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General Contractor apprenticeships in New Mexico

New Mexico has 1 registered general contractor apprenticeship programs: 1 union and 0 open shop.¹ Apprentices are hired and paid while they learn.

Find a program near you

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1 programs

Southwest Carpenter & Affiliated Trades Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee
Albuquerque · Bernalillo County
Union

Union locals and training centers in New Mexico

Call the local or its training center for the next application date.

Carpenters union locals

Carpenters Local 1319Albuquerque

Training

Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder

Home builder associations

New Mexico Home Builders Association4100 Wolcott Ave NE Ste B, Albuquerque(505) 344-7072
Building Contractors Association of Southeastern New Mexico5931 OFFICE BLVD NE STE 1, ALBUQUERQUE(505) 344-7072
Builders & Contractors Association of Otero CountyPO Box 4382, Alamogordo(575) 491-2901
HBA of Central New Mexico4100 Wolcott Ave NE Ste B, Albuquerque(505) 344-3294
Lincoln County HBAPO Box 2769, Ruidoso
Santa Fe Area HBA2520 Camino Entrada Ste B, Santa Fe(505) 982-1774
SW New Mexico HBAPO Box 1962, Silver City(575) 574-2523

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
Back to the program list
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.
The license steps

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, 11 schools in New Mexico have general contractor programs.

The license steps in New Mexico

How do you get into a general contractor apprenticeship in New Mexico?

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 New Mexico?

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 New Mexico earned $22.78 an hour or less in May 2025.

General Contractor pay in New Mexico

Other routes in New Mexico

Sources

U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, New Mexico, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)