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Plumber vs Electrician in Philadelphia

Pick any two. Rows line up so you can scan across.

Pick any two. On a phone, each row shows one trade, then the other.

The school in each column is the first program listed for that trade. That is not a ranking. Open the trade page to see the other programs.

The union in each column is the first one listed for that trade. That is not a ranking. Open the trade page to see the other unions. Electrician uses IBEW Local 98 · Collegeville training center, not IBEW Local 654.

Union apprenticeship
Ways in
1 Union · 3 School
2 Union · 8 School
Next union date
Plumbers Union Local 690 · Philadelphia

Closed · not taking applications

IBEW Local 98 · Collegeville training center

Opens in 74 days

You pay (union)
Not published We could not find a published application fee or tuition on plumbers690.org (opens in a new tab) as of Oct 20, 2026.Plumbers Union Local 690Next step: Ask the training center what you pay to apply.
IBEW Local 98: $40 application feetuition not stated

As of Oct 22, 2026. Confirm with the program.

Journeyperson pay
Plumbers Union Local 690 · Philadelphia Not published We could not find a published journeyperson pay rate on plumbers690.org (opens in a new tab) as of Oct 20, 2026.Starting apprentice pay: Percentage of journeyman scale.Next step: Ask for the current wage sheet at an open house.
IBEW Local 98 · Collegeville training center Not published We could not find a published journeyperson pay rate on apprenticeshipphl.org (opens in a new tab) as of Oct 22, 2026.Union pay is set by the union contract.Next step: Ask for the current wage sheet at an open house.
Apprenticeship length
5 yearsPlumbers Union Local 690
5 yearsIBEW Local 98
Trade school
You pay (school)
Orleans Tech: $23,010 day / $23,363 evening

As of Oct 22, 2026. Confirm with the program.

Orleans Tech: $23,358 day / $23,723 evening

As of Oct 22, 2026. Confirm with the program.

School job placement
80%Orleans TechJul 2022–Jun 2023School-reported — not independently verifiedHow counted: grads working in the field, divided by grads available for work, for students who started Jul 2022–Jun 2023. Number of students not stated.
75%Orleans TechJul 2022–Jun 2023School-reported — not independently verifiedHow counted: grads working in the field, divided by grads available for work, for students who started Jul 2022–Jun 2023. Number of students not stated.
School grads earn
$51,813/yr4 years after finishingOrleans TechMedian. Not adjusted for inflation. Not a promise.College Scorecard · federal
$51,716/yr4 years after finishingOrleans TechMedian. Not adjusted for inflation. Not a promise.College Scorecard · federal

Same time span on both sides: 4 years after finishing.

If a number isn't published, ask the program at an open house or on its official page.

The union figure is hourly journeyperson pay. The school figure is yearly earnings from the College Scorecard for that time span. They are not the same measure. This site does not turn the hourly rate into a yearly total, because the source does not state hours per year.

On the union side, this is the application fee. On the school side, this is tuition. This site does not add them into one total.

Verify with the program before you apply. · Report an error

9 of 12 figures published (a count, not a rating) Figures here means cost, length, graduation, placement and pay or earnings.

Amber means the school reported this number. The line under it says how it was counted.