Compare A Plumber Helper ↔ B Master Electrician
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2 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 Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license.
- Move 2, to Master Electrician: Master Electrician (TDLR) license.
Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Plumber Helper to Journeyman Electrician
- O*NET lists Electricians as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.71 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license.
Move 2 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, $16,620 more a year than all Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters ($41,950), every experience level.
More than 40 hours a week: Master Electrician 35%, Plumber Helper 27%.
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
Gates on the route: Journeyman Electrician: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR) license; Master Electrician: Master Electrician (TDLR) license.
Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation
A +8.7% Texas, 800 openings a year
B +14.4% Texas, 8,100 openings a year
Over 40 h a week
Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first
3.6 / 5+0.64.1 / 5
- Hazardous conditions+1.64Hazardous conditions: A 2.95, B 4.59
- Keeping balance+1.21Keeping balance: A 2.64, B 3.85
- Bending or twisting+0.96Bending or twisting: A 3.72, B 4.68
- Climbing ladders+0.89Climbing ladders: A 3.31, B 4.2
- Walking or running+0.86Walking or running: A 3.37, B 4.23
Degree
A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 10% do).
B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 1% do).
License
A Texas: register as a Plumber's Apprentice with TSBPE ($15, age 16+) to assist with plumbing under a licensed plumber; hours count only after registering.
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: 38%).
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: 1
- Monitoring
To build: 6
- Troubleshooting +1.62
- Installation +1.25
- Quality Control Analysis +1.13
- Systems Analysis +1.12
- Instructing +1.00
- Learning Strategies +1.00
Make this your goal
Save Plumber Helper 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.
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