Compare A Journeyman Electrician ↔ B Pipelayer

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Your route

2 moves · -$12,950 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Lineworker (Power Line): Journeyman Lineman (TDLR) license.
Move 2, to Pipelayer: license depends on the work (Texas: yard water lines and building sewers for 1-2 family homes are plumbing (TSBPE Residential Utilities Installer registration). Utility mains and most private site mains are exempt (1301.053, 1301.059)).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Journeyman Electrician to Lineworker (Power Line) +$20,370 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.83.
- Gates: Journeyman Lineman (TDLR) license.
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Lineworker (Power Line) to Pipelayer -$33,320 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Pipelayers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.80 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: license depends on the work (Texas: yard water lines and building sewers for 1-2 family homes are plumbing (TSBPE Residential Utilities Installer registration). Utility mains and most private site mains are exempt (1301.053, 1301.059)).

Side by side

All Pipelayers: Texas median $45,620, $12,950 less a year than all Electricians ($58,570), every experience level.

Journeyman Electrician: 35% work more than 40 hours a week, about 2 times the share for Pipelayer (17%).

This level's pay

A $40.75/h Houston union minimum (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

$58,570-$12,950$45,620

Gates on the route: Lineworker (Power Line): Journeyman Lineman (TDLR) license; Pipelayer: license depends on the work (Texas: yard water lines and building sewers for 1-2 family homes are plumbing (TSBPE Residential Utilities Installer registration). Utility mains and most private site mains are exempt (1301.053, 1301.059)).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

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

B +0.2% Texas, 480 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

35%-18 pts17%

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

4.1 / 5-1.03.1 / 5

Hazardous conditions-2.45Hazardous conditions: A 4.59, B 2.14
High places-2.38High places: A 3.69, B 1.31
Keeping balance-1.72Keeping balance: A 3.85, B 2.13
Climbing ladders-1.63Climbing ladders: A 4.2, B 2.57
Cramped space-0.98Cramped space: A 4.4, B 3.42

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: Journeyman Electrician license (TDLR): 8,000 hours under a Texas Master Electrician (exam allowed at 7,000) and a TDLR exam.

B Texas: yard water lines and building sewers for 1-2 family homes are plumbing (TSBPE Residential Utilities Installer registration). Utility mains and most private site mains are exempt (1301.053, 1301.059).

Experience

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

B Most common related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 19%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Operation and Control
Active Listening
Coordination
Critical Thinking
Operations Monitoring
Quality Control Analysis

To build: 0

Make this your goal

Save Journeyman Electrician to Pipelayer 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. Free with an account.