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General Contractor apprenticeships in North Carolina
North Carolina has 21 registered general contractor apprenticeship programs: 0 union and 21 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.
21 programs
Ace Avant Concrete Construction Co., Inc
Archadale · Randolph County
Bullington Construction, Inc.
Oakboro · Stanly County
C. T. Wilson Construction Co., INC.
Durham · Durham County
Curtis Construction, Inc.
Kinston · Lenoir County
DPR Construction
Elizabeth City · Pasquotank County
Engineering Construction Trades
Raleigh · Wake County
Environmental Air Systems (Construction)
High Point · Randolph County
JE Communications and Construction LLC
Greensboro · Guilford County
L. J. Construction, Inc.
Kinston · Lenoir County
Lee Electrical Construction, LLC
Aberdeen · Moore County
Marshall Brothers Construction
King · Stokes County
MCH Construction, LLC
Concord · Cabarrus County
Messer Construction Company
Charlotte · Mecklenburg County
Moonlite Electric & Construction, Inc.
Cary · Wake County
Next Level Solar and Construction LLC
Magnolia · Duplin County
River City Construction, Inc.
Washington · Beaufort County
Shook Construction
Apex · Wake County
Southeastern Carpenters Training Trust
Charlotte · Mecklenburg County
Tnt 3D Construction LLC
Raleigh · Wake County
Utility Lines Construction Services, Inc.
Indian Trail · Union County
V Antiveros Construction
Hendersonville · Henderson County
Watson Electrical Construction Co., LLC
Wilson
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, 24 schools in North Carolina have general contractor programs.
The license steps in North CarolinaHow do you get into a general contractor apprenticeship in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina?
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 North Carolina earned $24.54 an hour or less in May 2025.
General Contractor pay in North CarolinaOther routes in North Carolina
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Carolina, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)