Compare A Electrical Apprentice ↔ B Plumber
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1 move
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 Plumber: Journeyman Plumber (TSBPE), Tradesman Plumber-Limited (TSBPE) license, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Electrical Apprentice to Plumber
- O*NET lists Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.82.
- Gates: Journeyman Plumber (TSBPE), Tradesman Plumber-Limited (TSBPE) license, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
Side by side
More than 40 hours a week: Plumber 27%, Electrical Apprentice 35%.
This level's pay
A $18.34 to $34.64/h Houston apprenticeship scale (IBEW 716), 2026
B No headline record for this level
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
No published schedule lists both rungs. Electrical Apprentice uses the Electricians data, where apprentices are counted (SOC Classification Principle 7); that occupation's median is mostly journeyman pay, so it is not compared.
Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation
A +14.4% Texas, 8,100 openings a year
B +8.9% Texas, 4,220 openings a year
Over 40 h a week
Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first
4.1 / 5-0.53.7 / 5
- Hazardous conditions-1.44Hazardous conditions: A 4.59, B 3.15
- Keeping balance-1.37Keeping balance: A 3.85, B 2.48
- Bending or twisting-0.85Bending or twisting: A 4.68, B 3.83
- Very hot or cold-0.60Very hot or cold: A 4.17, B 3.57
- Cramped space-0.60Cramped space: A 4.4, B 3.8
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: 0% do).
License
A Texas: Electrical Apprentice license (TDLR) before doing any electrical work. No experience or exam; $20 online application, renewed yearly.
B 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.
Experience
A To start: no experience and no exam for the Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
B Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 57%).
Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5
You likely have: 6
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
To build: 0
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