Short answer: There are four routes. At union IBEW and NECA JATCs you apply, take an aptitude test, interview and wait on a ranking list, and classes are often tuition-free. Non-union IEC, ABC and employer programs usually start with a contractor job, but ABC Southern California takes applicants directly and IEC Rocky Mountain offers Self-Pay enrollment.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with IBEW, NECA, IEC, ABC, any JATC, or any contractor named here. Program details below come from each program’s own page, checked October 2026. Programs change their rules, so confirm before you apply.
Union vs non-union: what differs
| Question | Union (IBEW and NECA JATC) | Non-union (IEC, ABC, employer) |
|---|---|---|
| Do I need electrical experience? | Not at the programs we checked. IBEW 349’s FAQ graphic on its apprenticeship page says “No previous electrical experience is required.” Other entry rules vary by JATC and can include age, education, algebra, an aptitude test and screening. | Not at ABC Southern California: “It is not necessary to have any experience.” Many IEC and ABC chapters want a contractor job first. |
| How do I get in? | Apply to the JATC, pass an aptitude test, interview, then wait on a ranking list (Sacramento, Tampa) | Get hired by a member contractor who registers you (IEC Florida West Coast, ABC Florida Gulf Coast), or apply, test, interview and be dispatched (ABC Southern California) |
| Who finds my job? | The JATC sends you to a union contractor | Your employer. ABC Southern California dispatches accepted apprentices to member firms; IEC Rocky Mountain runs a Hire List |
| What kind of work? | Inside wiremen work in commercial and industrial buildings (Sacramento, Denver) | Depends on the employer. ABC Southern California describes electrician work “in homes, businesses, and large structures”; ABC Florida Gulf Coast requires a commercial contractor |
| How is pay set? | A published local wage scale. Denver starts at $22.70/hr and reaches $37.01/hr by the end of the program; the $49.35 journeyman wage comes after the license | By your employer and the job. ABC Southern California says wages “are determined by where the project is located and when the project was bid.” |
| Benefits | Set by the local agreement. Orlando gives apprentices single health coverage; Jacksonville lists family health, dental and vision care, an NEBF pension, and an IBEW retirement plan that adds $4.30 per hour worked | Set by each employer; ask what starts on day one |
| Union dues | Yes. Sacramento: “You will need to become a dues-paying member of the IBEW Local 340 to be eligible to work.” | No union membership. IEC and ABC are contractor associations |
| Classroom cost | Often tuition-free; you buy books and tools | From employer-paid (ABC Florida Gulf Coast) to $605 to $930 a semester (IEC Rocky Mountain) |
Union status alone does not decide which offer is better. If you need income soon, apply to contractors that are hiring now while you also apply to any local JATC that is open. If you already have an offer, compare its training, pay, benefits and out-of-pocket costs against the other programs near you before you accept.
The four routes at a glance
| Route | Who runs it | How you usually get in | Tuition examples | Length examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union JATC | A joint committee of an IBEW local and NECA contractors | Apply to the JATC, take an aptitude test, interview, wait on a ranking list | San Diego: “no tuition or registration fees” (books and tools extra); Orlando: tuition-free, course materials up to $1,100 a school year | 4 years (Denver, Orlando) to 5 or 5.5 years (Sacramento, NYC Local 3) |
| IEC chapter | Independent Electrical Contractors chapter, with member contractors | Get hired by an IEC member contractor, who registers you; IEC Rocky Mountain also takes self-pay students | IEC Rocky Mountain (May 2026 FAQ), per semester: members $605 early or $655 regular; non-members $855 early or $930 regular; books $400 to $600 a year extra | 4 years (IEC Rocky Mountain) |
| ABC chapter | Associated Builders and Contractors chapter, with member contractors | Varies by chapter: a contractor job first (ABC Florida Gulf Coast), or apply, test, interview and be dispatched (ABC Southern California) | ABC Florida Gulf Coast: employer pays tuition; ABC Southern California: you pay only tools and textbooks | 4 years (ABC Florida Gulf Coast) to 4.5 years (ABC Southern California) |
| Employer program | A single contractor with its own registered apprenticeship | Apply to that company during its recruitment | Varies by company | Varies by company |
Sources for each cell are linked in the sections below.
Union JATC (IBEW and NECA)
A JATC (Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee) trains inside wiremen for union contractors in its area. Inside wiremen “install and maintain all electrical conduits, wires, cables, motor controls and panelboards found in commercial and industrial facilities,” in the Sacramento JATC’s words. You apply to the JATC, not to a company. After you are accepted, the JATC sends you to a union contractor and you attend classes on a set schedule.
What the programs we checked say:
- Sacramento (IBEW 340): “It is a 5-year systematic program of learning,” with 8,000 OJT hours and at least 1,000 hours of related instruction (340 JATC FAQ). Applicants take the NJATC aptitude test, with a $25 test fee. Before starting, each selected applicant must pass “a physical examination and a drug test provided by the JATC” (340 JATC application page).
- San Diego (IBEW 569): “There are no tuition or registration fees for the program.” Books and hand tools are paid by the apprentice. The minimum age is 17 1/2, and selected applicants take a drug screening after orientation (ETI San Diego).
- Orlando (ETA of Central Florida, IBEW 606): four years, 720 classroom hours and at least 8,000 OJT hours. It is tuition-free, but “Apprentices can expect to pay up to $1100 a school year for course materials.” Applications are accepted every day through an online portal (ETA Central Florida).
- Denver (IBEW 68): a four-year program with a $35 application fee and the GAN aptitude test. Applications were closed when we checked and reopen February 1, 2027 (Denver JEATC).
- New York City (IBEW Local 3): five and a half years (four years, then an 18-month final period). The 2026 recruitment takes request letters by Registered Mail only, postmarked October 19 to 30, 2026. The first 2,000 letters get an application, and once that number is reached no more letters are honored. Every letter postmarked October 19 still gets an application, even past 2,000. The notice says “APPLICANTS ACCEPTED WILL NOT START WORK BEFORE FALL 2027.” It also lists two years’ residence in the NYC area, an aptitude score of 3 or above, and a $25 application fee that is waived for people on public assistance (JIB notice).
Strengths: structured classes, published wage steps, and often no tuition. Trade-offs: application windows, aptitude tests and ranking lists can mean months of waiting, and you pay union dues once you work. Each local uses its own test and cutoff. See our IBEW aptitude test by local guide for the test each local uses.
Applying to a JATC that uses an aptitude test and an interview? You can prepare for both. The Electrical Apprenticeship Aptitude & Interview Kit (U.S. Edition) has 6 timed aptitude simulations based on the published test format, 20 interview questions with a weak and a strong answer each, and an 8-question timed mock interview with a scoring sheet. US$39, one payment, full refund within 30 days if not downloaded, and the files are yours to keep.
IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors)
IEC is a merit-shop (non-union) contractor association. Its chapters run apprenticeship classes, and the member contractor is your employer.
- IEC Florida West Coast: “Your employer must be a member of the IEC. Your employer will register you for the IEC Apprenticeship Program.” Classes run twice a week from 6 to 9 p.m. (Marchman Technical College IEC page).
- IEC Rocky Mountain (Colorado and Wyoming): a four-year program with class once a week, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Its FAQ (captured May 1, 2026) lists tuition per semester of $605 early or $655 regular for members and $855 early or $930 regular for non-members, with books extra at $400 to $600 a year. Apprentices not yet with a contractor can use a Self-Pay form, the chapter runs a Hire List for job seekers, and “Tuition assistance is available for unemployed students” (IEC Rocky Mountain FAQ, archived copy).
- Coverage gaps: IEC’s chapter finder showed no California chapter and no New York chapter when the state pages were researched (IEC chapter finder).
Strengths: once a member contractor hires you, you earn while you train, and you can often start any time of year. Self-Pay enrollment at IEC Rocky Mountain is classroom only; pay starts when a contractor hires you. Trade-offs: you usually need the job first, and tuition may be paid by you or your employer based on the chapter.
ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors)
ABC is another merit-shop association. Its chapters run apprenticeship programs or partner with a school, and entry rules differ by chapter.
- ABC Florida Gulf Coast (Tampa): you must be “Employed by a commercial contractor in your desired trade.” The program is four years, classes are once a week from September through May, and “your company covers the cost of tuition” (ABC Florida Gulf Coast).
- ABC Southern California: four and a half years with 8,000 on-the-job training hours. “It is not necessary to have any experience.” Once your documents are complete you join a waitlist, then take the TABE test (70% to pass), an oral interview (80% to pass) and an orientation. Accepted apprentices “will be dispatched to one of our member firms,” though ABC says it is “not a job placement center.” Applicants must be at least 17 1/2, and the only out-of-pocket costs listed are tools and textbooks (ABC SoCal apprenticeship).
- ABC Rocky Mountain: runs no Colorado electrical apprenticeship of its own and points Colorado craft training to CITC (ABC Rocky Mountain). CITC’s electrical program “requires 576 hours of classroom instruction and 8000 hours of on-the-job training” (CITC).
- ABC Empire State (New York): offers a state-registered multiple employer program; entry is through an ABC member employer (ABC Empire State).
Strengths: employer-paid tuition at some chapters, no union application window, and a direct applicant route at ABC Southern California. Trade-offs: details differ a lot by chapter, and some chapters publish little about entry tests or cost.
Employer-run registered programs
Some contractors register their own apprenticeship with the state. You apply to the company during its recruitment.
- USIS Electric (New York): a registered program recruiting May 11, 2026 to May 7, 2027 for 24 apprentices in the Hudson Valley, Long Island and NYC. Applicants apply in person (NYS DOL notice).
- New York’s active sponsor list includes other NYC electrical contractors with their own programs (NYS DOL active sponsors).
Not every state works this way. In Colorado, every apprentice must be registered with the State Electrical Board, and the employer must register you within 30 days (DORA apprentice information). In California, anyone doing electrical work for a C-10 contractor must be certified, an apprentice in a state-approved program, or a registered Electrician Trainee. A trainee “must be enrolled in a state approved school and under the supervision of a certified electrician that supervises only one electrician trainee” (DIR electrician trainee).
First-year pay examples
Only some programs publish rates. These are published first-year examples, not a national comparison:
| Program | Published first-year wage example | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IBEW Local 3, NYC | $19.25/hr wage plus $19.84/hr supplemental benefits on the NYC public-works apprentice prevailing wage schedule (July 1, 2026 to April 14, 2027). Confirm the rate for private jobs with the JATC | NYC Comptroller schedule |
| Denver JEATC (IBEW 68) | $22.70/hr to start; $37.01/hr by the end of the program | Denver JEATC |
| ETA Jacksonville (IBEW 177) | $19.07/hr | ETA Jacksonville |
| ETA Central Florida (IBEW 606) | $18.15/hr inside wireman in its FAQ; the wage table on the same page lists $18.93 for the 1st step | ETA Central Florida |
| Sacramento (IBEW 340) | $24.17/hr base, 45% of the $53.70 journeyman base (from August 1, 2026) | IBEW 340 wage sheet |
These rates come from different dates, places and wage rules, so they do not compare directly. The IEC and ABC chapters we checked did not publish first-year rates. At merit-shop and employer programs, pay varies by contractor, location and project, and wage rules can set the minimum: ABC Southern California says its wages “are set by the State of California and the Department of Labor, NOT ABC.” Confirm the rate for your job. Supplemental benefit rates, like NYC’s $19.84, are separate from the hourly wage and are not take-home pay. When you compare offers, add up base pay, health coverage, retirement contributions, union dues where they apply, whether class time is paid, tools, and expected weekly hours. Ask which benefits start right away.
How to compare two offers in the same area:
- Base pay times the hours you can expect each week
- Health coverage and retirement contributions, and when each starts
- Who pays for tuition, books and tools
- Union dues, if the job is union
- Class schedule, and whether the program is a registered apprenticeship
Questions to ask before you accept
- Is the program registered with the state or the US Department of Labor?
- How are my work hours recorded, and who signs them off?
- Who supervises me on the job, and how is my progress reviewed?
- Will I rotate through different kinds of electrical work?
- If my contractor has no work, who handles reassignment, and can I keep attending classes while I wait?
How to choose
- List what exists near you. Search the US Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Finder, then check the JATC for your area, the nearest IEC and ABC chapters, and your state’s sponsor list.
- Check timing. Union JATCs may have closed windows or long ranking lists. Merit-shop programs may let you start as soon as a member contractor hires you.
- Check each program’s own requirements. Lists differ by sponsor. Common items are a minimum age (18 at most programs we checked; 17 1/2 at San Diego and ABC Southern California), a diploma or GED, algebra (Sacramento asks for one year of high school algebra or the Electrical Training Alliance Tech Math course), a driver’s license, and a test. Tests differ: the NJATC aptitude test at Sacramento, NJATC/AIR with a score of 3 or above at Local 3, GAN at Denver, and TABE (70% to pass) at ABC Southern California. Sacramento and San Diego list a drug screen after selection. ABC Florida Gulf Coast lists age 18, the right to work in the US, and a job with a commercial contractor.
- Compare total cost and pay. Add tuition, books, tools and dues, then compare pay and benefits. Some programs charge nothing for classes; others bill per semester.
- Apply to more than one. Nothing stops you from applying to a JATC while working for a merit-shop contractor, but check each program’s rules.
The right apprenticeship is one you can get into, afford and finish while building the documented hours and classroom instruction your state requires.
If you have no electrical job yet
- Apply to your local JATC while its window is open. Union programs do not need a contractor job first.
- Apply directly to ABC Southern California if you live in its area. Accepted apprentices are dispatched to member firms.
- In Colorado and Wyoming, use IEC Rocky Mountain’s Self-Pay form or join its Hire List, and ask about tuition assistance if you are unemployed.
- For other IEC and ABC chapters, ask the chapter which member contractors are hiring apprentices, then apply to those companies.
- In California, do not start electrical work for a C-10 contractor until you are a registered apprentice or Electrician Trainee.
State guides with every program we found: California, Florida, New York, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia, New Jersey.
FAQ
Is a union apprenticeship free?
Classes often are. San Diego’s JATC says there are “no tuition or registration fees,” and Orlando’s JATC is tuition-free. You usually still pay for books and tools; Orlando says to expect up to $1,100 a school year for course materials. Once you work, you also pay union dues, as Sacramento’s JATC notes.
Can I join IEC or ABC without a job?
Sometimes. ABC Southern California takes direct applicants and dispatches accepted apprentices to member firms, and IEC Rocky Mountain has a Self-Pay form for apprentices not yet with a contractor. Other chapters, such as IEC Florida West Coast and ABC Florida Gulf Coast, require a job with a member or commercial contractor first.
Which route leads to a license?
Any of the four can count toward a license or certification if its hours and classes meet your state or city rules. Licensing is set by the state or city, not by the union or association, and finishing a program does not issue a license by itself. Check your state’s rules before you choose.
Can I switch from non-union to union later?
Yes, you can apply, and some JATCs credit prior work. Tampa’s JATC says applicants with 4,000 documented hours in electrical construction and a written industry recommendation may qualify for direct interview or direct entry, if openings exist. Ask your local JATC how it treats prior hours.
Sources checked October 2026
- 340 JATC FAQ: https://
340jatc.org/ applicants/ inside-wireman/ faqs - 340 JATC application page: https://
340jatc.org/ applicants/ inside-wireman/ application-requ irements-and-pro cess - 340 JATC program overview: https://
340jatc.org/ applicants/ inside-wireman/ program-overview -and-curriculum - ETI San Diego: https://
etiedu.org/ applicants/ inside-wireman/ application-requ irements-and-pro cess - ETA Central Florida: https://
www.etacfl.org/ apprenticeship/ general-informat ion - Denver JEATC: https://
djeatc68.com/ apply/ - JIB notice: https://
www.jibei.org/ wp-content/ uploads/ A.pdf - IBEW 349 apprenticeship page: https://
ibew349.org/ ? zone=/ unionactive/ view_page.cfm&page= Apprenticeship - Marchman Technical College IEC page: https://
mtec.pasco.k12.f l.us/ iec/ - IEC Rocky Mountain FAQ, archived copy: https://
web.archive.org/ web/ 20260501083121/ https:// iecrm.org/ faqs/ - IEC chapter finder: https://
ieci.org/ membership/ chapters/ find-a-chapter/ - ABC Florida Gulf Coast: https://
abcflgulf.org/ workforce/ apprenticeship/ - ABC SoCal apprenticeship: https://
abcsocal.org/ education-traini ng/ apprenticeship-p rogram/ - ABC Rocky Mountain: https://
www.abcrmc.org/ education/ - CITC: https://
www.citcinc.org/ apprenticeships/ trades/ electricians/ - ABC Empire State: https://
www.abcnys.org/ education/ meap/ - NYS DOL notice: https://
dol.ny.gov/ ap/ usis-electric-in c - NYS DOL active sponsors: https://
dol.ny.gov/ list-active-spon sors - DORA apprentice information: https://
dpo.colorado.gov/ Electrical/ ApprenticeInfo - DIR electrician trainee: https://
www.dir.ca.gov/ dlse/ ecu/ electricaltraine e.htm - NYC Comptroller schedule: https://
comptroller.nyc. gov/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2026/ 06/ ConstructionAppr enticeSchedule-2 026-2027.pdf - Denver JEATC: https://
djeatc68.com/ inside-wireman-a pprenticeship/ - ETA Jacksonville: https://
etajax.org - IBEW 340 wage sheet: https://
www.ibewlocal340 .org/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2026/ 07/ L340-Inside-Wire man-8-1-2026.pdf - Tampa Area Electrical JATC apply page: https://
tampajatc.org/ apply - US DOL Apprenticeship Finder: https://
www.apprenticesh ip.gov/ apprenticeship-j ob-finder
