Trade & Stage
Wages & Schedule
Constants: BLS OEWS May 2025 median hourly wages — Electrician $31.00/hr, Plumber $30.00/hr, HVAC $27.00/hr, Carpenter $25.00/hr, Welder $23.00/hr. Apprenticeship wage ramp: 50%→60%→70%→80%→90%→95% of journeyman over 5 years (labeled defaults). Override any value below.
BLS median for selected trade auto-fills on trade change
% above journeyman wage
OT paid at 1.5× regular rate
If already partway through apprenticeship/journeyman
Degree Comparison (Optional)
Leave cost at $0 to skip comparison. Degree path assumes 4 years of zero earnings + loan repayment on full cost at 6% over 10 years.
Projected Career Earnings (your path)
Journeyman Annual (base)
Excl. OT
Master/Foreman Annual
Excl. OT
Annual OT Contribution
At 1.5× rate
Earnings Head-Start vs. Degree
Year-by-Year Wage Path
| Year | Stage | Hourly ($) | Base Annual ($) | OT ($) | Total ($) | Cumulative ($) |
|---|