# Anyone Can Start an Apprenticeship. Finishing Is the Payoff

> In a study of 335,212 construction apprentices, 24.8% had finished and 40.1% had cancelled. What the completion data says, and how to improve your odds.

- Canonical: https://praxagency.com/blog/apprenticeship-completion-rates
- Author: Prax Agency
- Published: 2026-11-04
- Updated: 2026-11-04
- Topic: Careers

## The short version

- In a University of Washington study of 335,212 construction apprentices who started between 2013 and mid-2023, 24.8% had completed, 40.1% had cancelled, and 35.0% were still in their programs.
- The first year is the riskiest: 20.3% of apprentices in that study cancelled within year one, and the odds of cancelling fell in every later year.
- Program type, trade, and region all moved the odds. Non-union apprentices were 1.77 times as likely to cancel, with other measured factors held equal, so ask any program for its own completion rate.
- The payoff comes at the end: the Department of Labor cites an $86K average starting salary after completion, though that figure rests on one state’s reporting system.

Starting an apprenticeship is the easy part. Someone hires you, hands you a tool belt, and you are officially in.

The payoff lives at the other end, years later, and a lot of people never reach it.

The federal data on this is not flattering, and most recruiting pages skip it. This post covers how a registered apprenticeship works, how many construction apprentices finish, what seems to separate those who do, and what you can check before you sign.

## How does a registered apprenticeship work?

A registered apprenticeship is a paid job with structured training attached. The [Department of Labor](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/employers/registered-apprenticeship-program) calls it a job with on-the-job learning and supplemental classroom education, ending in a nationally recognized credential.

The time commitment is large. For electricians, the [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm) says most learn the trade in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship, with typically 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training for each year of the program. Its page for [plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm) says the same about length and hours. Do the multiplication and a full program is roughly 8,000 to 10,000 paid hours.

Other trades differ. A [2024 study](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50) notes that U.S. programs typically take 2 to 4 years by Labor Department figures, and run from under a year to six depending on the occupation.

Pay moves in your favor along the way. BLS says [apprentices receive less pay than fully trained electricians, but their pay increases as they learn](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm) to do more. That is the deal: lower wages early, a full wage later.

## How many construction apprentices actually finish?

The largest recent U.S. look comes from researchers at the University of Washington. They used Labor Department records on [335,212 construction apprentices who started between 2013 and mid-2023](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50), and sorted them by what had happened by June 2023.

| Figure | What it measures |
| --- | --- |
| 24.8% | had completed their programs |
| 40.1% | had cancelled before finishing |
| 35.0% | were still registered when the study period ended |

Source: [Srikanth et al., The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 2024](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50)

Read that carefully, because the headline is easy to get wrong. That 24.8% is not a final completion rate. A third of the group was still in the middle of a four- or five-year program when the data stopped, so some of them will finish. The authors themselves describe completion as [only around 25%](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50), but the honest range for this group is wide.

A second caveat: the researchers excluded 168,647 of 503,859 eligible apprentices for [missing demographic or occupational data](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50), and New York is not in the dataset. They also note that programs self-report to the system, so data quality varies.

## Why do two completion numbers disagree?

Because they measure different things. The Labor Department’s own measure is a cohort rate. Under [federal regulation](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/sites/default/files/bulletins/2026-03%20Registered%20Apprenticeship%20Program%20Completion%20Rates.pdf), it is the percentage of a cohort who receive a completion certificate within one year of the projected completion date. A cohort leaves out anyone who cancelled during the probationary period.

That gives a friendlier number. The St. Louis Fed reports the [national completion rate for registered apprenticeships was 46% in 2024](https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2026/oct/exploring-apprenticeship-growth-past-two-economic-expansions), against 61% for the six-year completion rate in postsecondary education. The Fed article does not define its 46% figure. Votech News, working from the Labor Department’s beta dashboard, [reports about 47% nationally and 44.6% for construction](https://votecheditor.substack.com/p/the-leaky-apprentice-bucket). I could not independently open that dashboard, so treat the construction figure as secondhand.

Neither number is wrong. The cohort rate asks, of the people who were due to finish, how many did? The study above asks, of everyone who ever started, where did they end up? Candidates should hold both in mind.

> A completion rate is a promise you can only check before you start.

## When do apprentices quit?

Early. In the same study, [20.3% of apprentices cancelled within the first year](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50), and the odds of cancelling were significantly lower in each later year. The authors suggest that retention efforts should focus on first-year apprentices.

The first year is also the point furthest from the finish line, which is a good reason to plan for it deliberately.

## What predicts finishing?

The researchers measured who cancelled and adjusted for gender, age, race, ethnicity, education, region, trade, and program year. This is association, not proof of cause.

**Cancellation rate by group, construction apprentices**

Share of each group that had cancelled by June 2023. Roofing, plastering, and drywall were the three highest of the trades reported.

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Roofing programs | 58.5% |
| Plastering programs | 55.6% |
| Drywall installing programs | 53.2% |
| Non-union apprentices | 44.6% |
| All construction apprentices | 40.1% |
| Union apprentices | 38.4% |

Source: [Srikanth et al., The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 2024](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50)

Here is what stood out in the [regression results](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50).

- **Union or non-union.** Non-union apprentices had 1.77 times the odds of cancelling. This was the strongest factor the study reports. The authors point to union wage and benefit advantages in their discussion, but this is a group average, not a verdict on any one contractor.
- **Trade.** Compared with electricians, only elevator constructors had significantly lower odds of cancelling (0.52). Most other trades had higher odds.
- **Region.** Cancellation was 28.7% in the Middle Atlantic division and 47.1% in West South Central, which includes Texas.
- **Who you are.** Women had 11% higher odds of cancelling than men, and Black apprentices had 41% higher odds than White apprentices. Asian apprentices had 21% lower odds. The authors read these as signs of unresolved barriers, not individual shortcomings.
- **Age.** Cancellation rose across age groups and was highest among apprentices over 55.

None of this is destiny. It shows where programs lose people, which tells you where to ask harder questions.

## What does finishing pay?

The Labor Department’s home page for apprenticeships advertises a [$86K average starting salary after an apprentice completes a program](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/), and says 93% of apprentices retain employment after completion. It also cites a lifetime earnings advantage of more than $300K, from a 2012 Mathematica study.

Three limits matter. The $86K and 93% figures are footnoted as [based on the Kansas Department of Commerce reporting system](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/sites/default/files/Students-Career-Seekers.pdf), as of March 2026. The page does not say how many trades or states they cover. And the page does not show them for construction alone. For a sense of the construction wage ladder, BLS reports a median annual wage of [$63,190 for electricians](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm) and [$63,800 for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm) in May 2025. Those are medians across all workers in each trade, not starting pay. If you’re thinking further ahead, we’ve also written about [the routes from the field into the office](https://praxagency.com/blog/construction-career-path-field-to-office).

Treat $86K as the best-case headline and the BLS medians as the ground you can verify.

## A checklist for choosing and finishing a program

The research does not hand you a checklist. This one is built from what the data highlights, and from the definitions the Labor Department publishes.

1. **Confirm the program is registered.** The completion figures above only describe registered programs. Verify registration with the Labor Department or your state apprenticeship agency before you commit.
2. **Ask for the program’s own completion and cancellation rates.** Federal rules have registration agencies [compare each program to the national average](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/sites/default/files/bulletins/2026-03%20Registered%20Apprenticeship%20Program%20Completion%20Rates.pdf). A well-run sponsor will know its number. A sponsor that cannot answer is giving you information.
3. **Ask how the rate is counted.** Cohort rate or all starters? Does it exclude people who left in the probationary period?
4. **Get the wage schedule in writing.** Know your pay at each period and the raise that comes with each step.
5. **Know the length and hours.** Ask for total on-the-job hours, classroom hours, and the expected completion date.
6. **Plan the first year as its own project.** Budget for lower pay, tools, and transportation, and find a mentor early. That is when most people leave.
7. **Ask what happens if a job ends.** If your employer closes or lays you off, what happens to your hours and your registration? Get the answer before you need it.
8. **Check the trade against your body and your life.** Roofing and drywall posted the highest cancellation rates in the study. Know what a Texas August asks of you.
9. **Ask who to call when it gets hard.** Does the program have a person assigned to apprentices at risk of leaving?

## The question worth asking first

Everyone asks what an apprenticeship pays. Fewer ask what share of the people who start it actually reach the pay.

If a program can answer that with a number, it is probably paying attention to the same thing you are. If it cannot, how confident are you that anyone will notice when you start to slip?

If you’re choosing between programs, or wondering whether to stay in one, [we’d be glad to talk it through](https://praxagency.com/careers). No pressure, and no hard sell.

## Common questions

### What share of construction apprentices finish their apprenticeship?

It depends on how you count. In a study of 335,212 construction apprentices who started between 2013 and mid-2023, 24.8% had completed, 40.1% had cancelled, and 35.0% were still active. Because a third were still in progress, 24.8% is not a final completion rate. Source: [Srikanth et al., The Economic and Labour Relations Review](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50).

### How does the Department of Labor define a completion rate?

Federal regulation defines it as the percentage of an apprenticeship cohort that receives a certificate of completion within one year of the projected completion date. A cohort is everyone registered to a program in a one-year window, minus people who cancelled during the probationary period. Source: [U.S. Department of Labor, Circular 2026-03](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/sites/default/files/bulletins/2026-03%20Registered%20Apprenticeship%20Program%20Completion%20Rates.pdf).

### How long does a construction apprenticeship take?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says most electricians learn the trade in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship, and plumbers and pipefitters likewise. Apprentices typically receive 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training each year, plus some technical instruction. That works out to roughly 8,000 to 10,000 paid hours. Source: [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm).

### How much do apprentices earn after they finish?

Apprenticeship.gov cites an $86K average starting salary after an apprentice completes a program, and 93% retaining employment. The footnote says the data comes from the Kansas Department of Commerce reporting system, and the page does not break the figure out by trade. Source: [U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship.gov](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/).

## Sources

1. [Factors associated with construction apprenticeship completion in the United States](https://doi.org/10.1017/elr.2024.50), Srikanth, Baker, Meischke, Seixas, and Zuidema, The Economic and Labour Relations Review, November 8, 2024.
2. [Office of Apprenticeship Circular No. 2026-03: Registered Apprenticeship Program Completion Rates](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/sites/default/files/bulletins/2026-03%20Registered%20Apprenticeship%20Program%20Completion%20Rates.pdf), U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship, March 9, 2026.
3. [Exploring Apprenticeship Growth during the Past Two Economic Expansions](https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2026/oct/exploring-apprenticeship-growth-past-two-economic-expansions), Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, On the Economy, October 8, 2026.
4. [The Leaky Apprentice Bucket](https://votecheditor.substack.com/p/the-leaky-apprentice-bucket), Votech News, October 8, 2026.
5. [Registered Apprenticeship Program](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/employers/registered-apprenticeship-program), U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship.gov, accessed November 2026.
6. [Apprenticeship.gov home page](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/), U.S. Department of Labor, data retrieved 12/31/2025.
7. [National Apprenticeship Week: Resource for Students and Career Seekers](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/sites/default/files/Students-Career-Seekers.pdf), U.S. Department of Labor, April 9, 2026.
8. [Electricians, Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed November 2026.
9. [Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed November 2026.

This article is general information, not legal, financial, or employment advice. Statistics are as published by their sources on the dates shown.