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General Contractor apprenticeships in California
California registers carpentry and construction apprenticeships with its Division of Apprenticeship Standards.1 Most run 4 years, take apprentices from age 17 or 18, and pay from the first day.
Find a program near you
Enter your ZIP to sort by distance.
22 programs
Anaya Construction
Ripon · San Joaquin County
Associated Builders & Contractors Northern California Chapter (ABC Norcal) Carpentry U.A.C.
Livermore · Alameda County
Carpenter
- Length
- 4 years
- Minimum age
- 17
- Education
- High school or GED
- To get in
- Written test + interview
Bca Inner-City Community Unilateral Apprenticeship Committee Sponsored By Black Contractors Association Of San Diego, Inc.
San Diego · San Diego County
Carpenter
- Length
- 4 years
- Minimum age
- 18
- Education
- None required
- To get in
- No test or interview
Carpenters Floor Worker
Buena Park · Orange County
Carpenters Training Trust Fund For Northern California Mosi
Pleasanton · Alameda County
Construction Teamsters Apprenticeship Fund Of So California J A C
Fontana · San Bernardino County
Construction Teamsters Apprenticeship Program
Fontana · San Bernardino County
Dalinghaus Construction
Lake Elsinore · Riverside County
Herling Construction Inc
Yucaipa · San Bernardino County
Irby Construction Company Line Erectors Apprenticeship Program
Brawley · Imperial County
M Bar C Construction
San Marcos · San Diego County
Mark-Three Construction, Inc.
sacramento · Sacramento County
Nor Cal Carpenters Training (Ncct)
Pleasanton · Alameda County
Carpenter
- Length
- 4 years
- Minimum age
- 17
- Education
- High school or GED
- To get in
- No test or interview
Renewable Construction Services Inc
Escondido · San Diego County
San Diego Associated General Contractors J.A.C.
San Diego
Carpenter
- Length
- 4 years
- Minimum age
- 18
- Education
- High school or GED
- To get in
- No test or interview
San Mateo County Joint Apprenticeship And Training Committee For The Electrical Construction Industry
San Carlos · San Mateo County
Southwest Carpenters and Affiliated Trades JATC
Buena Park · Orange County
Carpenter
- Length
- 4 years
- Minimum age
- 17
- Education
- None required
- To get in
- Interview
Sukut Construction
Santa Ana · Orange County
Sustineo Construction Apprenticeship Program
San Diego · San Diego County
TPC Construction Inc.
Lancaster · Los Angeles County
UCI Construction Holdings, Co. Apprenticeship
Martinez · Contra Costa County
Wysong Construction CO
Atascadero · San Luis Obispo County
No programs match. Clear the county or type filter, or try a nearby ZIP.
Union or open shop?
Union
Run by the regional Carpenters training committee. You apply to the committee, take an aptitude test and an interview, and wait on a ranked list. The committee sends you to its contractors.
Pay is a set share of the union journey-level rate and steps up on a schedule. Classes are nights or week-long blocks, usually paid for by the program.
Open shop
Run by ABC, AGC or a single builder. You usually get hired by a member contractor first, and the contractor enrolls you.
Your employer sets the pay and the raises. Classes are nights or weekends, and some programs charge tuition.
What do programs ask for?
From the 5 state-registered programs in the list above.
Age
18 at most programs. A few take apprentices at 17.
High school diploma or GED
3 of the 5 state-registered programs list one. Bring a transcript.
Aptitude test or interview
1 of 5 list a written test and 2 an interview. Union programs rank applicants by the two.
Driver's license and drug screen
Many programs ask for both, since apprentices drive between job sites.
Applying this month
Get your papers together1 week
High school transcript or GED, a photo ID, and your birth certificate or proof of age. Programs that ask for algebra want the transcript that shows it.
- Time
- 1 week
Practice for the aptitude test2 to 4 weeks
Union programs test algebra and reading. A few evenings with a practice test helps your ranking.
- Time
- 2 to 4 weeks
Pick three programs and check their dates1 evening
Union programs take applications in set windows, some once a year. Open-shop programs and employer programs often take them year-round.
- Time
- 1 evening
Apply, then keep working
Apply to all three. While you wait, a helper or trainee job with a licensed contractor gives you hours and a reference.
Can't get in yet?
Pre-apprenticeship
Short programs that teach the basics and help with the application. California lists these:1
Start on a crew
Licensed contractors hire helpers with no experience. Keep a log of your hours and employers; many programs and license boards count them. If you'd rather learn the basics first, 69 schools in California have general contractor programs.
The license steps in CaliforniaHow do you get into a general contractor apprenticeship in California?
Pick programs near you, check each one's website for its application dates, and apply to more than one. Union programs test and interview, then rank applicants; open-shop programs usually start once a member contractor hires you.
How much do general contractor apprentices make in California?
Programs set their own scales, usually a share of journey-level pay that rises every year. For a floor, the lowest-paid tenth of all general contractors in California earned $29.18 an hour or less in May 2025.
General Contractor pay in CaliforniaOther routes in California
Sources
- California Division of Apprenticeship Standards, apprenticeship program search (data as of 10/27/2026) (dir.ca.gov, 10/27/2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, California, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)