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Union vs. non-union trades: how they differ

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026

How many construction workers are union

BLS counts union membership each year in its Current Population Survey (a national household survey). For 2025:

• All wage and salary workers: union membership rate "10.0 percent," or 14.7 million people.
• Private sector: 5.9%.
• Construction industry: 11.1% were union members, and 12.0% were "represented by unions." That second figure also counts workers covered by a union contract who aren't members.
• Construction and extraction occupations (the trades themselves, in any industry): 16.4% members, 17.4% represented.

BLS adds a caution for 2025. October 2025 data weren't collected because of the federal government shutdown, so 2025 annual figures are 11-month averages and "not strictly comparable" with other years. [1][3]

Pay: what BLS data show

BLS publishes median weekly earnings of full-time workers by union status. For 2025:

• Construction industry: union members $1,585; represented by unions $1,567; nonunion $1,132; all workers $1,180.
• Construction and extraction occupations: union members $1,561; represented $1,547; nonunion $1,004; all workers $1,096.
• All occupations: union members $1,404; nonunion $1,174.

BLS says these gaps are not just the effect of union contracts. They "reflect a variety of factors, including variations in the distributions of union members and nonunion employees by occupation, industry, age, firm size, or geographic region." The comparisons "are on a broad level and do not control for many factors that can be important in explaining earnings differences." This release's tables don't break union pay out for single trades such as electricians or plumbers. For electrician pay overall, see electrician salary. [2][3]

Training: both sides run registered apprenticeships

Union programs are run jointly by a union and a contractors' group. In electrical work these are IBEW/NECA Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committees (JATCs). For example, Puget Sound Electrical JATC's inside wire program is "8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 1,000 hours of classroom education," and apprentices work "with licensed union journey-workers." In the pipe trades, the United Association (UA) says its apprenticeships are "Registered with the U.S. Department of Labor" and "typically last five years."

Open-shop (merit shop) programs are sponsored by contractor associations. Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) says its program is "recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship & Training" and typically takes "about four years," with "a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training (OJT) and 576 hours of classroom instruction." Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) says its chapters provide "over 450 government-registered apprenticeship programs in more than 20 trades," and describes itself as "founded on the merit shop philosophy."

Getting in works differently. Union JATCs typically use an application, an aptitude test and an interview, then rank applicants on a list. In IEC's model you train with "an IEC contractor during the day" and attend classes in the evening. For the details, see our electrician apprenticeship guide. [4][5][6][7][8][9]

Finding work: union referral (hiring halls)

Many union locals fill jobs through a referral system, often called the hall or "the books." Each local writes its own rules. Two IBEW examples:

• IBEW Local 112 (Kennewick, Washington; rules dated January 2020): "Applicants wishing to sign the out-of-work book must be unemployed and available for work." Referrals go "starting with Book I, then Book II, III, IV," and within a book by lowest registration number. If you're near the top of the list and a job in your zone goes past you without your bid, you get a "strike"; three in a month and you are "rolled to the bottom of the out-of-work book." Non-members can sign too, but must show "evidence of qualification and b) picture identification."
• IBEW Local 1579 (Augusta, Georgia; rules dated February 18, 2025): you "Must be on Out of Work List (Book I or II) to be referred," and "Book III & IV will be utilized in the event that calls are not filled from Book I or Book II."

Which book you qualify for is set by each local's rules and contract. Ask the local for its current referral procedure. [10][11]

Finding work: open shop

In open-shop programs you work for a contractor that employs you. As an IEC apprentice you get "on-the-job training with an IEC contractor," and IEC says "a student may receive tuition assistance from his or her contractor (employer)." To find a program, IEC asks you to fill out its interest form or contact a chapter through its chapter locator. ABC has a registered apprenticeship locator. [7][12]

Prevailing wage (Davis-Bacon) jobs

On some public projects, pay is set by law whether or not the contractor is union. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) says the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts apply to federally funded or assisted construction contracts "in excess of $2,000," and contractors "must pay their laborers and mechanics employed under the contract no less than the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits." DOL sets those rates for each area.

Apprentices can be paid less than the posted rate only if they are "individually registered in a bona fide apprenticeship program" registered with DOL or a recognized state apprenticeship agency. A worker paid at an apprentice rate who isn't registered must get the full rate for the work. [13][14]

Questions to ask either side

Either way, the license comes from the state, not the program. BLS notes that "most states require electricians to pass a test and be licensed" (see journeyman vs. master). Questions you can put to any program:

• Is the program registered with DOL or the state, and will my hours count toward my state license?
• What does it cost (application fee, tuition, books), and who pays?
• How is pay set, and what's the raise schedule?
• How do I find work, during and after the apprenticeship?

[7][9][15][16]

Questions people ask