Do Apprentices Receive Wages?
Yes, apprentices in Registered Apprenticeship programs earn while they learn, because they are full-time employees during their apprenticeship. A progressively increasing schedule of wages is based on the experienced worker’s hourly wage of the apprentice’s occupation. These increases occur with satisfactory progress in both related instruction and on-the-job training until wages reach 85 to 90% of the rate paid the experienced worker in the occupation. Generally, apprentices start at 50% of the wage an employer pays an experienced worker in that occupation (but the apprentice cannot receive less than the state minimum wage). The apprentices’ wages are increased periodically throughout the apprenticeship to reflect their mastery of the occupational skills and their ability to work independently. In developing and implementing a wage schedule, the sponsor agrees to grant periodic wage increments if the apprentices are performing satisfactorily.
