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State files updated Oct 27, 2026
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Home / General Contractors / Nevada

How to become a general contractor in Nevada

Most general contractors in Nevada start in an apprenticeship or a helper job and learn on the job. The contractor license comes later, if you run your own business.

7registered apprenticeship programs$39.42median an hour in Nevada

Pick your way in

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.

Pay
From day one
In NV
7 registered programs
Find a program near you
Trade school

Classroom first

Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.

Pay
You pay tuition
In NV
4 schools with programs
Compare 4 schools
Helper

Start on a crew

Get hired as a helper by a licensed general contractor and log hours on the job.

Pay
Paid on the job
Start
No experience needed
How to get started

The license steps

  1. Get hired or start training

    Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.

    Compare the ways in
  2. Work as a general contractor

    Median pay in Nevada is $39.42 an hour.

    General Contractor pay in Nevada
  3. Run your own shop

    At least 4 full years in the 15 years before filing as a journeyman, supervising employee or contractor in the specific classification; accredited education can replace up to 3 years; documented with four Certification of Work Experience forms per qualifier and a resume. No education requirement.

    Issued by
    Nevada State Contractors Board
    Nevada contractor license
Pay once you're working

$81,990

a year is the median for general contractors in Nevada ($39.42 an hour, May 2025).3

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Carson City$43.21
  2. Las Vegas–Henderson$38.76
  3. Reno$38.76
Nevada median $39.42 an hour

Questions

Do you need a license to work on your own as a general contractor in Nevada?

Yes. Nevada licenses general contractors through the Nevada State Contractors Board.1

Are general contractors in demand in Nevada?

Projections Central expects about 930 general contractor openings a year in Nevada through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.2

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

7 registered programs in Nevada. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.

Find a program

More for general contractors in Nevada

Sources

  1. Nevada State Contractors Board contractor licensing (leg.state.nv.us, 2026-10-27)
  2. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  3. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Nevada, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)