Should I join a union or non-union apprenticeship in Georgia?

BLS doesn't track apprentice pay on its own, but electricians' helpers in Georgia, the closest entry-level group, earned a median of $18.77 an hour in May 2025, according to BLS wage data. IEC Atlanta says its entry wages average $17 to $20 an hour, and union programs in Atlanta and Savannah post first-year union scale rates of about $18 an hour, with raises as you progress.

No. Georgia apprenticeship programs are built for beginners, and both the Atlanta Electrical JATC and IEC Atlanta say no experience is required. Union programs ask for a diploma or GED and a passing aptitude test, most want a high school algebra credit, and the IEC program runs through a job with a member contractor.

Most Georgia electrician apprenticeships take 4 years, with 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training and 576 to 720 hours of classes. Under Senate Bill 553, finishing a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship qualifies you for a Class I electrical contractor license, and one more year on three-phase work qualifies you for Class II.

Union JATC programs in Atlanta, Augusta, Macon and Savannah use an aptitude test, interview and ranking list, then place you with a contractor at a set share of the union journeyman scale with benefits. Non-union IEC programs start with a job at a member contractor, and classes meet in the evening once or twice a week. Both end with a Department of Labor journey-level certificate, so pick the one with the next open window and contractors near you.

No. Georgia has no state license for apprentices, journeymen or master electricians, and the Georgia Board of Electrical Contractors licenses only electrical contractors. You work under the license of the contractor who employs you, and you need a Class I or Class II contractor license only to contract electrical work yourself.