Browse trade and professional licensing requirements for 79 trades across all 50 U.S. states and Washington, DC — exams, fees, experience hours, and salary data per state.
Last updated 2026-05-08
TradePrepped is a structured reference for trade and professional licensing requirements in the United States. This page indexes all 79 trades catalogued on the site. Each trade page covers state-by-state requirements: Experience and Apprenticeship Hours, Exam format and Passing scores, Application Fees, Renewal periods, Continuing Education Hours, the licensing Authority, and median salary data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Most construction and skilled trades — electrician, plumber, HVAC technician, general contractor, roofing contractor — require state-level licensing in the majority of jurisdictions. Personal-care trades (cosmetologist, barber, esthetician, massage therapist) are licensed by state Boards in nearly every state. Regulated professional services (CPA, architect, real estate agent) follow uniform interstate frameworks with state-specific variations. Service trades like landscape contractor and chimney sweep are state-licensed in some jurisdictions only.
Each trade below links to a state-by-state breakdown. Click any trade to see Application Fees, Apprenticeship Hours, Continuing Education requirements, and the licensing Department or Board for every state.
Of the 79 trades on TradePrepped, the majority require state-level licensing in most U.S. jurisdictions. Construction trades (electrician, plumber, HVAC, general contractor), regulated professionals (CPA, architect, real estate agent), personal-care trades (cosmetologist, barber), and safety-sensitive occupations (CDL driver, EMT, crane operator) almost always require a license. Whether the license is state-level or local-only varies.
Timelines vary widely. Cosmetology and barbering typically take 6–18 months. Electrician, plumber, and HVAC licenses generally require 4–6 years of Apprenticeship plus journeyman Experience plus a Board Exam. Architect, CPA, and engineering licenses involve 3–5 years of post-degree experience. The per-state page for each trade lists exact apprenticeship Hours, Application Fees, and Continuing Education requirements.
No — every state and DC sets its own rules. Some states maintain statewide boards (California, New York, Texas); others delegate to counties or municipalities. Reciprocity agreements cover some trades but not others. Continuing Education hours, Renewal periods, and the licensing Authority vary state-by-state. Always check the state-specific page for the trade you're pursuing.