Registered apprenticeship programs are the backbone of skilled trades workforce development. Structured through Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committees (JATCs), these programs combine on-the-job training (OJT) with related technical instruction (RTI) over a multi-year period that produces qualified journeymen. The total hour requirements, classroom-to-field ratios, and wage progression schedules vary by trade and sponsoring organization, but all share a common framework defined by the Department of Labor or state apprenticeship agencies.
Whether you are a contractor managing apprentice ratios on a prevailing wage project, an HR director setting up a company-sponsored program, or a tradesperson planning your career path, understanding the hour structure is essential for compliance, scheduling, and financial planning. This guide covers hour requirements for every major construction and industrial trade, the OJT/RTI split, wage progression tables, and the documentation needed to track it all.
How Apprenticeships Are Structured
A registered apprenticeship has three components: a written apprenticeship agreement, a schedule of OJT processes (the specific tasks the apprentice must learn), and a schedule of related technical instruction. The OJT component is performed on the job under the supervision of a qualified journeyworker and accounts for 80–90% of total program hours. The RTI component is classroom or lab-based instruction covering theory, code, math, and safety, typically 144–216 hours per year (one evening per week or periodic block weeks).
Programs are registered with either the DOL Office of Apprenticeship (in 23 states) or a State Apprenticeship Agency (in 27 states plus DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands). Registration ensures the program meets federal standards for quality, provides access to prevailing wage apprentice rates on Davis-Bacon projects, and makes the apprentice eligible for federal financial aid for the RTI component. Non-registered "training programs" do not qualify for prevailing wage apprentice rates.
Most construction trade apprenticeships are time-based (a set number of OJT hours) or hybrid (competency milestones backed by minimum hour requirements). Pure competency-based programs (progress by demonstrating skills regardless of hours) are growing but still represent a minority of construction programs. The DOL has been encouraging hybrid models that allow faster advancement for exceptional apprentices while maintaining minimum time requirements for safety-critical skills.
Apprentice Hours Tracker
Track OJT and classroom hours toward journeyman status for 15 trades. Shows wage step progression, projected completion date, and pace indicator.
Total OJT Hours by Major Trade
Electrical (Inside Wireman): 8,000 hours (5 years), one of the most standardized programs. IBEW/NECA JATCs are the largest sponsors. The 8,000 hours include specific rotations through residential, commercial, industrial, and fire alarm work. RTI is typically 900+ total classroom hours over the 5-year program.
Plumber/Pipefitter/Steamfitter: 8,000–10,000 hours (4–5 years). UA (United Association) programs are the dominant sponsors. Pipefitters and steamfitters often require 10,000 hours due to additional welding and rigging certifications. Plumbers in some jurisdictions complete at 8,000 hours. All three require significant code study (International Plumbing Code, ASME B31 series). Ironworker (Structural/Reinforcing): 6,000–8,000 hours (3–4 years). Structural ironworkers typically complete 6,000–6,400 OJT hours plus specialized safety training (OSHA 30, connector/rigger certification). Reinforcing ironworkers may have slightly shorter programs at 6,000 hours.
Carpenter: 6,400–8,000 hours (4 years typical). UBC (United Brotherhood of Carpenters) programs cover rough and finish carpentry, concrete formwork, scaffold erection, and increasingly, welding and rigging. Some specialized tracks (millwright, pile driver) extend to 8,000 hours. Sheet Metal Worker: 8,000 hours (4–5 years) covering layout, fabrication, installation, and testing of HVAC ductwork, architectural sheet metal, and industrial ventilation. Operating Engineer: 6,000–8,000 hours (3–4 years) with heavy emphasis on multiple equipment types (cranes, excavators, loaders, dozers). Millwright: 8,000 hours (4 years) covering precision alignment, rigging, conveyor systems, and turbine/pump installation. Elevator Constructor: 10,000+ hours (4–5 years), one of the longest programs, reflecting the safety-critical nature and complexity of the work.
OJT vs. Classroom Instruction Split
The DOL requires a minimum of 144 hours of RTI per year for registered programs. Most construction trade programs provide 150–216 hours annually, delivered in one of three formats: evening classes (one 3–4 hour session per week during the school year, ~150 hours/year), block week instruction (1–2 full weeks per semester at a training center, ~160–200 hours/year), or a hybrid of both. The format depends on program logistics and whether the JATC operates its own training center.
Classroom subjects typically include trade theory (how systems work), code and standards (NEC, IPC, ASME, AWS), trade mathematics (geometry, trigonometry, algebra as applied to the craft), print reading and layout, safety and OSHA regulations, and increasingly, digital tools (BIM, tablet-based commissioning, laser alignment). Some programs also include general education requirements (technical writing, workplace communication).
Employers should account for RTI time in their scheduling. Apprentices attending evening classes are effectively unavailable for overtime on class nights. Those in block-week programs are completely off-site for 2–4 weeks per year. On prevailing wage projects, the time an apprentice spends in RTI does not count toward OJT hour accumulation but may affect your ability to meet the required apprentice-to-journeyworker ratio on the project if the apprentice is off-site. Plan coverage accordingly, especially on projects with strict apprentice utilization goals.
Wage Progression Tables
Apprentice wage rates are expressed as a percentage of the journeyworker rate, increasing at defined milestones (usually every 1,000 or 2,000 OJT hours, or every 6–12 months). A typical 5-year electrical apprenticeship progresses: 1st period (0–1,000 hrs) at 40% of journeyworker rate, 2nd period (1,001–2,000 hrs) at 45%, advancing in 5% increments through 10 periods to reach 80–85% in the final period before graduating to 100% journeyworker rate.
On prevailing wage projects, apprentice rates are calculated as the progression percentage applied to the journeyworker prevailing wage rate for the applicable classification. If the electrician journeyworker rate is $42.50 + $18.75 fringe, and the apprentice is in the 50% period, the apprentice base rate is $21.25. The fringe obligation for apprentices may differ—check the wage determination and program standards. Some WDs specify the exact apprentice fringe rate; others allow the program standards to govern.
Progression is not automatic—most programs require satisfactory performance evaluations, passing grades in RTI courses, and completion of specific OJT tasks before advancing to the next wage period. Contractors should track progression dates closely, as paying a lower rate after the apprentice has met progression requirements constitutes underpayment on prevailing wage projects and can trigger back-wage liability for every hour worked at the old rate after the milestone was met.
Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage Calculator
Calculate Davis-Bacon prevailing wage pay with correct overtime rules where fringe stays flat. Compare cash-vs-benefits tax savings, annualize fringe credits, and compute apprentice wage steps.
Tracking and Documentation
Every registered apprenticeship program requires the employer to maintain records of OJT hours worked (by process category, not just total hours), RTI hours completed and grades, performance evaluations, and wage progression advancement. These records must be available for review by the program sponsor (JATC), the registering agency (DOL or SAA), and on prevailing wage projects, the contracting officer.
On Davis-Bacon projects, apprentice records are part of the certified payroll compliance package. You must be able to demonstrate that each apprentice is enrolled in a registered program, that the claimed wage rate matches the current progression period, and that the apprentice-to-journeyworker ratio on the project does not exceed the program's allowed ratio. If an apprentice works on a DB project without being in a registered program, they must be paid the full journeyworker prevailing wage rate.
Modern apprentice tracking systems (RAPIDS, state portals, JATC management software) streamline record-keeping, but many smaller contractors still use spreadsheets or paper logs. At minimum, maintain a weekly log for each apprentice showing: date, hours worked, OJT process category (e.g., "conduit bending," "motor termination," "panel wiring"), supervising journeyworker name, and a running total of cumulative OJT hours. Have the apprentice and supervisor sign weekly. This documentation protects you in wage audits and demonstrates good-faith compliance with program standards.
Apprentice Hours Tracker
Track OJT and classroom hours toward journeyman status for 15 trades. Shows wage step progression, projected completion date, and pace indicator.