Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 1579 in Augusta, GA earn $33.75/hr in base wages, or $50.80/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Mar 2025.
IBEW Local 1579 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 1579 pay scale for 2026 is $33.75 per hour for journeymen in Augusta, GA, or about $67,500 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $50.80 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/5/25.
| Local 1579 journeyman hourly wage | $33.75 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $50.80 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $67,500 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $15.19–$16.88 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 3/5/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 1579 apprentice in Augusta, GA starts at roughly $15.19 an hour — about 45% of the $33.75 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $25.31 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 1579 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $15.19 / hour | $30,375 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $18.56 / hour | $37,125 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $21.94 / hour | $43,875 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $25.31 / hour | $50,625 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $28.69 / hour | $57,375 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $33.75 / hour | $67,500 |
IBEW Local 1579 represents skilled electrical workers across the Augusta, Georgia, metropolitan area and the surrounding Central Savannah River Area. This local is a critical labor partner for the region's heavy industrial and nuclear infrastructure, supporting massive federal installations and private sector developments. Since 2014, our team has monitored the workforce trends in this jurisdiction, noting that the local maintains a rigorous standard for inside wiremen, telecommunications technicians, and maintenance professionals. The presence of significant energy and cybersecurity assets in the Augusta market ensures a steady demand for electricians trained to National Electrical Code standards and stringent safety protocols.
The Augusta market is distinct due to its concentration of high-security and high-output industrial sites. Local 1579 members provide the specialized electrical labor required for complex power distribution, instrumentation, and control systems. This local operates under a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) structure, ensuring that every journeyman has undergone thousands of hours of classroom and on-the-job training. For signatory contractors, this represents a reliable pipeline of drug-tested, OSHA-certified labor capable of meeting tight deadlines on large-scale mechanical-electrical integrated projects. The stability of the local's leadership and its relationship with regional contractors makes it a cornerstone of the Georgia construction industry.
["Effective March 5, 2025, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for Local 1579 is established at $33.75 per hour, with a total package of $50.80 including fringes. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% to 50% for first-year participants. As they complete required curriculum hours and on-the-job milestones, these percentages increase annually—moving through 60%, 70%, and 85% tiers—until they reach full journeyman status upon graduation and licensure. This structured progression allows apprentices to earn a living wage while gaining the specialized skills necessary for industrial electrical work. The $17.05 difference between the hourly check and the total package covers essential benefits that are not deducted from the base wage, providing a transparent look at the full cost of labor for signatory employers."]
["The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 1579 is centered in Augusta and extends across several counties in Eastern Georgia and parts of the South Carolina border region. The charter covers all inside electrical work, including commercial build-outs, industrial power systems, and maintenance at large-scale facilities. Work dispatched through the local is subject to the referral rules outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, with specific provisions for travel or subsistence if a project site is located a significant distance from the Augusta headquarters. The territory is strategically positioned to service the growing industrial corridor along the Savannah River, where large-scale infrastructure projects frequently require a high volume of skilled wiremen."]
["The contractor landscape for Local 1579 is characterized by a mix of national industrial electrical firms and local specialty shops. Many of these signatory contractors focus on the federal and energy sectors, where highly regulated electrical installations are the norm. Hiring is typically managed through the local's referral hall, which ensures that contractors receive workers with the specific certifications required for their projects. The environment is collaborative, with contractors relying on the JATC to supply manpower for everything from routine commercial renovations to massive industrial shutdowns and outages. This steady flow of work across diverse sectors provides members with a variety of project experiences and stable employment opportunities."]
As of March 5, 2025, the journeyman hourly rate is $33.75. When including the fringe benefit package, the total compensation reaches $50.80 per hour. These rates are set by the Collective Bargaining Agreement and apply to all inside wireman work performed within the Augusta jurisdiction.
Yes, through the Augusta Electrical JATC, members can access advanced training for specific certifications. This often includes OSHA-30, NFPA 70E, instrumentation, and EVITP (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program). These certifications are essential for working on high-tech industrial sites and modern commercial projects common in the Central Savannah River Area.
Electricians from other IBEW locals can work in the 1579 jurisdiction by signing the 'Book 2' referral list. Travelers must provide a current dues receipt and a travel letter from their home local. Work is dispatched according to the rules of the local's referral system, prioritizing Book 1 residents during slower periods.
The total package includes the $33.75 hourly wage plus $17.05 in employer-paid fringes. These fringes cover comprehensive health insurance, contributions to the National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF), local pension or annuity funds, and the JATC training fund, ensuring long-term financial and physical well-being without reducing the member's take-home pay.
IBEW Local 1579 is seated in Augusta, 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 Augusta and the rest of Georgia, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 1579. 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 1579 pay scale for 2026 is $33.75 per hour for journeymen in Augusta, GA, or about $67,500 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $50.80 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/5/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 1579 agreement make $33.75 an hour in base wages, or $50.80 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 3/5/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$33.75 per hour base wage and $50.80 per hour total package for a journeyman in Augusta, GA, effective 3/5/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $67,500 before overtime.
A Local 1579 apprentice in Augusta, GA starts at roughly $15.19 an hour — about 45% of the $33.75 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $25.31 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 1579 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $15.19 an hour, or roughly $30,375 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $33.75 journeyman rate effective 3/5/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $21.94 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $25.31 an hour in the fourth period and $33.75 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 1579 training center.
The current IBEW Local 1579 journeyman rate is $33.75/hour, with a total package of $50.80/hour including fringe benefits, effective 3/5/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $67,500 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 1579 business office before relying on the figure.
The $33.75/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $50.80/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 1579 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 $33.75/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $15.19–$16.88/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 1579 is headquartered in Augusta, 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 1579 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 1579 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 1579 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 1579 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 3/5/25 schedule; check with the Local 1579 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 1579 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.