Compare A HVAC Technician ↔ B Electrical Apprentice
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2 moves
No pay difference shown for this route: electrical Apprentice: 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.
Gates on this route
- Move 1, to Boilermaker: license not checked yet.
- Move 2, to Electrical Apprentice: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
Move 1 Transfer move to the side
HVAC Technician to Boilermaker
- O*NET lists Boilermakers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.68.
- Gates: license not checked yet.
- Skills to build: Operation and Control
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Boilermaker to Electrical Apprentice
- O*NET lists Helpers--Electricians as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.63 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
Side by side
Electrical Apprentice: 35% work more than 40 hours a week, about 2.1 times the share for HVAC Technician (17%).
This level's pay
A No headline record for this level
B $18.34 to $34.64/h Houston apprenticeship scale (IBEW 716), 2026
No published schedule lists both jobs, so no level-specific difference is shown.
Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k
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 +13.0% Texas, 3,350 openings a year
B +14.4% Texas, 8,100 openings a year
Over 40 h a week
Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first
3.2 / 5+1.04.1 / 5
- Kneeling or crawling+2.00Kneeling or crawling: A 1.75, B 3.75
- Walking or running+1.78Walking or running: A 2.45, B 4.23
- Cramped space+1.72Cramped space: A 2.68, B 4.4
- Climbing ladders+1.33Climbing ladders: A 2.87, B 4.2
- Bending or twisting+1.23Bending or twisting: A 3.45, B 4.68
Degree
A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 0% do).
B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 1% do).
License
A Texas: TDLR A/C Technician registration ($20, age 16+) to work under a licensed A/C contractor; contractor license after 48 months. Federal EPA 608 certification to handle refrigerant.
B Texas: Electrical Apprentice license (TDLR) before doing any electrical work. No experience or exam; $20 online application, renewed yearly.
Experience
A Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 39%).
B To start: no experience and no exam for the Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5
You likely have: 6
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Installation
- Judgment and Decision Making
To build: 1
- Learning Strategies +0.62
Make this your goal
Save HVAC Technician to Electrical Apprentice 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 1 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.
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