SAN ANTONIO · START WITH NO ELECTRICAL EXPERIENCE
In San Antonio, compare South Texas Electrical JATC, IEC Greater San Antonio and ABC South Texas before choosing an electrical apprenticeship. Their hiring arrangements differ: JATC selects and assigns apprentices, IEC combines contractor employment with classes, and ABC requires a sponsor employer before school. A Texas apprentice license is a separate step from getting hired or accepted into a program. [S2: source][S4: source][S6: source][S8: source]
Sources reviewed October 19, 2026. Older brochures are identified below. This is an independent comparison by Tsai Electro.
Three San Antonio routes, compared
APPLY, TEST AND INTERVIEW
South Texas Electrical JATC
How paid work starts: selected apprentices receive a contractor training assignment. Applying does not guarantee selection or a start date.
First move: check the electrician requirements and begin the application.
Published fee: $28 to apply.
Classes: the selection page describes every other week, September through June.
CONTRACTOR WORK PLUS CLASSES
IEC Greater San Antonio
How paid work starts: the program describes full-time work for a contractor alongside evening classes. Ask the chapter how a new applicant finds or is referred to an employer.
First move: contact the chapter for the current intake and employment process.
Current fee: confirm with IEC. The linked January 2025 brochure is historical.
Classes: the program page describes one or two nights, 5–9 pm.
SPONSOR EMPLOYER BEFORE SCHOOL
ABC South Texas
How paid work starts: enrollment requires a sponsor employer. The electrical brochure says apprentices remain employed by that sponsor during their studies.
First move: review the applicant process and ask how to obtain an electrical sponsor employer.
Current fee and class times: confirm with ABC.
Choose your first conversation
You do not need to settle your whole career today. Use this free planner to choose what to ask next. It does not check eligibility or promise a job.
For JATC selection, use its official application. For contractor employment and classes, contact IEC and ABC. For a budget decision, ask each program for the current fee sheet and timetable.
What each program asks you to prepare
South Texas Electrical JATC: prepare documents, then selection
The electrician requirements allow applications from age 17, with participation from age 18. They list school completion and Algebra I credit or the ETA Tech Math course. The selection process includes document verification, an aptitude test, an interview, ranking and selection. Read the electrician pages rather than the separate low-voltage technician requirements. [S1: source][S2: source]
Confirm the length for your intake: the electrician requirements describe a four-year program, while the application introduction still says five years. Ask the office which length applies before planning around a graduation date. [S1: source][S3: source]
Read our South Texas JATC application guide.
IEC Greater San Antonio: ask about employment and the current class
The program page describes a four-year curriculum with full-time contractor work and evening classes, generally September through May or June. It lists the San Antonio campus at 5511 Ingram Road and the chapter phone as 210-431-9861. Ask how someone with no electrical employer enters the current intake. [S4: source]
The linked January 2025 brochure lists a Texas apprentice license among the application documents. Request the current document list, tuition and book charges, and class timetable. Its older prices and hours are not a confirmed quote for a new intake. [S5: source]
Read our IEC Greater San Antonio guide.
ABC South Texas: find out how employer sponsorship works
ABC lists an age minimum of 18, a high school transcript or GED, and a state driver license or ID. Its enrollment process includes an application, interview, sponsor employer and orientation. The electrical brochure describes four curriculum levels and 8,000 paid on-the-job hours, with continued sponsor employment during study. [S6: source][S7: source]
Ask whether the next electrical intake is accepting applications, how to find a sponsor, which class nights apply, and who pays each charge. Do not assume that submitting an application is the same as having an employer.
Read our ABC South Texas guide.
Compare your first paycheck and costs together
A useful comparison needs more than a yearly electrician salary. Ask each program or employer for these details, then write the answers side by side:
- The starting hourly wage for your actual job, expected weekly hours and first payday.
- The next class start and whether paid work begins before, with or after it.
- Application, tuition and book charges, plus who pays each one.
- The class nights and the likely travel area for work.
- When benefits begin and which deductions apply.
This guide has verified the JATC’s published $28 application fee. It does not supply an unverified current IEC or ABC tuition total, a guaranteed wage, or a hiring date. Use our Texas apprentice pay guide and first-year cost guide to organize the answers.
Get the Texas apprentice license separately
TDLR says an Electrical Apprentice license requires no previous experience or exam and has a $20 application fee. It allows supervised electrical work under the conditions TDLR describes. It does not place you with an employer or satisfy every training program’s entrance requirements. [S8: source]
Use TDLR’s official apprentice application, or read our step-by-step Texas apprentice license guide.
A checklist for your first three calls
Ask JATC, IEC and ABC the same questions. Print this page or copy the list before calling.
- Are you accepting electrician applications for the next intake?
- Do I need an employer before applying, before school, or only after selection?
- If I do not have an employer, what is your actual referral or assignment process?
- Which documents must I provide, and when must originals be checked?
- What test and interview steps apply to a new applicant?
- Can you send the current class timetable and complete fee sheet?
- Which costs do I pay, and which does an employer pay?
- What happens next, and when should I follow up?
For employer conversations, use our contractor call and email examples and free apprentice resume guide.
Questions before you apply
Can I start with no electrical experience?
South Texas JATC explicitly says no prior experience is necessary. Program eligibility still includes its listed education, documentation and selection requirements. For IEC or ABC, confirm the current new-applicant and employer process directly. [S1: source]
Which route should I try if I do not have an employer?
JATC describes selection followed by a contractor training assignment. Ask IEC how a new applicant finds contractor employment. ABC requires a sponsor employer before starting school. Use those differences to decide which conversation to start, rather than assuming all three place applicants the same way.
Does the apprentice license mean I have a job?
No. TDLR’s license application, a program application and an employer’s hiring decision are separate steps. Check the conditions for each route.
Is this a list of companies hiring today?
No. This page compares training and entry routes. Contact the program or employer to verify current openings and dates.
Keep planning your Texas route
Compare programs across Texas, try our free apprenticeship aptitude practice, or see the Texas Electrical Apprenticeship Entry Kit.
Sources and review notes
- South Texas JATC electrician requirements. Reviewed October 19, 2026.
- South Texas JATC electrician selection. Reviewed October 19, 2026.
- South Texas JATC application. Reviewed October 19, 2026.
- IEC Greater San Antonio apprenticeship. Reviewed October 19, 2026.
- IEC January 2025 student brochure. Reviewed October 19, 2026. January 2025 cohort document.
- ABC South Texas applicants and enrollment. Reviewed October 19, 2026.
- ABC South Texas electrical program brochure. Reviewed October 19, 2026.
- TDLR electrical apprentice license. Reviewed October 19, 2026.
The programs operate independently of Tsai Electro. Selection, employment, costs and class dates are set by the program or employer. No program is ranked as best for every applicant. Report a changed requirement through our contact page.
