Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 1531 in Albany, GA earn $31/hr in base wages, or $45.88/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2026.
IBEW Local 1531 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 1531 pay scale for 2026 is $31.00 per hour for journeymen in Albany, GA, or about $62,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $45.88 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/11/26.
| Local 1531 journeyman hourly wage | $31.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $45.88 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $62,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $13.95–$15.50 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 6/11/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 1531 apprentice in Albany, GA starts at roughly $13.95 an hour — about 45% of the $31.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $23.25 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 1531 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $13.95 / hour | $27,900 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $17.05 / hour | $34,100 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $20.15 / hour | $40,300 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $23.25 / hour | $46,500 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $26.35 / hour | $52,700 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $31.00 / hour | $62,000 |
IBEW Local 1531 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals serving the Albany, Georgia, metropolitan area and the surrounding agricultural and industrial hubs of Southwest Georgia. Since 2014, our analysts have tracked the role this local plays in maintaining high standards for electrical installations across commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors. The local is instrumental in providing the skilled labor force necessary for regional infrastructure development, including specialized electrical work for food processing facilities, manufacturing plants, and municipal projects. By setting a standardized wage and safety benchmark, Local 1531 ensures that electrical contractors in the region can compete on quality and efficiency while maintaining a stable middle-class workforce.
The market in Southwest Georgia is defined by a mix of heavy industrial maintenance and new commercial construction. IBEW Local 1531 members are trained to handle complex electrical systems that power the region's economy, from sophisticated automated production lines to high-voltage distribution. This local operates a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) to ensure a steady pipeline of talent that meets National Electrical Code (NEC) requirements and rigorous safety protocols. For contractors, partnering with Local 1531 provides access to a pre-vetted pool of journeymen who have undergone thousands of hours of classroom and on-the-job training, reducing the overhead costs associated with recruitment and technical errors in the field.
The journeyman inside wireman rate for IBEW Local 1531 is established at $31.00 per hour, with a total package of $45.88 effective June 2026. This hourly rate serves as the baseline for the entire wage scale, with apprentices earning a progressive percentage of the journeyman rate as they advance through their five-year program. Typically, first-year apprentices start at approximately 40% to 50% of the journeyman scale, receiving incremental raises every 1,000 to 2,000 hours of work and upon completion of their annual related classroom instruction. The gap between the $31.00 base pay and the $45.88 total package represents employer-paid benefits including healthcare and retirement, which are managed by the local's trust funds and do not result in deductions from the worker's gross hourly paycheck.
The chartered jurisdiction of IBEW Local 1531 covers a significant portion of Southwest Georgia, centered around Dougherty County and extending into the surrounding rural and industrial corridors. Members are dispatched to job sites within this territory for work involving the installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical systems in diverse settings. The agreement covers all inside electrical work, including power distribution, lighting, controls, and low-voltage systems. Traveling members from other IBEW locals may be permitted to work in this jurisdiction through the industry's reciprocity agreements when local labor demand exceeds current membership capacity, ensuring that large-scale industrial projects remain on schedule regardless of local manpower fluctuations.
["The signatory contractor landscape for Local 1531 includes a variety of regional electrical primes and specialized industrial service contractors. These firms range from large mechanical-electrical-plumbing (MEP) organizations that handle multi-million dollar institutional builds to smaller, agile shops focused on industrial maintenance and food processing facility upgrades. Hiring in this market is generally project-driven, with significant manpower spikes during major industrial plant outages or new municipal developments. Signatory contractors benefit from a flexible labor pool that can be scaled up or down based on current contract demands, ensuring that labor costs remain predictable and competitive against non-union alternatives in the Georgia market."]
Local 1531 focuses primarily on inside wireman work, which includes the installation and maintenance of electrical systems within commercial and industrial buildings. In the Albany market, this often involves significant work in manufacturing plants, healthcare facilities, and local government buildings, ensuring all wiring meets strict safety and performance codes.
Apprentices start at a percentage of the $31.00 journeyman rate and receive scheduled raises as they hit specific milestones. These milestones include completing a certain number of work hours (usually 1,000 or 2,000) and successfully passing their related classroom instruction modules each year, ensuring their pay matches their growing skill set.
Yes, through the JATC, Local 1531 provides journeyman upgrade training. This includes certifications for specialized tasks, updates on the National Electrical Code (NEC), and safety certifications like OSHA-30. This ensures that the local workforce remains the most qualified and safest option for signatory contractors in Southwest Georgia.
Electricians currently in the IBEW can request a transfer of their 'traveler' status or seek to vest into the local, subject to the rules in the IBEW Constitution and the local's current bylaws. Non-union electricians with verifiable experience can also be organized into the local after a skills assessment and interview with the Business Manager.
IBEW Local 1531 is seated in Albany, Georgia (GA). We hold published wage sheets for 9 locals across Georgia — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Albany and the rest of Georgia, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 1531. 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 1531 pay scale for 2026 is $31.00 per hour for journeymen in Albany, GA, or about $62,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $45.88 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/11/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 1531 agreement make $31.00 an hour in base wages, or $45.88 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 6/11/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$31.00 per hour base wage and $45.88 per hour total package for a journeyman in Albany, GA, effective 6/11/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $62,000 before overtime.
A Local 1531 apprentice in Albany, GA starts at roughly $13.95 an hour — about 45% of the $31.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $23.25 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 1531 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $13.95 an hour, or roughly $27,900 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $31.00 journeyman rate effective 6/11/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $20.15 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $23.25 an hour in the fourth period and $31.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 1531 training center.
The current IBEW Local 1531 journeyman rate is $31.00/hour, with a total package of $45.88/hour including fringe benefits, effective 6/11/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $62,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 1531 business office before relying on the figure.
The $31.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $45.88/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 1531 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 $31.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $13.95–$15.50/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 1531 is headquartered in Albany, GA 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 1531 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 1531 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 1531 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 1531 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 6/11/26 schedule; check with the Local 1531 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 1531 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.