Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 139 in Elmira, NY earn $46.40/hr in base wages, or $77.74/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Mar 2026.
IBEW Local 139 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 139 pay scale for 2026 is $46.40 per hour for journeymen in Elmira, NY, or about $92,800 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $77.74 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/29/26.
| Local 139 journeyman hourly wage | $46.40 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $77.74 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $92,800 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $20.88–$23.20 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 3/29/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 139 apprentice in Elmira, NY starts at roughly $20.88 an hour — about 45% of the $46.40 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $34.80 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 139 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $20.88 / hour | $41,760 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $25.52 / hour | $51,040 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $30.16 / hour | $60,320 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $34.80 / hour | $69,600 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $39.44 / hour | $78,880 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $46.40 / hour | $92,800 |
IBEW Local 139 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals across the Southern Tier of New York, centered in the Elmira and Corning corridor. Established to maintain high standards for electrical installation and safety, this local provides the specialized labor force necessary for both the region's historical manufacturing base and its modern commercial infrastructure. The jurisdiction is vital for the state's energy and industrial sectors, as Local 139 members are responsible for the complex power distribution, lighting, and control systems that keep the regional economy operational. Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this market since 2014 to track how electrical labor costs influence regional project bidding and workforce availability.
The Elmira market requires a versatile electrician capable of transitioning between heavy industrial environments and technical commercial builds. Local 139 serves as the primary pipeline for certified labor, ensuring that contractors have access to journey-level workers who have completed rigorous Five-Year apprenticeship programs. This local maintains a strong presence in Chemung and Steuben counties, where the intersection of healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and manufacturing plants creates a consistent demand for high-voltage power, data cabling, and fire alarm systems. For contractors, the local provides a stabilized labor cost framework, while members benefit from collectively bargained protections and comprehensive fringe benefits that are standard for the IBEW in New York State.
As of March 29, 2026, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for IBEW Local 139 is set at $46.40 per hour. When accounting for the full fringe benefit suite, the total taxable and non-taxable package reaches $77.74 per hour. Apprentices entering the program start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically beginning around 40-45% and receiving incremental raises every 1,000 to 2,000 hours of on-the-job training, contingent upon successful completion of related classroom instruction. These scheduled increases provide a clear financial roadmap for new entrants. By the fifth year, senior apprentices earn a significant portion of the full scale before taking their licensing exams. This structured progression ensures that labor costs are predictable for signatory contractors throughout the duration of multi-year construction cycles.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 139 covers the Southern Tier of New York, primarily encompassing Chemung and Steuben counties, along with portions of Schuyler and Tioga counties. Members are dispatched from the Elmira headquarters to job sites ranging from the industrial centers in Corning to commercial developments along the Pennsylvania border. The work covered under the Inside Wireman agreement includes all electrical construction, maintenance, and repair within these boundaries. This involves everything from high-voltage substation work to low-voltage systems in hospitals and schools. Contractors operating in this region must adhere to the local's referral procedures, ensuring that resident workers are prioritized for projects within their home territory before outside travelers are utilized.
The contractor landscape in the Elmira-Corning region consists of a mix of large-scale mechanical-electrical primes and specialized local shops. These signatory firms range from nationwide industrial contractors who manage complex plant shutdowns and retrofits to regional commercial experts focused on retail and institutional builds. Because of the technical nature of the glass and manufacturing industries in the Southern Tier, many signatory contractors maintain specialized divisions for instrumentation and process controls. Hiring typically fluctuates based on major capital projects at regional hospitals or universities, with the local's dispatch office managing the flow of labor to meet these peak demands while maintaining a steady core of service-oriented contractors.
The Journeyman rate of $46.40 is the taxable hourly wage paid directly to the worker. The Total Package of $77.74 includes that wage plus the value of employer-paid fringe benefits like health insurance, pensions, and training funds. These benefits are paid by the contractor into trust funds on the worker's behalf and are not deducted from the hourly wage.
While Local 139 is primarily known for its Inside Wireman agreement, many IBEW locals maintain separate scales for residential work or Voice-Data-Video (VDV) classifications. These rates are generally lower than the commercial/industrial scale. You must contact the Elmira business office to confirm if a specific project falls under a specialized residential or sound agreement.
Yes, through a process known as 'reciprocity' or by requesting a travel letter from your home local. You must be in good standing with your current IBEW local. The Business Manager will determine if there is sufficient work to accommodate travelers or if you meet the requirements for a permanent transfer of your membership card.
New York State does not have a single statewide electrical license; however, many municipalities within Local 139's jurisdiction, such as the City of Elmira, have their own licensing boards. Completing the Local 139 apprenticeship typically qualifies you to sit for these exams, as the program meets or exceeds most local municipal standards for experience and education.
IBEW Local 139 is seated in Elmira, New York (NY). We hold published wage sheets for 27 locals across New York — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Elmira and the rest of New York, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 139. 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 139 pay scale for 2026 is $46.40 per hour for journeymen in Elmira, NY, or about $92,800 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $77.74 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/29/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 139 agreement make $46.40 an hour in base wages, or $77.74 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 3/29/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$46.40 per hour base wage and $77.74 per hour total package for a journeyman in Elmira, NY, effective 3/29/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $92,800 before overtime.
A Local 139 apprentice in Elmira, NY starts at roughly $20.88 an hour — about 45% of the $46.40 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $34.80 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 139 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $20.88 an hour, or roughly $41,760 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $46.40 journeyman rate effective 3/29/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $30.16 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $34.80 an hour in the fourth period and $46.40 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 139 training center.
The current IBEW Local 139 journeyman rate is $46.40/hour, with a total package of $77.74/hour including fringe benefits, effective 3/29/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $92,800 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 139 business office before relying on the figure.
The $46.40/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $77.74/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 139 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 $46.40/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $20.88–$23.20/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 139 is headquartered in Elmira, NY 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 139 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 139 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 139 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 139 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 3/29/26 schedule; check with the Local 139 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 139 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.