Journeyman
Journeyman turns up in 2 fields: electricians, shop slang. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Journeyman in electricians
Licensed electrician who has finished an apprenticeship and passed an exam, qualified to work unsupervised.
A journeyman electrician has completed a formal apprenticeship, typically about 8000 hours of on-the-job training over four to five years plus classroom hours, and passed a licensing exam built around the electrical code. A journeyman can install wiring and supervise apprentices but usually cannot pull permits or run a contracting business, which takes a master or contractor license. Union programs end with a journeyman wireman card, and apprentice pay is set as a percentage of the journeyman rate.
"State wants a journeyman on site for every two apprentices, so pull Mike off the garage and put him with the new guys."
Journeyman in shop slang
A fully qualified tradesperson who has completed an apprenticeship but is not yet a master.
A skilled worker who has successfully finished their formal apprenticeship and holds the credentials to work independently in a specific trade. They are expected to handle standard tasks without supervision, troubleshoot common problems, and train new apprentices. While highly competent, they have not yet achieved the specialized expertise or business ownership status of a master.
"Hand the blueprints over to the journeyman. He can lay out the conduit run while the apprentices fetch the materials."