
Move 2, to Electrical Foreman: experience: over 10 years (O*NET, most common).

Move 1 B1 step up on Construction electrical
Electrical Apprentice to Journeyman Electrician +$22.41/h Houston union minimum (IBEW 716)
- Next rung on 'Construction electrical' (Start to Skilled). Texas: 8,000 hours to the license.
- Gates: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license, 8,000 h on the job (7,000 h to sit the exam).
- TDLR Journeyman application (by mail, non-refundable) $30 · PSI exam, both parts $78
  TDLR, PSI
  - TDLR: Apply for a New Journeyman Electrician License, read 2026-10-01
  - PSI candidate information bulletin for TDLR electricians (updated September 15, 2026), read 2026-10-01
Move 2 B1 step up on Construction electrical
Journeyman Electrician to Electrical Foreman +$2.04/h Houston union minimum (IBEW 716)
- Next rung on 'Construction electrical' (Skilled to Lead).
- Gates: experience: over 10 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Coordination, Negotiation, Management of Personnel Resources

Side by side

Electrical Foreman: 63% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.8 times the share for Electrical Apprentice (35%).

This level's pay

A $18.34 to $34.64/h Houston apprenticeship scale (IBEW 716), 2026

B $42.79/h Houston union minimum (IBEW 716), 2026

+$24.45/h on one document, Houston union minimum (IBEW 716): first-period apprentice $18.34/h to Foreman (3 or Less) $42.79/h (+$50,856 a year at 2,080 h). source

Gates on the route: Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license, 8,000 h on the job (7,000 h to sit the exam); Electrical Foreman: experience: over 10 years (O*NET, most common).

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$58,570no difference shown$74,520

All Electricians (47-2111) at every experience level, the occupation apprentices are counted in (SOC Classification Principle 7). Mostly journeyman-level workers, so it is not apprentice pay and is never subtracted.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +14.4% Texas, 8,100 openings a year

B +10.0% Texas, 8,780 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

35%+27 pts63%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

4.1 / 5-1.13.0 / 5

Climbing ladders-2.18Climbing ladders: A 4.2, B 2.02
Keeping balance-2.04Keeping balance: A 3.85, B 1.81
Bending or twisting-2.02Bending or twisting: A 4.68, B 2.66
Cramped space-1.99Cramped space: A 4.4, B 2.41
Hazardous conditions-1.64Hazardous conditions: A 4.59, B 2.95

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 1% do).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 10% do).

License

A Texas: Electrical Apprentice license (TDLR) before doing any electrical work. No experience or exam; $20 online application, renewed yearly.

B Usually holds the TDLR Journeyman Electrician license from the previous rung; TDLR has no separate foreman license (license list checked).

Experience

A To start: no experience and no exam for the Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.

B Most common related work experience: over 10 years (O*NET: 30%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Judgment and Decision Making
Complex Problem Solving
Learning Strategies
Social Perceptiveness
Active Learning

To build: 3

Coordination +0.76
Negotiation +0.75
Management of Personnel Resources +0.74

Make this your goal

Save Electrical Apprentice to Electrical Foreman as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next and the 3 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.