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General Contractor apprenticeships in South Carolina
South Carolina has 16 registered general contractor apprenticeship programs: 1 union and 15 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.
16 programs
AB Construction Group LLC
Goose Creek · Berkeley County
Ballard Marine Construction LLC
Greer · Greenville County
Beech Island Timber & Construction, Inc.
Jackson · Aiken County
CR Hipp Construction, Inc.
North Charleston · Charleston County
Farmer Construction
Columbia · Richland County
Firefly Construction Group, Inc. (AKA Firefly Solar)
Piedmont · Greenville County
Fraser Construction Commercial, LLC
Bluffton · Beaufort County
J.C. Wilkie Construction
Lexington · Lexington County
LCI-Lineberger Construction, Inc.
Lancaster · Lancaster County
Messer Construction Co
Greenville · Greenville County
PEK Construction
Spartanburg · Spartanburg County
Plans Unlimited Construction, LLC
Columbia · Richland County
Substation Construction Services LLC
York · York County
TEiC Construction Services
Duncan · Spartanburg County
Thompson Construction Group, Inc.
Sumter · Sumter County
Watson Electrical Construction Co.,LLC
North Charleston · Charleston County
watsonelec.comWorks Building Trades Foundation
North Charleston · Charleston 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, 11 schools in South Carolina have general contractor programs.
The license steps in South CarolinaHow do you get into a general contractor apprenticeship in South 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 South 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 South Carolina earned $25.11 an hour or less in May 2025.
General Contractor pay in South CarolinaOther routes in South Carolina
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, South Carolina, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)