UnionStarting in the trades
A union apprenticeship is a paid job. You're paid from your first day, take classes alongside the work, and get a raise at each step until you turn out as a journeyworker.
Programs change. Check the official page before you count on any amount.
- How to get in
- Trade by trade
- Registered Apprenticeship
- Apprentice pay
- Money while you train
- Taxes
- By state
- Programs that help
- Sources
How to get in
Union apprenticeships are run by a joint apprenticeship (and training) committee, or JATC: the local union and the contractors together, usually with a training center. You apply to the JATC or the training center, not to one employer.
What they usually ask for (check your local):
- Age 18 or older. Some locals take applications at 17.
- A high school diploma or GED.
- An aptitude or math test, and an interview.
- A drug test.
- The physical ability to do the work.
Most programs run 3 to 5 years. The UA, for example, is about 2,000 hours on the job and 216 classroom hours a year. You get a raise about every 6 months or every year.
UA apprentice page (ua.org), Boilermakers how to apply (bnap.com), Ironworkers training and Helmets to Hardhats FAQ, checked Oct. 15, 2026Pre-apprenticeship
A pre-apprenticeship can make your application stronger. Under the Labor Department's September 2026 framework, a real pre-apprenticeship has training that lines up with employers, support services, hands-on learning, at least one industry credential, and a partnership with Registered Apprenticeship programs to place its graduates.
The building trades' readiness course is the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3). North America's Building Trades Unions run readiness programs through TradesFutures in 34 states. In California, publicly funded construction pre-apprenticeships must use MC3, at least 120 hours. Many states also recognize pre-apprenticeships: see By state.
DOL pre-apprenticeship framework, TEN 05-26, TradesFutures program map and NABTU apprenticeship and training, checked Oct. 15, 2026Trade by trade
Boilermakers
A four-year apprenticeship through the Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program (BNAP). You must be 18+ with proof of age and a high school diploma or equivalent. Applicants are ranked first on welding qualifications, then at random, and applications stay active 2 years. Veterans registered with Helmets to Hardhats go to the top of the local's list. Apply by region and local.
Apprenticeship (boilermakers.org) and how to apply (bnap.com), checked Oct. 15, 2026Carpenters
Contact your regional council or training center. National training runs through the Carpenters International Training Fund. Millwrights belong to the same union (UBC) and apply the same way. Veterans can start with the Military Veterans Program (see Programs that help).
Join us (carpenters.org), regional councils, training centers, CITF and millwrights, checked Oct. 15, 2026Millwrights
Millwrights belong to the Carpenters (UBC). Apply through your regional council or training center, the same way carpenters do. Veterans can start with the UBC Military Veterans Program: 8 weeks, free, with a year of credit (see Programs that help).
Millwrights (carpenters.org) and Military Veterans Program, checked Oct. 15, 2026Insulators
Fill out the Insulators JATC online form and it routes you to the nearest JATC. Their page says the criteria "may include educational prerequisites, a drug test and some type of test, assessment or interview."
Become an apprentice (insulatorsjatc.org) and how to join, checked Oct. 15, 2026Ironworkers
Find the closest training center in the Ironworkers directory and contact it. Apprenticeships run 3 to 4 years, with at least 204 classroom and shop hours a year and reviews about every 6 months that come with raises. Ironworker apprentices must be drug- and alcohol-free.
Get started (ironworkers.org), about training and directory, checked Oct. 15, 2026Laborers
Apply through a LiUNA training center. LiUNA says its training is "at no charge," at 70+ centers. Veterans can get credit, direct entry and shorter hours.
Apprenticeship (liuna.org), LiUNA Training and find a training center, checked Oct. 15, 2026Pipefitters and plumbers
Apply to your UA local. You typically need to be 18+ with a diploma or GED, and there may be an interview, an aptitude test and physical requirements. Expect about 2,000 hours on the job and 216 classroom hours a year. Veterans can come in through UA Veterans in Piping (see Programs that help).
Apprentice (ua.org) and find a local, checked Oct. 15, 2026Operating engineers
Contact your local. The Operating Engineers (IUOE) have 100+ local training centers, plus the international training center in Crosby, Texas.
Apprenticeship training (iuoe.org), checked Oct. 15, 2026Registered Apprenticeship
Union apprenticeships are Registered Apprenticeships. You're paid from your first day, with "a guaranteed wage increase as you develop new skills," and you take related classroom instruction alongside the job.
When you finish, you get a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship: a nationally recognized credential that goes with you anywhere. Copies come from the Labor Department's Office of Apprenticeship or your State Apprenticeship Agency.
Who registers programs depends on the state. In some it's the Labor Department's Office of Apprenticeship; in others it's a State Apprenticeship Agency. To find a program, use the Apprenticeship Finder or ask your local American Job Center.
Career seekers (apprenticeship.gov), who registers programs, by state, Apprenticeship Finder and find an American Job Center, checked Oct. 15, 2026Apprentice pay
You earn a percentage of the journeyworker rate, with a raise at each step. Union apprentices usually start at about 40 to 70%, depending on the trade and local, and get a raise every 6 months or year until they top out near 80 to 95% before turning out.
Below are examples from the agreements the apps use, in percent of the journeyworker rate. Pay varies by local and agreement.
- 70
- 72.5
- 75
- 77.5
- 80
- 85
- 90
- 95
- 100
- 40%
- 50%
- 60%
- 70%
- 80%
- 100%
- 45%
- 50%
- 60%
- 70%
- 80%
- 100%
- 65%
- 70%
- 75%
- 80%
- 85%
- 100%
- 65%
- 70%
- 80%
- 90%
- 100%
- 60%
- 70%
- 80%
- 85%
- 90%
- 95%
- 100%
- 80%
- 85%
- 90%
- 95%
- 100%
- 40%
- 50%
- 65%
- 80%
- 100%
Money while you train
There's no federal grant paid straight to apprentices, and no federal apprentice loan. Here's what does reach you.
GI Bill
If you have GI Bill benefits, VA pays you a monthly amount on top of your apprentice wages while you train in a VA-approved program. You must be a new employee in the program. Veterans, Reservists, Fry Scholarship and DEA recipients, and dependents using transferred Post-9/11 benefits can use it; active-duty members can't.
| Post-9/11 GI Bill, month of training | Share of the full housing allowance |
|---|---|
| 1 to 6 | 100% |
| 7 to 12 | 80% |
| 13 to 18 | 60% |
| 19 to 24 | 40% |
| 25 on | 20% |
Plus up to $83 a month for books. Rates run August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027.
| Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty), month of training | 3+ years of service | 2 to 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 6 | $1,950.75 | $1,582.50 |
| 7 to 12 | $1,430.55 | $1,160.50 |
| After year 1 | $910.35 | $738.50 |
Montgomery rates run October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, and you must work 120 hours a month for the full amount.
On-the-job training and apprenticeships (va.gov), Post-9/11 rates and Montgomery rates, checked Oct. 15, 2026WIOA training money
Local workforce boards hand out federal job-training money. If you qualify, an Individual Training Account can pay for approved training, including registered apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship programs on your state's list. The amount is set locally. Priority goes to low-income people and those on public assistance, and veterans get priority of service. Ask your local American Job Center.
WIOA (dol.gov) and find WIOA training, checked Oct. 15, 2026Grants
Some states pay toward your training directly: Washington (half tuition and the WA Grant for Apprenticeship), Oregon (fuel, lodging, meals, tools and childcare help), Missouri (the Fast Track grant) and Wisconsin (money back on tuition). North Dakota has a scholarship for apprentices. Amounts and rules are under By state.
Loans
There's no federal apprentice loan. Federal student aid (Pell Grants and Direct Loans) only applies if your apprenticeship is part of an eligible credit-bearing certificate or degree program at a participating college. If it is, aid can cover the whole program. Ask your training center what you'll pay, if anything.
Apprenticeships and federal student aid, GEN-14-22 (ed.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026Taxes
Tools, boots and union dues
Employees can't deduct tools, boots or other unreimbursed job expenses on the federal return. The 2018 suspension was made permanent in 2025 by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
A few states still allow them on the state return. California doesn't follow the federal rule: you claim on Schedule CA (540), using federal Form 2106 filled in with California amounts. Pennsylvania's Schedule UE allows small tools, required work clothing "not suitable for street wear," and union dues and initiation fees. Check your own state's rules.
IRS Notice 2026-10, California Schedule CA (540) instructions and Pennsylvania unreimbursed expenses, checked Oct. 15, 2026The overtime deduction, 2025 to 2028
You can deduct up to $12,500 a year ($25,000 married filing jointly) of qualified overtime pay, whether or not you itemize. It phases out above $150,000 of modified adjusted gross income ($300,000 joint).
The catch for union members: only overtime the federal wage law (the FLSA) requires counts, and only the extra half of your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. These don't count:
- Daily overtime: over 8 hours in a day when the week stays at 40 or under.
- Saturday or holiday premiums owed only under your contract.
- The part above time-and-a-half when you're paid double time. The IRS says "only the one-half portion that is relied upon to comply with the FLSA requirement is qualified overtime compensation."
For example, 50 hours in one week at $40 an hour, paid time-and-a-half after 40: 10 hours × $20 = $200 qualifies. From 2026, the amount that qualifies shows on your W-2 in box 12, code TT.
IRS questions and answers on the overtime deduction, new provisions for individuals and workers (irs.gov) and IRS fact sheet FS-2026-13, checked Oct. 15, 2026By state
States where the apps have locals. Each one either registers its own programs (a State Apprenticeship Agency) or leaves it to the Labor Department's Office of Apprenticeship. Tap a state.
CaliforniaDivision of Apprenticeship Standards
- High Road Construction Careers: MC3 pre-apprenticeship, free to you, through a regional partnership that includes the local building trades council. HRCC (cwdb.ca.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- ERiCA childcare money: $5,000 per eligible pre-apprentice and $10,000 per eligible apprentice, paid through programs, for women, non-binary people and other underrepresented groups in registered programs. Funds run to June 30, 2027. ERiCA (dir.ca.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- State taxes: work expenses are still deductible on the California return (see Taxes).
WashingtonDepartment of Labor & Industries
- Half tuition: community and technical colleges waive half the standard per-credit tuition and fees for registered apprentices. WAC 131-28-026, checked Oct. 15, 2026
- WA Grant for Apprenticeship: up to $2,548 (2026-27) for tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment. Washington residents in participating programs, with income limits (up to $139,500 for a family of 4); apply through your sponsor. WA Grant for Apprenticeship (wsac.wa.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- Recognized pre-apprenticeships, including ANEW, PACT, Western States Carpenters and Ironworkers Local 86. Apprenticeship preparation (lni.wa.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
OregonBOLI Apprenticeship and Training Division
- Highway program support: fuel up to $1,000 (trips over 60 miles), lodging up to $1,500, meals $250, and $600 for tools and gear. For apprentices in carpenter, cement mason, inside electrician, ironworker, laborer, operating engineer and painter programs, or anyone working on highway or bridge projects. Financial assistance for registered apprentices (oregon.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- Child Care for Construction: keeps your childcare at or below 7% of household income, with no income cap. For construction apprentices, and journeyworkers within 5 years of finishing. BOLI apprenticeship (oregon.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- BOLI-certified pre-apprenticeships (6 to 8 weeks, with supports), such as Oregon Tradeswomen, Constructing Hope and Portland YouthBuilders. Pre-apprenticeship programs (oregon.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
IllinoisApprenticeship Illinois
- Illinois Works Pre-apprenticeship Program: free to you, with a stipend. The next training year runs January 1 to December 31, 2027. Illinois Works pre-apprenticeship (illinois.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
New YorkNYS Department of Labor
- Direct Entry Pre-Apprenticeship: tuition-free, and graduates get a direct interview with a registered sponsor. Provider funding for 2026-27 wasn't in place when we checked, so ask whether a class is running. Direct entry pre-apprenticeship (dol.ny.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
New JerseyNJDOL Office of Apprenticeship
- PACE pre-apprenticeship: participants get stipends and can't be charged fees or tuition. NJDOL grants (nj.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
OhioApprenticeOhio
More than 150 state-recognized pre-apprenticeships. They're WIOA-eligible if they're on the state's list.
ApprenticeOhio (ohio.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026MichiganLEO apprenticeship team
- MARC: state-endorsed pre-apprenticeships, including boilermaker, carpenter, millwright, laborer and heavy equipment programs. MARC (michigan.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- College credit for apprenticeships: building-trades journeyworkers (Boilermakers, Carpenters and Millwrights, LiUNA, Iron Workers, Operating Engineers, Insulators) can get college credit at 22 community colleges.
MinnesotaApprenticeship Minnesota
The state grants we found here go to programs, not to apprentices.
Apprenticeship Minnesota (dli.mn.gov)WisconsinDWD Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards
- Apprenticeship Completion Award: pays back classroom tuition, up to $1,000 or 25%, whichever is less ($250 can be claimed after year 1), to whoever paid it, you or your sponsor. Funds are limited, first come, first served. Completion award (dwd.wisconsin.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- Youth Apprenticeship for high school students, with a construction pathway that includes carpentry and heavy equipment.
MissouriApprenticeship Missouri
- Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant, paid to the apprentice: covers apprenticeship costs such as tools, books and uniforms, for up to 48 months. You must be 25+ (or out of school 2 years), a Missouri resident, with income up to $80,000 joint or $40,000 otherwise. The 2026-27 year is open to May 15, 2027, and the grant no longer turns into a loan. Fast Track (dhewd.mo.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
North DakotaState apprenticeship pages
- Scholarship for apprentices: $500 a term, up to $6,000 over 6 years, if you earned the scholarship in high school and you're full-time in a registered North Dakota program with a 2.75 GPA. Scholarship guidelines (cte.nd.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
Kansas, Indiana, South Dakota and TennesseeState apprenticeship offices
We didn't confirm any state money paid to apprentices in these states. Start with the state office:
Programs that help
Veterans and service members
- Helmets to Hardhats is a nonprofit run by labor and management. It connects transitioning service members, veterans, Guard and Reserve to building-trades apprenticeships with 15 international unions. It says it "is not a job placement company." helmetstohardhats.org, checked Oct. 15, 2026
- UA Veterans in Piping (VIP): free on-base training in welding, HVACR and fire suppression for active-duty members getting out, at 7 bases. It's a DoD SkillBridge program, and graduates are guaranteed entry into a UA apprenticeship with a signatory contractor. Programs for veterans (ua.org) and uavip.org, checked Oct. 15, 2026
- UBC Military Veterans Program (MVP): 8 weeks, free, with direct entry and 1 year of credit into the carpenter or millwright apprenticeship. It doesn't use your GI Bill. Veterans (carpenters.org), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- GI Bill: see Money while you train.
Women
- NEW (Nontraditional Employment for Women), New York City: free pre-apprenticeship. Blue Collar Prep is 5 to 6 weeks; New at Night is 8 to 9 weeks. Ages 18+. new-nyc.org, checked Oct. 15, 2026
- ANEW (Washington): free trades pre-apprenticeship for women and underrepresented communities. anewcareer.org, checked Oct. 15, 2026
- Tradeswomen, Inc. (California): apprenticeship-entry workshops, construction classes and a job board. tradeswomen.org
- Oregon Tradeswomen: the Pathways to Success apprenticeship-readiness program, a BOLI-certified pre-apprenticeship. oregontradeswomen.org
- Chicago Women in Trades: trades training through to job placement. cwit.org
- California's ERiCA childcare money and Oregon's Child Care for Construction are under By state.
Native Americans
- DOL Indian and Native American Programs (WIOA Section 166): grants to tribes, tribal organizations, Alaska Native entities and Native Hawaiian organizations. They provide job training, money for education and training, and support services for "unemployed and low income Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians." Find your local grantee through DINAP. DINAP (dol.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- Tribal Employment Rights Offices (TERO): many tribes run one. A TERO keeps a construction labor pool and enforces Indian preference in hiring and training on projects on or near the reservation. Rules vary by tribe, so ask your own tribe's TERO.
Young people
- YouthBuild: a community pre-apprenticeship for ages 16 to 24 who left school without a diploma. You build affordable housing while you finish a diploma or equivalency. It runs in 40+ states. YouthBuild (dol.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- Job Corps: free residential career training for low-income young people 16 to 24, with construction among the training areas. It includes housing, meals, basic health care, a living allowance and help finishing high school. Operating in 2026. Job Corps (dol.gov), checked Oct. 15, 2026
- TradesFutures runs building-trades readiness programs (MC3) in 34 states. Find a program (tradesfutures.org), checked Oct. 15, 2026
Where this comes from
Every page below was read on October 15, 2026. Amounts above link to the exact page they came from.
- Federal apprenticeship.gov, TEN 05-26, VA apprenticeships, WIOA, Job Corps, YouthBuild, DINAP
- Student aid GEN-14-22
- Tax IRS Notice 2026-10, overtime deduction Q&A, California, Pennsylvania
- Building trades NABTU, TradesFutures, Helmets to Hardhats
- Unions Boilermakers, UA, LiUNA, Carpenters, Insulators, Ironworkers, Operating Engineers
- States linked under By state.