Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 1205 in Gainesville, FL earn $33.50/hr in base wages, or $46.27/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jan 2026.
IBEW Local 1205 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 1205 pay scale for 2026 is $33.50 per hour for journeymen in Gainesville, FL, or about $67,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $46.27 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 1/20/26.
| Local 1205 journeyman hourly wage | $33.50 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $46.27 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $67,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $15.08–$16.75 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 1/20/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 1205 apprentice in Gainesville, FL starts at roughly $15.08 an hour — about 45% of the $33.50 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $25.13 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 1205 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $15.08 / hour | $30,150 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $18.43 / hour | $36,850 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $21.78 / hour | $43,550 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $25.13 / hour | $50,250 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $28.47 / hour | $56,950 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $33.50 / hour | $67,000 |
IBEW Local 1205 represents a diverse workforce of skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals throughout North Central Florida, centered around the Gainesville and Ocala metropolitan areas. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the regional electrical labor market, noting how this local serves as a critical pillar for industrial, institutional, and commercial infrastructure. The jurisdiction encompasses a significant geographic footprint, providing labor for everything from higher education facilities and healthcare complexes to manufacturing plants and municipal power projects. The presence of major research universities and medical centers creates a steady demand for high-complexity electrical systems that require the rigorous training provided through the union's joint apprenticeship programs.
The North Central Florida market is unique due to its mix of rural development and dense institutional hubs. Local 1205 ensures that signatory contractors have access to a pool of electricians who are proficient in the latest National Electrical Code standards and specialized technologies like building automation and green energy systems. By maintaining a structured referral system and collective bargaining agreements, the local stabilizes labor costs for contractors while ensuring members receive fair compensation and comprehensive benefits. This balance is vital for the region's continued growth, particularly as new industrial corridors expand along the Interstate 75 corridor and the demand for modernized electrical grid infrastructure increases across the sunshine state's interior.
["As of January 2026, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for IBEW Local 1205 is established at $33.50 per hour, contributing to a total compensation package of $46.27 per hour. This package includes both the taxable wage and the employer-paid fringe benefits that provide long-term security. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting between 40% and 50% for first-year students. As they complete required classroom hours and accrue 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, their pay scales up in annual or semi-annual increments. By the fifth year of the program, senior apprentices often earn 80% to 85% of the full scale. These standardized increases allow for predictable labor forecasting for signatory mechanical and electrical primes while rewarding the skill acquisition of the individual tradesperson."]
["The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 1205 covers a wide expanse of North Central Florida, stretching from the Gulf Coast toward the Atlantic, including major hubs like Gainesville and Ocala. This territory requires members to be mobile, as work sites may range from urban institutional campuses to remote industrial facilities. The local's charter governs all inside electrical work, including power distribution, lighting, control systems, and communication cabling. Signatory contractors operating within these boundaries must adhere to the referral procedures, ensuring that local labor is prioritized for regional projects. The broad geographic reach necessitates a robust dispatch system to handle the logistical demands of diverse projects across several counties in the heart of the state."]
["The signatory contractor landscape for Local 1205 is comprised of several tiers of electrical firms ranging from large-scale industrial specialists to smaller commercial service providers. Many of these firms focus on the institutional sector, serving the continuous expansion of medical and educational facilities in Gainesville. There is also a significant presence of contractors who specialize in municipal work and heavy industrial projects, including substation construction and water treatment facility upgrades. Hiring typically follows the ebbs and flows of major capital project cycles. Contractors benefit from the ability to scale their workforce rapidly by drawing from the union hall’s out-of-work list, ensuring that project deadlines are met with qualified labor."]
Based on the 2026 figures, the total cost to a signatory contractor is $46.27 per hour. This includes the $33.50 base wage paid to the worker and $12.77 in fringe benefits including pension and healthcare contributions. These figures help contractors accurately estimate labor burdens for long-term project bidding.
Yes, IBEW Local 1205 participates in the ERTS (Electronic Reciprocal Transfer System), allowing travelers from other locals to have their fringe benefits sent back to their home funds. Travelers must check in with the dispatcher and provide a valid dues receipt and travel letter from their home local.
Wage adjustments are determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated between the Union and the NECA Florida Chapter. These increases are usually scheduled annually or at the start of a new contract term. The $33.50 rate is the scheduled scale effective in early 2026.
Members often pursue EVITP (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program) certification, instrumentation certificates, and OSHA-30 safety training. Given the healthcare presence in Gainesville, familiarity with NFPA 99 standards for healthcare facilities is also highly regarded by signatory contractors in the region.
IBEW Local 1205 is seated in Gainesville, Florida (FL). We hold published wage sheets for 16 locals across Florida — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Gainesville and the rest of Florida, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 1205. 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 1205 pay scale for 2026 is $33.50 per hour for journeymen in Gainesville, FL, or about $67,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $46.27 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 1/20/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 1205 agreement make $33.50 an hour in base wages, or $46.27 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 1/20/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$33.50 per hour base wage and $46.27 per hour total package for a journeyman in Gainesville, FL, effective 1/20/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $67,000 before overtime.
A Local 1205 apprentice in Gainesville, FL starts at roughly $15.08 an hour — about 45% of the $33.50 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $25.13 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 1205 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $15.08 an hour, or roughly $30,150 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $33.50 journeyman rate effective 1/20/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $21.78 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $25.13 an hour in the fourth period and $33.50 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 1205 training center.
The current IBEW Local 1205 journeyman rate is $33.50/hour, with a total package of $46.27/hour including fringe benefits, effective 1/20/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $67,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 1205 business office before relying on the figure.
The $33.50/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $46.27/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 1205 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 $33.50/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $15.08–$16.75/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 1205 is headquartered in Gainesville, FL 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 1205 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 1205 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 1205 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 1205 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 1/20/26 schedule; check with the Local 1205 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 1205 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.