Compare A Pipelayer ↔ B Master Electrician

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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 Apprentice: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
Move 2, to Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license, 8,000 h on the job (7,000 h to sit the exam).
Move 3, to Master Electrician: Master Electrician (TDLR) license.

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Pipelayer to Electrical Apprentice
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.82 (one of the 3 most similar occupations, r >= 0.6).
- Gates: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.
Move 2 B1 step up on Construction electrical
Electrical Apprentice to Journeyman Electrician
- Next rung on 'Construction electrical' (Start to Skilled). Texas: 8,000 hours to the license.
- Gates: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license, 8,000 h on the job (7,000 h to sit the exam).
- TDLR Journeyman application (by mail, non-refundable) $30 · PSI exam, both parts $78
  TDLR, PSI
  - TDLR: Apply for a New Journeyman Electrician License, read 2026-10-01
  - PSI candidate information bulletin for TDLR electricians (updated September 15, 2026), read 2026-10-01
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, $12,950 more a year than all Pipelayers ($45,620), every experience level.

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

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

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

Gates on the route: Electrical Apprentice: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license; Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license, 8,000 h on the job (7,000 h to sit the exam); Master Electrician: Master Electrician (TDLR) license.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +0.2% Texas, 480 openings a year

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

Over 40 h a week

17%+18 pts35%

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

3.1 / 5+1.04.1 / 5

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

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 0% do).

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

License

A 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).

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 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 19%).

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

Quality Control Analysis
Coordination
Operations Monitoring
Reading Comprehension
Operation and Control
Time Management

To build: 6

Active Learning +1.25
Troubleshooting +1.25
Instructing +1.00
Mathematics +1.00
Persuasion +1.00
Service Orientation +1.00

Make this your goal

Save Pipelayer 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.