Pick the right state.
Where you start your apprenticeship is one of the highest-leverage decisions you can make. IL electricians complete at 74%. CO: 29%. Same trade. 2.6× different odds.
Electrician apprenticeship completion rates · 2013–2018 cohorts · DOL RAPIDS FY26 Q1
All States — Electrician Completion Rate
Ranked highest to lowest · states with <150 resolved outcomes shown as —
| Rank | State | Region | Elec completion | Tier | Active elec appr | Sample (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington* | West | 76.8% | Excellent | 141 | 375 |
| 2 | Illinois | Midwest | 74.6% | Excellent | 3,661 | 3,864 |
| 3 | New Jersey | Northeast | 72.8% | Excellent | 2,247 | 1,193 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | Northeast | 72.3% | Excellent | 2,961 | 2,726 |
| 5 | West Virginia | South | 71.6% | Excellent | 410 | 563 |
| 6 | Delaware | Northeast | 71.2% | Excellent | 567 | 212 |
| 7 | Minnesota | Midwest | 70.5% | Excellent | 1,707 | 1,567 |
| 8 | California | West | 67.3% | Excellent | 7,939 | 8,028 |
| 9 | Oregon | West | 66.6% | Excellent | 2,014 | 4,205 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | Northeast | 65% | Excellent | 646 | 428 |
| 11 | Maryland | Northeast | 62.3% | Good | 4,125 | 3,666 |
| 12 | Indiana | Midwest | 61.1% | Good | 5,189 | 3,534 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | Midwest | 60.7% | Good | 1,991 | 3,363 |
| 14 | Kansas | Midwest | 60.6% | Good | 1,116 | 665 |
| 15 | Maine | Northeast | 60.5% | Good | 482 | 238 |
| 16 | Virginia | South | 59.4% | Good | 4,783 | 1,945 |
| 17 | Nevada | West | 59.3% | Good | 1,263 | 1,117 |
| 18 | Iowa | Midwest | 58.8% | Good | 2,331 | 3,099 |
| 19 | Montana | West | 58.2% | Good | 1,119 | 827 |
| 20 | Ohio | Midwest | 55.9% | Good | 6,773 | 5,139 |
| 21 | Missouri | Midwest | 53% | Good | 3,124 | 2,991 |
| 22 | Idaho | West | 52.8% | Good | 835 | 655 |
| 23 | Michigan | Midwest | 51.6% | Good | 4,302 | 5,543 |
| 24 | Arizona | West | 51.4% | Good | 3,495 | 1,868 |
| 25 | Tennessee | South | 48.8% | Average | 2,863 | 2,582 |
| 26 | Hawaii | West | 47.6% | Average | 838 | 842 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | South | 47.6% | Average | 925 | 1,167 |
| 28 | Nebraska | Midwest | 47.2% | Average | 826 | 784 |
| 29 | Kentucky | South | 46.8% | Average | 2,150 | 2,066 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | Northeast | 45.5% | Average | 525 | 644 |
| 31 | South Carolina | South | 44.8% | Average | 748 | 1,200 |
| 32 | Wyoming | West | 44.1% | Average | 309 | 451 |
| 33 | Utah | West | 41.8% | Average | 1,207 | 1,102 |
| 34 | North Dakota | Midwest | 41.5% | Average | 493 | 814 |
| 35 | Vermont | Northeast | 41.5% | Average | 724 | 813 |
| 36 | Alabama | South | 41% | Average | 1,574 | 1,675 |
| 37 | Mississippi | South | 38.4% | Average | 1,100 | 1,307 |
| 38 | Georgia | South | 38% | Average | 4,659 | 3,355 |
| 39 | Alaska | West | 37.8% | Average | 777 | 945 |
| 40 | Connecticut | Northeast | 37.7% | Average | 1,158 | 4,214 |
| 41 | Louisiana | South | 37.5% | Average | 1,229 | 1,900 |
| 42 | South Dakota | Midwest | 36.3% | Average | 487 | 490 |
| 43 | Florida | South | 35% | Average | 6,846 | 7,128 |
| 44 | Texas | South | 33.4% | Low | 12,193 | 12,296 |
| 45 | North Carolina | South | 31.9% | Low | 880 | 1,763 |
| 46 | Colorado | West | 29.3% | Low | 3,274 | 4,212 |
| 47 | Arkansas | South | 28.5% | Low | 4,046 | 4,432 |
| — | Massachusetts | Northeast | — | Low sample | 217 | — |
| — | New Mexico | West | — | Low sample | 112 | — |
| — | New York* | Northeast | — | Low sample | 78 | — |
* NY and WA use state-level registration systems — federal RAPIDS data is incomplete for these states. Actual completion rates may differ significantly.
How to use this data
If you're mobile
Geographic flexibility is the highest-leverage card you can play. IL, PA, MN, and NJ have 70%+ completion rates for electricians. If you can move, apply there. The difference in program quality — and your odds of actually finishing — is 2–3× higher than in low-completion states.
If you're locked in
Focus on the union JATC program in your state. The low-completion states are dragged down by small non-union employer programs with high attrition. The IBEW local in a low-completion state probably runs at 60%+ internally — it's the non-union shops pulling the average down.
Why TX, FL, CO are low
These states have large numbers of small non-union employer programs where apprentices frequently leave mid-program for higher short-term pay on commercial jobs. The union JATC density is lower, and wage progressions are less structured. High construction activity = more temptation to leave the program for a quick pay bump.
Why IL, PA, MN are high
Strong IBEW JATC infrastructure, high union density in commercial construction, structured employer-apprentice relationships, and contractual wage schedules that make it financially irrational to leave mid-program. These states have invested decades in making apprenticeship completion the default path.
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