In 2026, a union Inside Journeyman Wireman in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) earns a national median base wage of $44.98 an hour, which comes out to $1,799.20 a week on a 40-hour schedule and $93,548 a year before overtime or employer-paid benefits. Across all 240 Inside locals in our 2026 IBEW pay scale and union electrician salary table, straight-time journeyman wages run from $29.25/hr ($60,840/yr) at Local 1925 in Martin, Tennessee up to $95.75/hr ($199,160/yr) at Local 6 in San Francisco and $95.53/hr ($198,702/yr) at Local 332 in San Jose.
When you add employer-paid health and welfare, defined-benefit pensions, annuity contributions, and the 3% National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF), the national median total compensation package across 177 locals with full benefit breakdowns is $69.23 an hour, peaking at $145.47 an hour at Local 332. GoHereBro tracks 300 IBEW locals nationwide for live job calls and book counts; the four cards below show current scale and dispatch activity across four major markets.
2026 union electrician salary summary (national numbers)
Generic job boards report a single national average because they scrape self-reported job postings. In the IBEW, every local union negotiates its own Inside Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the local chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Your check depends on which local's jurisdiction you are working in and how many hours the job call runs.
| Pay metric (October 2026) | Hourly rate | 40-hr weekly gross | 50-hr weekly gross (1.5x OT) | 60-hr weekly gross (1.5x OT) | 2,080-hr yearly base |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest base wage (Local 6 San Francisco) | $95.75/hr | $3,830.00 | $5,266.25 | $6,702.50 | $199,160 |
| Highest total package (Local 332 San Jose) | $95.53/hr ($145.47 pkg) | $3,821.20 | $5,254.15 | $6,687.10 | $198,702 |
| National mean (240 Inside locals) | $47.17/hr | $1,886.80 | $2,594.35 | $3,301.90 | $98,114 |
| National median (240 Inside locals) | $44.98/hr ($69.23 pkg) | $1,799.20 | $2,473.90 | $3,148.60 | $93,548 |
| Lowest base wage (Local 1925 Martin, TN) | $29.25/hr ($43.65 pkg) | $1,170.00 | $1,608.75 | $2,047.50 | $60,840 |
Ninety of the 240 Inside locals on the national IBEW pay scale hub recorded a contract step increase over the last 12 months, with a median raise of +$2.54/hr (+5.5%).
Highest-paying IBEW locals in 2026
Bay Area California locals and Seattle hold the top five spots for straight-time Journeyman Wireman scale, followed by Philadelphia and Northern New Jersey. Every dollar under H&W and Pension below is paid by the signatory contractor on top of your hourly check.
| Rank | Local | City & state | JW hourly scale | Health & welfare | Pension / annuity | Total package | 40-hr weekly | 60-hr weekly (1.5x) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Local 6 | San Francisco, CA | $95.75 | $22.83 | $22.52 | $143.97 | $3,830.00 | $6,702.50 |
| 2 | Local 332 | San Jose, CA | $95.53 | $18.67 | $28.40 | $145.47 | $3,821.20 | $6,687.10 |
| 3 | Local 617 | San Mateo, CA | $88.00 | $21.62 | $25.25 | $137.51 | $3,520.00 | $6,160.00 |
| 4 | Local 595 | Dublin, CA | $79.25 | $21.16 | $24.97 | $127.76 | $3,170.00 | $5,547.50 |
| 5 | Local 46 | Seattle, WA | $77.93 | $14.23 | $17.45 | $111.95 | $3,117.20 | $5,455.10 |
| 6 | Local 98 | Philadelphia, PA | $75.05 | Varies | Varies | Varies | $3,002.00 | $5,253.50 |
| 7 | Local 234 | Castroville, CA | $70.41 | $15.25 | $15.45 | $103.22 | $2,816.40 | $4,928.70 |
| 8 | Local 302 | Martinez, CA | $68.26 | $18.85 | $15.50 | $104.66 | $2,730.40 | $4,778.20 |
| 9 | Local 102 | Parsippany, NJ | $67.92 | $16.98 | $19.70 | $106.64 | $2,716.80 | $4,754.40 |
| 10 | Local 477 | San Bernardino, CA | $67.61 | $11.16 | $15.54 | $94.31 | $2,704.40 | $4,732.70 |
To compare every hall in a specific region, check the state wage tables for California IBEW pay scales, Washington IBEW pay scales, Illinois IBEW pay scales, and Texas IBEW pay scales.
Base wage vs. total package: how union benefits work
Non-union job ads usually quote a gross hourly rate and then deduct health insurance premiums and 401(k) contributions from your check. In an IBEW Inside agreement, the scale on the check is your taxable wage before working dues (typically 2% to 5%) and normal payroll taxes. Fringe benefits are paid by the contractor per hour worked on top of the check:
- Health and welfare (H&W) covers medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents without a monthly paycheck deduction. Across tracked locals, H&W typically runs from $8.00 to $22.83 an hour.
- Local pensions and defined-contribution annuities go straight into retirement accounts for every hour worked. In major metros like Local 134 Chicago or Local 332 San Jose, combined retirement contributions run $18.00 to $28.40 an hour.
- The National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF) adds an employer contribution equal to 3% of gross wages toward a national defined-benefit pension.
At the national median of $44.98/hr on the check and $69.23/hr total package, a contractor is putting roughly $24.25 an hour into your health insurance and retirement funds for every straight-time hour you work.
IBEW apprentice pay scale (years 1 to 5)
Inside Wireman apprentices earn a percentage of the local Journeyman Wireman scale while attending JATC classes and working full-time on the job. Most local agreements start first-period apprentices at 40% to 50% of JW scale and step up every 1,000 to 2,000 on-the-job hours until topping out at 100%.
Using the 2026 national median JW scale of $44.98/hr and the Bay Area top scale at Local 332 ($95.53/hr), here is what the apprentice progression looks like on a 40-hour week:
| Apprentice period | % of JW scale | National median hourly | National 40-hr weekly | Local 332 (San Jose) hourly | Local 332 40-hr weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (1st–2nd period) | 45%–50% | $20.24–$22.49 | $809.60–$899.60 | $42.99–$47.77 | $1,719.60–$1,910.80 |
| Year 2 (3rd–4th period) | 55%–60% | $24.74–$26.99 | $989.60–$1,079.60 | $52.54–$57.32 | $2,101.60–$2,292.80 |
| Year 3 (5th–6th period) | 65%–70% | $29.24–$31.49 | $1,169.60–$1,259.60 | $62.09–$66.87 | $2,483.60–$2,674.80 |
| Year 4 (7th–8th period) | 75%–80% | $33.74–$35.98 | $1,349.60–$1,439.20 | $71.65–$76.42 | $2,866.00–$3,056.80 |
| Year 5 (9th–10th period) | 85%–90% | $38.23–$40.48 | $1,529.20–$1,619.20 | $81.20–$85.98 | $3,248.00–$3,439.20 |
| Topped-out Journeyman (JW) | 100% | $44.98 | $1,799.20 | $95.53 | $3,821.20 |
For a full 10-year comparison of apprentice earnings against four-year university tuition, read IBEW vs College: Ten-Year Earnings Compared.
How overtime, per diem, and Book 2 travel push pay past $150,000
A 40-hour home-local schedule at the $44.98/hr median pays $93,548 a year if you work all 52 weeks, or roughly $80,960 on a 45-week construction year. Electricians who clear $150,000 to $220,000+ in gross wages do it through three contract rules:
- Overtime multipliers: IBEW Inside agreements pay 1.5x (time-and-a-half) after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, and many locals switch to 2x (double time) on Sundays, holidays, or after 10 or 12 hours in a day.
- Scheduled overtime on major projects: Semiconductor fabs, battery plants, and hyperscale data centers regularly post 5x10s plus an 8-hour Saturday (58 hours) or 6x10s (60 hours). At a $50.00/hr scale, a 60-hour week at 1.5x overtime pays $3,500.00 a week gross ($2,000 straight time + $1,500 overtime).
- Per diem, subsistence, and over-scale incentives: Busy Book 2 halls such as Local 291 Boise and Local 583 El Paso frequently post calls with daily subsistence, weekly attendance bonuses, or Project Labor Agreement (PLA) premiums above the base contract rate.
If you already hold a Journeyman Wireman ticket and want to see which halls are sending calls to Book 2 right now, check the live job call map, the Hot Spots dashboard, our guide on how to travel IBEW Book 2, and the state-by-state electrician license reciprocity guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much do union electricians make an hour in 2026?
Across 240 IBEW Inside locals tracked by GoHereBro in October 2026, the national median Journeyman Wireman base wage is $44.98/hr (mean $47.17/hr), with a median total package of $69.23/hr once employer-paid health insurance and pensions are included. Hourly base wages range from $29.25/hr at Local 1925 in Tennessee to $95.75/hr at Local 6 in San Francisco.
How much do union electricians make a year?
On a full 2,080-hour straight-time year, the national median union electrician salary is $93,548 before benefits, ranging from $60,840 in the lowest-scale local to $199,160 in San Francisco (Local 6) and $198,702 in San Jose (Local 332). Traveling journeymen working 50- to 60-hour weeks on overtime calls frequently gross $130,000 to $200,000+ a year.
Which IBEW local pays the most in 2026?
IBEW Local 6 in San Francisco has the highest straight-time hourly wage at $95.75/hr ($143.97/hr total package). IBEW Local 332 in San Jose has the highest total compensation package at $145.47/hr ($95.53/hr on the check, $18.67/hr health and welfare, $28.40/hr pension, and $2.87/hr NEBF).
What is the difference between IBEW scale and total package?
"On the check" (scale) is your taxable gross hourly wage. "Total package" is your hourly scale plus the hourly dollar amounts the contractor pays into your health and welfare fund, defined-benefit pension, annuity/401(k), and NEBF without deducting those costs from your paycheck.
How much do IBEW apprentices make?
First-year IBEW Inside Wireman apprentices typically start at 40% to 50% of the local Journeyman Wireman scale ($20.24 to $22.49/hr at the national median, or $42.99 to $47.77/hr in San Jose) and receive scheduled raises every 6 to 12 months until reaching 100% journeyman scale upon completing the five-year apprenticeship.
Do union electricians get paid more than non-union electricians?
Yes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median wage across all electricians (union and non-union combined) of roughly $30/hr ($62,350/yr), whereas the median across 240 IBEW Inside locals is $44.98/hr ($93,548/yr) on the check plus roughly $24.25/hr in employer-paid healthcare and retirement benefits.
How often do IBEW pay scales go up?
Most IBEW Inside agreements allocate a negotiated dollar increase once or twice a year (often around June 1 or January 1), which the local membership votes to split between the hourly check, health and welfare, and pension funds. Over the past 12 months, 90 tracked Inside locals raised their JW wage by a median of +$2.54/hr (+5.5%).
Where can I compare all 240 IBEW local pay scales side by side?
Use GoHereBro's 2026 IBEW Pay Scale & Union Electrician Salary Table to sort all 240 Inside locals by hourly wage, health and welfare, pension, total package, 40/50/60-hour weekly gross, and live open job calls.
Official sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Electricians (47-2111)
- Electrical Training Alliance (IBEW / NECA National Apprenticeship Training)
- National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF) Summary Plan Benefits
- IBEW Local 332 San Jose Wage Schedules
- IBEW Local 46 Seattle Area Wage Reports
