Compare A Operations Manager (Electrical Contractor) ↔ B Master Electrician

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Your route

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

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 Journeyman Electrician
- O*NET lists Electricians as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.72 (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 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, $44,660 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 times the share for Master Electrician (35%).

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

$103,230-$44,660$58,570

Gates on the route: Master Electrician: Master Electrician (TDLR) license.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

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

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

Over 40 h a week

70%-35 pts35%

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

1.8 / 5+2.34.1 / 5

Hazardous conditions+3.25Hazardous conditions: A 1.34, B 4.59
Cramped space+3.21Cramped space: A 1.19, B 4.4
Climbing ladders+2.88Climbing ladders: A 1.32, B 4.2
Bending or twisting+2.72Bending or twisting: A 1.96, B 4.68
Hazardous equipment+2.68Hazardous equipment: A 1.36, B 4.04

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: 1% 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 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: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 24%).

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

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Speaking
Active Learning
Judgment and Decision Making
Complex Problem Solving

To build: 6

Repairing +2.50
Installation +2.25
Troubleshooting +2.25
Equipment Maintenance +2.00
Equipment Selection +2.00
Operation and Control +1.12

Make this your goal

Save Operations Manager (Electrical Contractor) 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.