California Apprenticeship Programs
As of May 2026, California runs the nation’s largest registered-apprenticeship system in the country - 89,000 active apprentices across 3,100 programs, with a 58.2% completion rate and wages that climb from $19 to $34.
- Active apprentices
- 89,000
- National rank
- #1 / 51
- Completion rate
- 58.2%
- Completion wage
- $34
California ranks #1, the largest of 51 jurisdictions by active registered apprentices - about 10.5% of all U.S. registered apprentices. Its 58.2% completion rate sits 0 pts above the 58.2% national average, and apprentices who finish raise their pay by 85% - from $19 to $34 an hour.
Where California sits among all 51 jurisdictions
Active registered apprentices by state (in thousands). California is marked in rose; most states cluster at the lower end while a few large states carry the bulk of enrollment.
California has active apprentices of 89k. Distribution: 26 states at 0-10k; 11 states at 10-20k; 6 states at 20-30k; 3 states at 30-40k; 2 states at 40-50k; 1 states at 50-60k; 0 states at 60-70k; 1 states at 70-80k; 1 states at 80-90k.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data, compiled by PlainWorkforce. Counts rounded to the nearest thousand.
California's largest registered-apprenticeship occupations, ranked by AI-exposure score, most sit well below the 37% occupation-wide average (the dotted line), which is exactly why the trades are AI-resilient. Bars link to the full occupation profile where tracked.
- Electrician 13%
- Sheet Metal Worker 23%
- Plumber 27%
- Carpenter 28%
- Iron Worker -
AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis of O*NET task data; the 37% line is the average across all 832 tracked occupations. Lower = more AI-resilient.
California vs. the national average
Frequently asked questions
How many apprentices does California have?
California has approximately 89,000 active registered apprentices across about 3,100 registered programs, ranking 1 of 51 U.S. jurisdictions by active enrollment (U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data).
What is the apprenticeship completion rate in California?
California's registered-apprenticeship completion rate is approximately 58.2%, 0 points above the 58.2% national average across all 51 jurisdictions.
How much do apprentices earn in California?
Registered apprentices in California start at around $19 per hour and earn approximately $34 per hour on completion - a 85% increase. Wages rise progressively as skills develop.
What are the top apprenticeship trades in California?
The most common registered-apprenticeship trades in California are Electrician, Plumber, Carpenter, Iron Worker, Sheet Metal Worker. Construction trades (electricians, plumbers, carpenters) dominate registered enrollment nationally.
Compare other states
Data sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship (active apprentices, registered programs, completion rates, and wages by state); O*NET (occupation task data, for the linked AI-exposure scores). Compiled and formatted by PlainWorkforce. Enrollment and wage figures are rounded. See our methodology for how this data is sourced and computed.
Every figure on PlainWorkforce is rendered directly from BLS/O*NET source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these figures, or report a data error. Data current as of U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship.