A live look at hiring in Chicago, IL: 27 open roles, 10 union halls based in the market covering Electricians, Railroad Mechanical Workers, Sheet Metal Workers, Plumbers & Pipefitters and Fire Sprinkler Fitters, and the published journeyman rates behind them.
Gulfstream is currently recruiting for 27 open roles in the Chicago market, including 12 commercial HVAC openings alongside 15 plumbing, piping, electrical, controls and project-management seats. Counts update as roles are filled and new ones are released — the live list is on jobs in Chicago, IL.
Electricians, Railroad Mechanical Workers, Sheet Metal Workers, Plumbers & Pipefitters and Fire Sprinkler Fitters halls are based in the Chicago market. Each hall runs its own referral and apprenticeship process, and the openings we recruit for sit with commercial mechanical contractors working across the metro.
These are the published journeyman base rates for the halls based in Chicago, before fringe benefits. Wage rates change each CBA cycle — confirm the current rate with the hall before you make a decision on it.
| Local | Trade | Journeyman base | Total package | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBEW Local 461 | Electricians | $64.16/hr | $109.77/hr | 06/01/2026 |
| IBEW Local 117 | Electricians | $62.22/hr | $107.52/hr | 06/01/2026 |
| UA Local 130 | Plumbers & Pipefitters | $60.50/hr | $103.85/hr | 06/01/2025 |
| UA Local 281 | Fire Sprinkler Fitters | $60.00/hr | $94.35/hr | 4/19/25 |
| UA Local 597 | Plumbers & Pipefitters | $58.50/hr | $98.00/hr | 6/15/25 |
| IBEW Local 134 | Electricians | $57.75/hr | $100.64/hr | 06/02/2025 |
| SMART Local 265 | Sheet Metal Workers | $56.35/hr | $96.56/hr | 06/01/2024 |
| SMART Local 73 | Sheet Metal Workers | $53.05/hr | $98.08/hr | 10/10/24 |
| SMART Local 484 | Railroad Mechanical Workers | $39.26/hr | — | 7/1/24 |
Compare these against neighbouring markets on compare local wages, or see the source documents on union wage sheets.
Our Chicago openings are with commercial mechanical, plumbing, electrical and controls contractors — the firms building healthcare, data centre, education, industrial and large commercial projects in the metro. Client names stay confidential until you're in process, but every posting lists the scope, the trade, the shift pattern and the pay basis so you know what you're applying to before you talk to anyone.
Set a job alert on the Chicago, IL jobs page. It's scoped to this market and the trades that actually hire here, so you get an email when a new or reopened Chicago role posts — not a daily digest of everything on the site. You can change the trades or unsubscribe from any email.
Plenty of Chicago trades take work in the surrounding markets, especially on longer commercial projects:
Browse everything live in this market on jobs in Chicago, IL, or check national rates on union wages.