Compare A Sheet Metal Worker ↔ B Electrical Apprentice

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2 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 Boilermaker: license not checked yet, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 2, to Electrical Apprentice: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Sheet Metal Worker to Boilermaker
- O*NET lists Boilermakers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.84.
- Gates: license not checked yet, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Boilermaker to Electrical Apprentice
- O*NET lists Helpers--Electricians as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.63 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.

Side by side

More than 40 hours a week: Electrical Apprentice 35%, Sheet Metal Worker 28%.

This level's pay

A No headline record for this level

B $18.34 to $34.64/h Houston apprenticeship scale (IBEW 716), 2026

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

$54,240no difference shown$58,570

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.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +5.3% Texas, 950 openings a year

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

Over 40 h a week

28%+7 pts35%

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

2.9 / 5+1.24.1 / 5

Climbing ladders+2.48Climbing ladders: A 1.72, B 4.2
Hazardous conditions+1.64Hazardous conditions: A 2.95, B 4.59
Cramped space+1.63Cramped space: A 2.77, B 4.4
Outdoors, all weather+1.62Outdoors, all weather: A 2.51, B 4.13
Keeping balance+1.59Keeping balance: A 2.26, B 3.85

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: HVAC duct work is done under a TDLR-licensed A/C contractor; helping with A/C maintenance or repair needs TDLR technician registration. Other sheet metal work: no license at agencies checked.

B Texas: Electrical Apprentice license (TDLR) before doing any electrical work. No experience or exam; $20 online application, renewed yearly.

Experience

A Most common related work experience: none (O*NET: 47%).

B To start: no experience and no exam for the Electrical Apprentice (TDLR) license.

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Judgment and Decision Making
Complex Problem Solving
Coordination
Monitoring
Operations Monitoring
Reading Comprehension

To build: 6

Troubleshooting +1.12
Persuasion +0.88
Service Orientation +0.75
Writing +0.75
Installation +0.63
Repairing +0.62

Make this your goal

Save Sheet Metal Worker to Electrical Apprentice 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.