USWho is hiring apprentices
How much trades hiring is open to people just starting out, against the jobs that want a journeyperson or better. Counted from the jobs on our board and updated every month. These are the October 2026 figures.
Apprentice share of leveled postings
24%
625 of 2,561 postings naming a level
Journeyman+ postings
1,936
journeyman, master, foreman, superintendent
Postings naming a level
28%
6,640 postings specify none
What level the jobs ask for
Best trades to start in
Of the jobs that name a level, how many are open to apprentices. Only trades with at least 10 such jobs in October 2026 are shown.
| Trade | Apprentice postings | Level-specified postings | Apprentice share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipefitters | 12 | 32 | 38% |
| Electricians | 188 | 624 | 30% |
| HVAC technicians | 70 | 261 | 27% |
| Welders | 22 | 90 | 24% |
| Heavy equipment operators | 60 | 272 | 22% |
| Carpenters | 20 | 98 | 20% |
| Plumbers | 42 | 206 | 20% |
| Millwrights | 13 | 68 | 19% |
| Mechanics | 37 | 283 | 13% |
| Sheet metal workers | 3 | 30 | 10% |
| Roofers | 5 | 60 | 8% |
Counted from 9,201 jobs posted on Tradesppl in October 2026. Jobs that never say what level they want (6,640 this month) are left out of these percentages — some of them may well take an apprentice too. Just starting out? Our free tools cover licensing and certification requirements. Read the how we work these numbers out. Free to cite with attribution and a link to this page.
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Cite this data
Tradesppl Hiring Index, October 2026 edition. Tradesppl. https://tradesppl.com/hiring-index/october-2026. Retrieved 2026-11-07.Open data · CC BY 4.0
Take the raw numbers and do what you like with them, under CC BY 4.0 — just credit “Tradesppl Hiring Index” and link to how we work them out.