Reading is one of the most searched IBEW halls in Pennsylvania and one of the thinnest boards today. Google sent the Local 743 page 117 clicks in 28 days at position 5.2, yet the October 28 board holds exactly 1 open position: T and J Electrical wants 1 JW for restaurant and retail work across the jurisdiction at 5% over the $48.02/hr scale, about $50.42/hr, with a van provided. Book 1 is 20 and Book 2 is 38. GoHereBro tracks 300 IBEW locals. This guide tells you what that call pays, how to take it, and what Pennsylvania licensing actually requires before you drive to Berks County.
The cards below are Reading (Local 743), Allentown (Local 375), Scranton (Local 81), and Philadelphia (Local 98).
Check the live Local 743 dispatch page, the Pennsylvania IBEW pay scale table, the national pay scale hub, the map, and Hot Spots.
The one call on the board, priced honestly
T and J Electrical's call is a service-style opening, not a construction stack. One journeyman, restaurants and retail stores throughout the jurisdiction, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The rate is scale plus 5%, which works out to about $50.42/hr against the $48.02/hr Reading scale, and a van is provided. To accept it, the hall asks you to leave your name, phone number, and the name of the call you want.
That is the whole board. The 30-day scrape history shows this hall reached 37 open positions earlier this month, so the book does move. A traveler who signs Book 2 today is signing behind 38 names on Book 2 with 20 on Book 1, waiting on the next wave rather than stepping into one. Whether that wait is worth it depends on what your home book looks like, and the live board on Local 743 is where the next call will show up first.
Weekly gross pay math on the Reading call
The posted schedule is a straight 40-hour week. Overtime below is estimated at time-and-a-half after 40 and is shown only as a scenario, since the call does not promise it.
| Call | Hours | Straight time (40 hrs) | Premium time | Estimated weekly gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JW at Reading scale, $48.02/hr | 40 | $1,920.80 | $0.00 | $1,920.80 |
| T and J call at scale plus 5%, about $50.42/hr | 40 | $2,016.80 | $0.00 | $2,016.80 |
| T and J call if 10 overtime hours are added | 50 | $2,016.80 | $756.30 | $2,773.10 |
These numbers are estimated gross before taxes, dues, and lodging. Employer-paid health and welfare are not included. A van provided on a service call is worth real money over a month of driving your own truck, and it does not show up in the table.
Compare packages on the Pennsylvania IBEW pay scale table, the national pay scale hub, and how much union electricians make in 2026.
Pennsylvania licensing, because Reading has no state card to show you
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license. The state licensing portal, PALS, covers the professions Pennsylvania boards regulate, and electricians are licensed city by city instead. That is why the hall's own out-of-work and Book II pages matter more than any state website for a traveler: the rules you actually follow are the hall's sign-in rules and the license rules of the city the job sits in.
Allentown, an hour from Reading and home to Local 375, shows the pattern. Its Electricians' Examining Board approves you before you sit the exam, the exam is an ICC standard test, and the license renews every year. Philadelphia runs its own electrical contractor licensing, and Reading runs its own electrical trade licensing through its examining board. The practical rule for a traveler is simple. Your out-of-state journeyman card does not transfer into a Pennsylvania card, because no state card exists. Ask the Local 743 dispatcher which city license, if any, the specific job requires before you accept it.
How dispatch works if you are traveling in
The hall's instruction on the current call is to leave your name, phone number, and the name of the call you are interested in accepting. Book 1 stands at 20 and Book 2 at 38 on the October 28 snapshot, and both books were shallow enough this month that the board hit 37 open positions before settling back to one. Bring a current dues receipt, your OSHA card, and your travel letter. If this is a first hitch, read how to travel IBEW Book 2 before you leave.
Nearby boards are quiet too. Local 375 Allentown pays $52.96/hr with no open calls today, Local 81 Scranton pays $47.97/hr with none, and Local 98 Philadelphia pays $75.05/hr, the highest scale in the state, with none. Reading's one call is currently the only posted opening among the four, which is worth knowing before you plan a Pennsylvania trip around any of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pennsylvania have a statewide journeyman electrician license?
No. Pennsylvania licenses electricians city by city, not through a state board. The state PALS portal covers other regulated professions. Cities like Allentown run their own Electricians' Examining Board with ICC standard exams and yearly renewal.
Does my out-of-state journeyman license transfer to Pennsylvania?
There is no state card to transfer into. A traveling JW works for the contractor on the call, and the city where the job sits decides whether its own license is required. Ask the Local 743 dispatcher about the specific job before you accept it.
How many IBEW calls are open in Reading right now?
1 open position on the October 28, 2026 board. T and J Electrical wants 1 JW for restaurant and retail work across the jurisdiction, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 5% over scale with a van provided. The board reached 37 open positions earlier this month.
What is the IBEW Local 743 pay scale in 2026?
Inside journeyman scale in Reading is $48.02/hr as of October 28, 2026. The current T and J call pays scale plus 5%, about $50.42/hr, which estimates $2,016.80 gross for a 40-hour week before taxes and dues.
What do Book 1 and Book 2 look like in Reading?
Book 1 is 20 and Book 2 is 38 on the October 28 snapshot. A traveler signs Book 2. To accept a call, leave your name, phone number, and the name of the call with the hall.
Is the Reading board always this thin?
No. Scrape history shows 37 open positions at this hall earlier in October 2026. The board cycles between waves, and the live Local 743 page is where a new call posts first.
Which Pennsylvania IBEW local pays the most?
By scale, Local 98 Philadelphia at $75.05/hr, then Local 375 Allentown at $52.96/hr, then Local 743 Reading at $48.02/hr. None of those three besides Reading has an open call today.
Why does a 1-call hall get its own guide?
Because travelers keep searching for it. Google gave the Reading page 2,956 showings and 117 clicks in 28 days at position 5.2. The honest answer today is one call at about $50.42/hr, a short Book 1, and a board that was at 37 open earlier this month.
