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State files updated Oct 27, 2026
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Home / General Contractors / North Dakota

How to become a general contractor in North Dakota

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

4registered apprenticeship programs$39.12median an hour in North Dakota

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 ND
4 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 ND
2 schools with programs
Compare 2 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 North Dakota is $39.12 an hour.

    General Contractor pay in North Dakota
  3. Run your own shop

    You must be 18 or older and sign a statement of your experience and qualifications; no set number of years is required.

    Issued by
    ND Secretary of State - Contractor Licensing
    North Dakota contractor license
Pay once you're working

$81,370

a year is the median for general contractors in North Dakota ($39.12 an hour, May 2025).3

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Minot$39.75
  2. Fargo$37.54
  3. Bismarck$36.79
  4. Grand Forks$36.74
North Dakota median $39.12 an hour

Questions

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

Yes. North Dakota licenses general contractors through the ND Secretary of State.1

Are general contractors in demand in North Dakota?

Projections Central expects about 380 general contractor openings a year in North Dakota through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.2

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

4 registered programs in North Dakota. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.

Find a program

More for general contractors in North Dakota

Sources

  1. ND Secretary of State - Contractor Licensing contractor licensing (sos.nd.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  3. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)