Applying to a union apprenticeship when you already have a degree

Yes, you can apply to a union apprenticeship with a college degree, and it clears two hurdles for you. Electrical Training Alliance rules let local IBEW programs accept an associate degree or higher in place of the high school diploma, and one college algebra course meets the algebra requirement. Check your local's list, since some (Atlanta's, for one) still ask for your high school record. What a degree won't do: skip the aptitude test, shorten the program or start you at a higher pay step unless the program grants credit at indenture.

What your degree does and doesn't do

The IBEW application, step by step

Electrical apprenticeships run through joint committees of the IBEW union and NECA contractors, with standards from the Electrical Training Alliance.

1. Gather documents. Official transcripts showing your degree and algebra course. Some locals also want a driver's license, and may require a drug test, physical or background check.
2. Take the aptitude test. About 2.5 hours; plan on 3 at the test center. Two sections: Algebra and Functions (33 questions, 46 minutes) and Reading Comprehension (36 questions, 51 minutes). There's no penalty for guessing, and you don't need any electrical experience.
3. Get your result. You learn only whether you qualified, not your score. If you don't, you wait at least 90 days for your first retest; the Electrical Training Alliance says a six-month rule applies after later retakes. Confirm with your local.
4. Interview. A committee of contractors and union members interviews qualified applicants.
5. Get ranked. Under Electrical Training Alliance guidelines you stay on the eligibility list for 2 years, and openings go down the list. Some locals differ: Nashville's rankings last one year.

What you'll earn and pay once you're in

At the Nashville program, apprentices start at 60% of the $36.82 journeyman rate, or $22.09 an hour, and step up to 80% over four years and 8,000 work hours. Costs are small: a $75 application fee, an $80 yearly lab fee and books. Training is covered by a loan that's forgiven after five years working under the union contract, and you owe it back if you leave to work non-union. Ask the JATC for the amount; its packet lists both $720 and $7,200.

Plumbers and pipefitters (UA)

UA apprenticeships run 4 to 5 years, with about 2,000 paid work hours a year plus classroom time. Each local sets its own application window, test and ranking, so start with the local's own page or office. The same tip applies: bring your transcript, especially any college math.

Operating engineers (IUOE)

Operating engineer apprenticeships, running cranes, dozers, loaders and graders, take 3 to 4 years. In Georgia, IUOE Local 926 in Rex runs DOL-approved programs and is on the state's WIOA-approved training list. Call 404-363-2764. Be clear-eyed on pay: Georgia's median for this trade is $47,880, about 20% below the US median.

Linemen and elevator mechanics

• Linemen: SELCAT in Newnan, Georgia trains outside-line apprentices across the Southeast. Call 678-423-1338. Line installers earn a Georgia median of $80,080.
• Elevator mechanics: apply through NEIEP. You take the EIAT aptitude test, then interview. First-year apprentices earn 50% of a mechanic's wage, in a field with a national median of $109,910.

Non-union apprenticeships: faster, with trade-offs

Merit-shop programs run by IEC and ABC chapters are another route. The trade-off: apprentices sometimes pay tuition. One Texas IEC chapter estimated $1,000–$1,500 a year plus books in 2020. Ask what you'll pay, and whether the employer covers it, before you sign.

How to answer "Why does a college grad want this?"

You'll get some version of this question. A good answer is short and concrete:

• What you want: work you can see, a skill you'll own, pay that rises on a published scale.
• Proof you'll stay: how you've held jobs, shown up and finished things, including the degree.
• What you've done to check: shadowing an electrician, talking to apprentices, studying for the test.

Don't apologize for the degree, and don't oversell it. The committee wants to know you'll still be there in year four.

This page earns us nothing. Apprenticeships and community college always come first here, and we never take referral fees for them. See how we get paid.

Data as of October 2026. Requirements vary by local. Always confirm with the program you're applying to.

Questions

Does a college degree help you get into an IBEW apprenticeship?

It can clear two requirements: under Electrical Training Alliance rules, locals may accept an associate degree or higher in place of the high school diploma, and a passing college algebra course meets the algebra requirement. You still take the aptitude test and interview.

What is on the IBEW aptitude test?

Two sections: Algebra and Functions (33 questions, 46 minutes) and Reading Comprehension (36 questions, 51 minutes). Some locals, like Nashville's IBEW 429, use a different test.

How long does an IBEW ranked list last?

Under Electrical Training Alliance guidelines, two years, then you reapply. Some locals differ: Nashville's rankings last one year.

Can I retake the apprenticeship aptitude test?

Yes. Under Electrical Training Alliance rules you wait at least 90 days for the first retest, and a six-month rule applies after later retakes. Confirm with your local.