West Virginia Apprenticeship Programs
West Virginia runs a smaller registered-apprenticeship system in the country — 5,500 active apprentices across 255 programs, with a 58.1% completion rate and wages that climb from $14 to $26.
- Active apprentices
- 5,500
- National rank
- #36 / 51
- Completion rate
- 58.1%
- Completion wage
- $26
West Virginia ranks #36 of 51 of 51 jurisdictions by active registered apprentices — about 0.7% of all U.S. registered apprentices. Its 58.1% completion rate sits 0.1 pts below the 58.2% national average, and apprentices who finish raise their pay by 82% — from $14 to $26 an hour.
Where West Virginia sits among all 51 jurisdictions
Active registered apprentices by state (in thousands). West Virginia is marked in rose; most states cluster at the lower end while a few large states carry the bulk of enrollment.
West Virginia has active apprentices of 6k. 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.
West 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%
- Pipefitter —
- Boilermaker 21%
- Operating Engineer 25%
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.
West Virginia vs. the national average
Frequently asked questions
How many apprentices does West Virginia have?
West Virginia has approximately 5,500 active registered apprentices across about 255 registered programs, ranking 36 of 51 U.S. jurisdictions by active enrollment (U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data).
What is the apprenticeship completion rate in West Virginia?
West Virginia's registered-apprenticeship completion rate is approximately 58.1%, 0.1 points below the 58.2% national average across all 51 jurisdictions.
How much do apprentices earn in West Virginia?
Registered apprentices in West Virginia start at around $14 per hour and earn approximately $26 per hour on completion — a 82% increase. Wages rise progressively as skills develop.
What are the top apprenticeship trades in West Virginia?
The most common registered-apprenticeship trades in West Virginia are Electrician, Plumber, Pipefitter, Boilermaker, Operating Engineer. 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.