There are three ways in: a Registered Apprenticeship (you earn a wage while you learn), a trade school certificate, or working your way up on the job. For most people the Registered Apprenticeship is the best of the three, because you get paid from day one, get structured mentorship, and come out with a nationally recognized credential and no tuition debt. Here is how each route works and how to pick.
Registered Apprenticeship (the gold standard)
A Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) is approved by the US Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency, and there are more than 27,000 of them. Every real RAP has five things: it is industry-led, it is a paid job from day one, it pairs on-the-job training with a journey-level mentor, it includes classroom instruction (commonly 144 to 288 hours a year), and it ends in a portable Certificate of Completion you can take across state lines.
- You get paid to learn. Starting wages are typically 40 to 50% of the journeyman scale and step up every six months or every 1,000 to 2,000 hours as you log time.
- It takes real hours. Electricians usually log around 8,000 on-the-job hours over about five years; plumbing and pipefitting run 8,000 to 10,000; HVAC/R commonly 6,000 to 8,000.
- Find one near you at Apprenticeship.gov's searchable database, which carries current local programs and wage schedules.
Union or open-shop?
Both routes are legitimate. The difference is structure:
- Union (JATC). Co-sponsored by a union local and its contractor association (for example IBEW/NECA for electrical, the UA for plumbers and pipefitters). Uniform contract wage tiers, a defined-benefit pension or annuity, negotiated healthcare, and a hiring hall that refers you to work. Entry is a competitive application and can be waitlisted.
- Open-shop / merit shop. Sponsored by contractors or groups like ABC or IEC. Pay is merit-based and negotiated per employer, benefits are typically a 401(k) match and an employer medical plan, and the NCCER credential travels with you.
Neither is "better." Union tends to mean stronger baked-in benefits and referral; open-shop tends to mean pay tied to how fast you prove yourself and more employer-by-employer variation.
Trade school vs. on-the-job
A community college or trade-school certificate can make you job-ready in as little as 10 months, though many run one to two years. It gets you into the exam pipeline faster in calendar terms, but you pay tuition and earn nothing during it, and you still need to complete on-the-job hours and pass your state exams before working independently. An apprenticeship earns you a wage the whole way through. Many people combine the two.
Know your rights as an apprentice
Registered apprentices have enforceable protections under federal law (29 CFR Parts 29 and 30):
- A written apprenticeship agreement stating the trade, length, hours, and the wage-progression schedule.
- Non-discriminatory access, with written notice of your right to file a complaint.
- Wage progression tied to hours and skill. A sponsor cannot just freeze you.
- OSHA safety protections in full from day one.
- A formal grievance procedure.
Where to complain: unpaid wages go to the DOL Wage and Hour Division (1-866-487-9243), safety to OSHA (1-800-321-OSHA), discrimination within the program to the DOL Office of Apprenticeship, and union-shop grievances can also go to the NLRB.
The move
If you can get an apprenticeship, take it, because getting paid to learn beats paying to learn. Search Apprenticeship.gov for programs near you, apply to more than one, and check your state's route in Working in Your State, since the licensure ladder that follows (apprentice to journeyman to master) is set state by state.
Common questions
How old do I have to be to start a trade apprenticeship?
Most registered apprenticeships require you to be at least 18, mainly because federal safety law bars workers under 18 from many of the hazardous tasks on a construction site. Some programs accept 16 and 17-year-olds for non-hazardous work, and pre-apprenticeships and school programs can start younger. There is no upper age limit; plenty of people switch into the trades later in life. Exact age rules are set by each program and state, so check the one near you at Apprenticeship.gov.
Do I need a high school diploma to get into the trades?
Usually yes, or an equivalent like a GED, and many apprenticeships also want about one year of high school algebra. The math matters because trade work and the aptitude tests lean on it. If you do not have a diploma yet, a pre-apprenticeship or an adult-education program can get you there and make you a stronger applicant at the same time. The precise entry requirements vary by program, so confirm them with the apprenticeship you are applying to.
Do apprenticeships cost money?
No, and that is the whole appeal: a registered apprenticeship is a paying job, so you earn a wage from day one and owe no tuition. Your pay starts low, commonly around 40 to 50% of the journeyman scale, and steps up as you log hours. That is the opposite of trade school, which charges tuition and pays you nothing while you attend. If a program asks you to pay upfront to "get in," treat that as a red flag and verify it is a real registered program at Apprenticeship.gov.
Can I get into the trades with no experience?
Yes. Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships are built for people with no experience, because the entire point is to teach you the trade on the job. You do not need to know the work before you start; you need to show up reliable, willing, and ready to learn, and to pass the basic entry steps like an aptitude test or interview. A pre-apprenticeship is a good on-ramp if you want to build the basics first. Search for openings near you at Apprenticeship.gov and apply to more than one.
The honest bit
- Hour requirements, wage steps, waitlists, and licensing all vary by trade and by state. Confirm local specifics at Apprenticeship.gov and in Working in Your State.
- Figures here reflect the federal RAP structure current for 2026. Local programs differ.
- This is general guidance, not legal or career advice.
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