Home / General Contractors / Mississippi / Apprenticeships
Home / General Contractors / Mississippi / Apprenticeships
General Contractor apprenticeships in Mississippi
Mississippi has 11 registered general contractor apprenticeship programs: 0 union and 11 open shop.1 Apprentices are hired and paid while they learn.
Find a program near you
Enter your ZIP to sort by distance. Lineman, utility and studio programs are hidden because they lead to a different license.
11 programs
BUILD MISSISSIPPI (MCEF Mississippi Construction Education Foundation)
Pearl · Rankin County
buildmississippi.comFondren Construction, LLC
Jackson · Hinds County
Gregory Construction
Columbus · Lowndes County
gregoryconstruction.comH & M Construction Co., LLC
Meridian · Lauderdale County
Ingalls Carpenter, Ship
Pascagoula · Jackson County
Irby Construction Company
Richland · Rankin County
Irby Construction Company
Riichland · Rankin County
J. E. Shurden Construction, LLC.
Maben · Webster County
MDR Construction
Columbia · Marion County
mdrpowerline.comOnex Construction
Columbus · Lowndes County
Shackelford Construction & Hauling LLC
Yazoo City · Yazoo County
shackelfordcandh.comUtility Lines Construction Services
Perkinston · Stone 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?
Age
Usually 18. Some programs take applications at 17.
High school diploma or GED
Most programs ask for one. Bring a transcript.
Aptitude test or interview
Union programs give an aptitude test (math and reading) and an interview, then rank applicants. Open-shop programs usually start with a job offer.
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, often free, that teach the basics and help with the application. Ask the programs above which ones they take graduates from.
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, 5 schools in Mississippi have general contractor programs.
The license steps in MississippiHow do you get into a general contractor apprenticeship in Mississippi?
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 Mississippi?
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 Mississippi earned $22.08 an hour or less in May 2025.
General Contractor pay in MississippiOther routes in Mississippi
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Mississippi, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)