Virginia Apprenticeship Programs
As of May 2026, Virginia runs a mid-sized registered-apprenticeship system in the country - 28,000 active apprentices across 1,050 programs, with a 56.8% completion rate and wages that climb from $17 to $30.
- Active apprentices
- 28,000
- National rank
- #9 / 51
- Completion rate
- 56.8%
- Completion wage
- $30
Virginia ranks #9 of 51 jurisdictions by active registered apprentices - about 3.3% of all U.S. registered apprentices. Its 56.8% completion rate sits 1.4 pts below the 58.2% national average, and apprentices who finish raise their pay by 82% - from $17 to $30 an hour.
Where Virginia sits among all 51 jurisdictions
Active registered apprentices by state (in thousands). Virginia is marked in rose; most states cluster at the lower end while a few large states carry the bulk of enrollment.
Virginia has active apprentices of 28k. 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.
Virginia'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%
- Plumber 27%
- Carpenter 28%
- HVAC Mechanic -
- Line 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.
Virginia vs. the national average
Frequently asked questions
How many apprentices does Virginia have?
Virginia has approximately 28,000 active registered apprentices across about 1,050 registered programs, ranking 9 of 51 U.S. jurisdictions by active enrollment (U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data).
What is the apprenticeship completion rate in Virginia?
Virginia's registered-apprenticeship completion rate is approximately 56.8%, 1.4 points below the 58.2% national average across all 51 jurisdictions.
How much do apprentices earn in Virginia?
Registered apprentices in Virginia start at around $17 per hour and earn approximately $30 per hour on completion - a 82% increase. Wages rise progressively as skills develop.
What are the top apprenticeship trades in Virginia?
The most common registered-apprenticeship trades in Virginia are Electrician, Plumber, HVAC Mechanic, Carpenter, Line 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.