Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 1 in St. Louis, MO earn $49.29/hr in base wages, or $82.67/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jan 2026.
IBEW Local 1 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 1 pay scale for 2026 is $49.29 per hour for journeymen in St. Louis, MO, or about $98,580 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $82.67 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 1/25/26.
| Local 1 journeyman hourly wage | $49.29 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $82.67 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $98,580 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $22.18–$24.65 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 1/25/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 1 apprentice in St. Louis, MO starts at roughly $22.18 an hour — about 45% of the $49.29 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $36.97 an hour by the fourth year and full scale on turning out. These are the standard percentage steps of scale, not a wage sheet Local 1 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $22.18 / hour | $44,361 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $27.11 / hour | $54,219 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $32.04 / hour | $64,077 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $36.97 / hour | $73,935 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $41.90 / hour | $83,793 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $49.29 / hour | $98,580 |
IBEW Local 1 holds the historical distinction of being the founding local of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, established in St. Louis in 1891. Today, it represents a critical labor force for the St. Louis metropolitan area and surrounding eastern Missouri counties, providing highly skilled inside wiremen, communication technicians, and residential specialists. The local operates in a mature industrial and commercial market where the demand for sophisticated electrical systems remains high. Members are responsible for the installation and maintenance of power systems, lighting, and complex controls across a diverse range of built environments, from heavy industrial plants to high-rise commercial developments.
The St. Louis electrical market is defined by a strong partnership between IBEW Local 1 and its signatory counterparts. This collaboration ensures that large-scale infrastructure projects and private developments have access to a reliable pipeline of journey-level talent. Because the jurisdiction includes major healthcare corridors, data centers, and manufacturing hubs, the local emphasizes rigorous training and safety standards. For contractors, the local provides a scalable workforce that can meet the technical demands of modern electrical engineering. For the electrician, Local 1 offers a structured career path with competitive compensation that reflects the high cost of technical proficiency in the Midwestern construction landscape.
Effective January 25, 2026, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for IBEW Local 1 is set at $49.29 per hour. When accounting for the full fringe benefit package, the total compensation reaches $82.67 per hour. Apprentices follow a strictly defined percentage-based progression that increases as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. Typically, an entry-level apprentice starts at a lower percentage of the journeyman rate—often between 40% and 50%—and receives incremental raises every six to twelve months. This progression ensures that as an apprentice's skill set and responsibility grow, their pay reflects their increasing value to the signatory contractor. All members should verify their specific classification rate with the local business office to ensure accuracy for payroll or bidding purposes.
The jurisdiction for IBEW Local 1 is headquartered in St. Louis and covers a significant portion of Eastern Missouri. This territory includes the City of St. Louis and multiple surrounding counties, ensuring a broad reach for both commercial and industrial dispatches. The union's charter covers all inside electrical work, including power distribution, lighting, and control systems within these boundaries. Members dispatched through the hall are expected to travel to job sites throughout this multi-county region. The jurisdiction also includes specialized agreements for residential work and telecommunications, though the Inside Wireman agreement remains the primary standard for heavy commercial and industrial projects across the Missouri riverfront and inland districts.
The contractor landscape for IBEW Local 1 is comprised of a diverse mix of signatory firms ranging from small, family-owned shops to large, multi-state mechanical and electrical primes. These contractors operate primarily in the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors. Hiring typically follows the fluctuations of the regional construction cycle, with significant man-hours generated by healthcare expansions, university renovations, and public infrastructure upgrades. Signatory contractors rely on the local's referral system to man projects quickly with qualified labor. This ecosystem supports a stable environment for electricians to move between major projects while maintaining their benefits and seniority within the local's pension and health systems.
An Inside Wireman is trained to work on commercial and industrial projects, including high-voltage systems and complex machinery. A Residential Wireman focuses specifically on single-family and multi-family housing. The apprenticeship for an Inside Wireman is generally longer (five years) and the hourly wage scale is significantly higher to reflect the broader scope of work and technical difficulty.
Electricians from other IBEW locals, known as 'travelers,' can sign the Book 2 at Local 1's hall. They are eligible for dispatch only after the local's own members (Book 1) have been given the opportunity to work. Travelers must provide a current dues receipt and a travel letter from their home local's Business Manager to be eligible for placement.
Yes, the Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a 'tool list' that specifies the basic hand tools a journeyman or apprentice must provide for themselves. The signatory contractor is responsible for providing all power tools, specialized testing equipment, and large-scale gear. This ensures that the worker's personal investment is limited to the essential items of the trade.
Transfers are handled on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed. An apprentice must generally be in good standing with their current JATC and have a compelling reason for the move, such as a family relocation. Both the sending and receiving JATC directors must approve the transfer, and there must be sufficient work in the St. Louis jurisdiction.
IBEW Local 1 is seated in St. Louis, Missouri (MO). We hold published wage sheets for 13 locals across Missouri — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving St. Louis and the rest of Missouri, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 1. Our office is in South Corona, California and we place union-scale tradespeople and field leadership nationwide.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements, 4160 Temescal Canyon Road, Suite 401, Corona, CA 92883. Phone (951) 208-7780. Email hello@gulfstreamsp.com. Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–5:00 PM Pacific.View our verified Google Business Profile
Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle — confirm with the hall.
The Local 1 pay scale for 2026 is $49.29 per hour for journeymen in St. Louis, MO, or about $98,580 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $82.67 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 1/25/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 1 agreement make $49.29 an hour in base wages, or $82.67 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 1/25/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$49.29 per hour base wage and $82.67 per hour total package for a journeyman in St. Louis, MO, effective 1/25/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $98,580 before overtime.
A Local 1 apprentice in St. Louis, MO starts at roughly $22.18 an hour — about 45% of the $49.29 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $36.97 an hour by the fourth year and full scale on turning out. These are the standard percentage steps of scale, not a wage sheet Local 1 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $22.18 an hour, or roughly $44,361 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $49.29 journeyman rate effective 1/25/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $32.04 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $36.97 an hour in the fourth period and $49.29 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 1 training center.
The current IBEW Local 1 journeyman rate is $49.29/hour, with a total package of $82.67/hour including fringe benefits, effective 1/25/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $98,580 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 1 business office before relying on the figure.
The $49.29/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $82.67/hour total package adds employer-paid fringes — health and welfare, pension, annuity, apprenticeship training, and industry funds. Contractors bid work off the total package, so that is the number that matters when comparing electricians labor costs across locals.
Apprentices under the IBEW Local 1 agreement are paid a graduated percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting near 40–50% in the first period and stepping up each six-month or annual period until reaching 100% at turnout. Against the current $49.29/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $22.18–$24.65/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 1 is headquartered in St. Louis, MO and dispatches electricians manpower throughout its chartered jurisdiction. Work performed inside that territory falls under the local's collective bargaining agreement and wage schedule, even when the contractor is based elsewhere and travels in.
Most locals require applicants to be at least 18, legally able to work in the U.S., hold a high school diploma or GED, pass a basic math/aptitude assessment and a drug screen, and be physically able to perform electricians work. Some Local 1 programs give preference to applicants inside the jurisdiction or to veterans. Eligibility rules are set by the local's Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC), so confirm the current criteria with the hall before applying.
Apprenticeship applications go through the IBEW Local 1 JATC, not through a contractor or a recruiter. Applications typically open in defined intake windows each year: you submit the application with proof of age, education, and residency, sit for an aptitude test, and then interview. Ranked applicants are placed on an eligibility list and indentured as signatory contractors call for apprentices. Gulfstream Strategic Placements does not process apprenticeship applications — contact the Local 1 training center directly.
Electricians apprenticeships generally run four to five years — roughly 8,000–10,000 hours of on-the-job training plus several hundred classroom hours per year. Apprentices earn a paycheck the entire time, stepping up through the wage periods until they turn out as journeymen at 100% of scale.
Signatory contractors hire through the local's hiring hall, so working under the IBEW Local 1 agreement generally means being a member or being organized in through the local's process. Journeymen from other locals can travel in by signing the out-of-work book, subject to the local's referral rules and manpower needs. Non-union electricians professionals are usually placed with open-shop contractors instead — we recruit for both.
Rates move with the collective bargaining agreement, typically on a fixed anniversary date each year of a three- to five-year contract, with negotiated increases split between the base wage and the fringe package. The figures on this page reflect the 1/25/26 schedule; check with the Local 1 business office for any increase that has taken effect since.
Wage rates vary widely by local and market. Use the Union Pay Scale Explorer to sort every UA and SMART local by hourly wage, total package, and annualized pay so you can benchmark Local 1 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.