Compare A Operations Manager (Electrical Contractor) ↔ B Ironworker

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Your route

3 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 Electrical Foreman: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 2, to Electrical Apprentice: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
Move 3, to Ironworker: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Operations Manager (Electrical Contractor) to Electrical Foreman
- O*NET lists First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.79 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Electrical Foreman to Electrical Apprentice
- O*NET lists Helpers--Electricians as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.70 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
Move 3 Transfer move to the side
Electrical Apprentice to Ironworker
- O*NET lists Structural Iron and Steel Workers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.79 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).

Side by side

All Structural Iron and Steel Workers: Texas median $52,240, $50,990 less a year than all General and Operations Managers ($103,230), every experience level.

Operations Manager (Electrical Contractor): 70% work more than 40 hours a week, about 2.1 times the share for Ironworker (34%).

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$103,230-$50,990$52,240

Gates on the route: Electrical Apprentice: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +14.5% Texas, 43,030 openings a year

B +3.6% Texas, 850 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

70%-36 pts34%

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

1.8 / 5+1.63.4 / 5

High places+2.43High places: A 1.31, B 3.74
Protective gear+2.29Protective gear: A 1.18, B 3.47
Hazardous equipment+2.27Hazardous equipment: A 1.36, B 3.63
Bending or twisting+2.17Bending or twisting: A 1.96, B 4.13
Cramped space+1.76Cramped space: A 1.19, B 2.95

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 28% do).

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

License

A No license for this job title at TDLR; the employer needs a TDLR Electrical Contractor license with a Master Electrician of record. Doing electrical work yourself needs your own TDLR license.

B 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).

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 24%).

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

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Coordination
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Judgment and Decision Making
Monitoring
Time Management

To build: 2

Operation and Control +1.62
Operations Monitoring +1.25

Make this your goal

Save Operations Manager (Electrical Contractor) to Ironworker 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 2 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.