Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 130 in New Orleans, LA earn $36/hr in base wages, or $52.08/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Dec 2025.
IBEW Local 130 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 130 pay scale for 2026 is $36.00 per hour for journeymen in New Orleans, LA, or about $72,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $52.08 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 12/6/25.
| Local 130 journeyman hourly wage | $36.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $52.08 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $72,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $16.20–$18.00 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 12/6/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 130 apprentice in New Orleans, LA starts at roughly $16.20 an hour — about 45% of the $36.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $27.00 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 130 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $16.20 / hour | $32,400 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $19.80 / hour | $39,600 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $23.40 / hour | $46,800 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $27.00 / hour | $54,000 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $30.60 / hour | $61,200 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $36.00 / hour | $72,000 |
IBEW Local 130 represents the electrical workforce in the greater New Orleans metropolitan area and surrounding parishes, providing skilled labor for the commercial, industrial, and residential sectors. As a cornerstone of the regional construction industry, the local ensures that projects ranging from high-rise developments to critical infrastructure are powered safely and efficiently. The union maintains a strong presence in the maritime and industrial corridors along the Mississippi River, supporting the heavy energy and logistics sectors that define the Southeast Louisiana economy. Membership provides access to standardized training and collective bargaining power, ensuring that electricians in this market receive fair compensation for the technical expertise required in modern electrical systems.
The New Orleans market presents unique challenges for the electrical trade, including the demand for resilient infrastructure and sophisticated power management in a coastal environment. Local 130 addresses these needs through its joint partnership with the a mechanical contractor Association, fostering a workforce that is proficient in both traditional wiring and emerging technologies like renewable energy and building automation. By focusing on quality and safety, the local supports the operational stability of signatory contractors who handle large-scale municipal projects and private developments. This synergy between skilled labor and management creates a sustainable pipeline of work for journeymen and apprentices throughout the chartered territory, maintaining the high standards expected in the electrical construction field.
Based on the schedule effective December 6, 2025, the journeyman hourly rate for IBEW Local 130 is established at $36.00. When factoring in fringe benefits, the total compensation package reaches $52.08 per hour. This difference of $16.08 covers essential non-wage benefits including health insurance and retirement contributions. Apprentice electricians typically follow a structured progression, starting at a lower percentage of the journeyman rate—often beginning around 40% to 50%—and receiving incremental raises as they complete their classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled increases ensure that pay aligns with the growing technical proficiency of the worker. By the final year of the apprenticeship, the rate closely mirrors the full journeyman scale, reflecting the transition into a fully qualified electrical professional.
The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 130 encompasses several key parishes in Southeast Louisiana, centered on the New Orleans metropolitan area. This territory covers diverse work environments, from the dense urban core of Orleans Parish to the industrial zones in Jefferson and St. Charles Parishes. Members are dispatched to job sites involving commercial construction, industrial plant maintenance, and specialized electrical work at regional ports and manufacturing facilities. The local's charter ensures that all electrical work within these boundaries adheres to the collective bargaining agreement, providing a level playing field for signatory contractors. Travel within the jurisdiction is standard for the trade, as the local services a broad geographic footprint across the Mississippi River Delta region.
The contractor landscape for IBEW Local 130 is composed of a diverse mix of signatory firms ranging from large multi-state mechanical-electrical primes to specialized local service contractors. These organizations rely on the local's hiring hall to scale their workforces for major projects like hospital expansions, university facilities, and government infrastructure. Many of these contractors specialize in industrial controls and power distribution for the region's prominent energy and maritime sectors. The relationship between the local and its signatory partners is managed through the a mechanical contractor Association (NECA) framework, ensuring that labor costs remain predictable and projects are staffed with verified, drug-tested, and highly trained electrical professionals.
The hourly wage of $36.00 is the gross amount paid directly to the electrician's paycheck before taxes. The total package of $52.08 includes an additional $16.08 per hour in employer-paid benefits. These benefits, such as health insurance and pension contributions, are paid by the signatory contractor on behalf of the member and are not deducted from the hourly base rate.
No prior experience is required to apply for the IBEW Local 130 apprenticeship. The program is designed to take individuals with zero electrical knowledge and train them through a combination of classroom instruction and paid on-the-job training. Applicants only need to meet the basic requirements, such as high school graduation and the algebra prerequisite, to be eligible for the entrance exam.
Yes, the local provides ongoing training through the JATC to ensure journeymen stay proficient in evolving industry standards. This includes certification courses for the National Electrical Code (NEC), safety training, and specialized instruction in systems like fire alarms, instrumentation, and green energy technologies. This ensures the workforce remains competitive and capable of handling the most technical projects in Southeast Louisiana.
Members who are out of work sign an available-for-work list at the Local 130 union hall. Signatory contractors submit calls for labor when they need to staff projects. The union dispatches members from the list based on their qualifications and their standing on the list, typically following a first-in, first-out sequence to ensure fair distribution of work opportunities across the membership.
IBEW Local 130 is seated in New Orleans, Louisiana (LA). We hold published wage sheets for 8 locals across Louisiana — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 130. 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 130 pay scale for 2026 is $36.00 per hour for journeymen in New Orleans, LA, or about $72,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $52.08 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 12/6/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 130 agreement make $36.00 an hour in base wages, or $52.08 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 12/6/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$36.00 per hour base wage and $52.08 per hour total package for a journeyman in New Orleans, LA, effective 12/6/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $72,000 before overtime.
A Local 130 apprentice in New Orleans, LA starts at roughly $16.20 an hour — about 45% of the $36.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $27.00 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 130 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $16.20 an hour, or roughly $32,400 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $36.00 journeyman rate effective 12/6/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $23.40 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $27.00 an hour in the fourth period and $36.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 130 training center.
The current IBEW Local 130 journeyman rate is $36.00/hour, with a total package of $52.08/hour including fringe benefits, effective 12/6/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $72,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 130 business office before relying on the figure.
The $36.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $52.08/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 130 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 $36.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $16.20–$18.00/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 130 is headquartered in New Orleans, LA 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 130 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 130 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 130 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 130 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 12/6/25 schedule; check with the Local 130 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 130 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.