journeymen

A journeyman is a skilled worker who has completed an apprenticeship and is employed to work for wages. In traditional trades, a journeyman may travel from employer to employer or region to region to gain experience and demonstrate competence. The term often contrasts with master, who has achieved the highest status within a craft or guild.

The word derives from Old French journalier or journeyman, from jour meaning "day," referring to daily wages. In medieval Europe, guilds organized craftsmen into three ranks: apprentice, journeyman, and master.

Historically, after completing an apprenticeship, a worker became a journeyman and earned a daily wage while laboring under a master. To attain master status, journeymen typically had to produce a masterpiece and be admitted by the guild, demonstrating the ability to supervise others and run a workshop.

In modern usage, journeyman denotes a worker who has completed formal training and is qualified to perform skilled tasks, often within a regulated trade. Licensing and certification requirements vary by jurisdiction. In many countries, a journeyman electrician, plumber, carpenter, or mechanic is fully competent to perform trades, sometimes under the supervision of a licensed master or contractor. The term can also appear in phrases such as journeyman wage or journeyman rate, indicating standard compensation.

Gender-neutral language has led to the use of journeyperson as an alternative to journeyman. In some contexts, journeywoman or other forms are archaic or uncommon.