Compare A Plumber ↔ B Electrical Foreman
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2 moves · +$14,680 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
Gates on this route
- Move 1, to Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license.
- Move 2, to Electrical Foreman: experience: over 10 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Plumber to Journeyman Electrician -$1,270 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Electricians as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.82 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license.
Move 2 B1 step up on Construction electrical
Journeyman Electrician to Electrical Foreman +$15,950 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- 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
All First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers: Texas median $74,520, $14,680 more a year than all Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters ($59,840), every experience level.
Electrical Foreman: 63% work more than 40 hours a week, about 2.3 times the share for Plumber (27%).
This level's pay
A No headline record for this level
B $42.79/h Houston union minimum (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
Gates on the route: Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license; Electrical Foreman: experience: over 10 years (O*NET, most common).
Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation
A +8.9% Texas, 4,220 openings a year
B +10.0% Texas, 8,780 openings a year
Over 40 h a week
Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first
3.7 / 5-0.73.0 / 5
- Climbing ladders-1.73Climbing ladders: A 3.75, B 2.02
- Cramped space-1.39Cramped space: A 3.8, B 2.41
- Bending or twisting-1.17Bending or twisting: A 3.83, B 2.66
- Standing-1.07Standing: A 4.69, B 3.62
- High places-0.94High places: A 3.78, B 2.84
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: 10% do).
License
A Texas: Journeyman Plumber license (TSBPE): 8,000 hours as a registered apprentice, a 48-hour course or DOL apprenticeship, and an exam. Tradesman Plumber-Limited (4,000 hours) covers 1-2 family homes.
B Usually holds the TDLR Journeyman Electrician license from the previous rung; TDLR has no separate foreman license (license list checked).
Experience
A Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 57%).
B Most common related work experience: over 10 years (O*NET: 30%).
Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5
You likely have: 5
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Complex Problem Solving
- Quality Control Analysis
- Writing
To build: 6
- Management of Personnel Resources +1.12
- Negotiation +1.00
- Coordination +0.88
- Active Listening +0.87
- Persuasion +0.75
- Speaking +0.75
Make this your goal
Save Plumber 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 6 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.
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