Compare A Ironworker ↔ B Master Electrician

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3 moves

No pay difference shown for this route: no single published pay schedule names every stop, and the occupation medians are not like for like on every move.

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 2, to Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license.
Move 3, to Master Electrician: Master Electrician (TDLR) license.

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Ironworker to Plumber
- O*NET lists Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.86.
- Gates: Journeyman Plumber (TSBPE), Tradesman Plumber-Limited (TSBPE) license, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Repairing, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Plumber to Journeyman Electrician
- 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 3 B2 step up on Texas electrical license track
Journeyman Electrician to Master Electrician
- Next rung on 'Texas electrical license track' (Skilled to Lead).
- Gates: Master Electrician (TDLR) license.

Side by side

All Electricians: Texas median $58,570, $6,330 more a year than all Structural Iron and Steel Workers ($52,240), every experience level.

More than 40 hours a week: Master Electrician 35%, Ironworker 34%.

This level's pay

A No headline record for this level

B $32.23 to $40.29/h City of Austin (incl. Austin Energy) pay range, 2025

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

$52,240+$6,330$58,570

Gates on the route: Plumber: Journeyman Plumber (TSBPE), Tradesman Plumber-Limited (TSBPE) license, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common); Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license; Master Electrician: Master Electrician (TDLR) license.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +3.6% Texas, 850 openings a year

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

Over 40 h a week

34%+2 pts35%

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

3.4 / 5+0.74.1 / 5

Hazardous conditions+1.66Hazardous conditions: A 2.93, B 4.59
Keeping balance+1.65Keeping balance: A 2.2, B 3.85
Cramped space+1.45Cramped space: A 2.95, B 4.4
Outdoors, all weather+1.26Outdoors, all weather: A 2.87, B 4.13
Climbing ladders+1.13Climbing ladders: A 3.07, B 4.2

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 7% do).

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

License

A No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).

B Texas: Master Electrician license (TDLR): 2 years as a licensed Journeyman, 12,000 hours under a Texas Master Electrician, and a TDLR exam.

Experience

A Most common related work experience: none (O*NET: 57%).

B Most common related work experience: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (O*NET: 28%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Judgment and Decision Making
Complex Problem Solving
Coordination
Monitoring
Operations Monitoring
Reading Comprehension

To build: 6

Repairing +1.62
Troubleshooting +1.62
Installation +1.50
Systems Analysis +1.00
Writing +1.00
Equipment Maintenance +0.88

Make this your goal

Save Ironworker to Master Electrician 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.