Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 164 in Jersey City, NJ earn $64.96/hr in base wages, or $105.24/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2025.
IBEW Local 164 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 164 pay scale for 2026 is $64.96 per hour for journeymen in Jersey City, NJ, or about $129,920 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $105.24 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/8/25.
| Local 164 journeyman hourly wage | $64.96 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $105.24 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $129,920 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $29.23–$32.48 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 6/8/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 164 apprentice in Jersey City, NJ starts at roughly $29.23 an hour — about 45% of the $64.96 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $48.72 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 164 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $29.23 / hour | $58,464 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $35.73 / hour | $71,456 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $42.22 / hour | $84,448 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $48.72 / hour | $97,440 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $55.22 / hour | $110,432 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $64.96 / hour | $129,920 |
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Local 164 wages: $64.96 an hour on the journeyman scale, $105.24 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 6/8/25. That is the most recent Jersey City, NJ sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 38% of the IBEW Local 164 package is employer-paid benefits and fringes rather than wages, which is why the package figure and a take-home hourly rate are not the same number.
Download the IBEW Local 164 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective June 8, 2025.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $40.28/hr | Derived: total package minus base wage. This is the employer's combined hourly contribution to the funds, not take-home pay. |
|---|---|---|
| What the contributions fund | Health & welfare, pension, annuity, training and industry funds | Standard fund categories in mechanical and electrical agreements. The exact split between funds is set in the local's agreement — the hall or fund office publishes the schedule. |
| Paid on | Every hour worked | Fringe contributions are made per hour worked, so they scale with dispatched hours and are paid to the funds rather than to the member. |
The rates above are the IBEW Local 164 scale used across the Jersey City, NJ area. Members dispatched out of this hall work commercial and industrial electrical, building automation and controls wiring, data and low-voltage systems and service and retrofit work for signatory contractors throughout the Jersey City metro, so a electrician wage quoted locally is normally this scale plus the fringe package shown in the table.
Gulfstream recruits electrician talent for commercial mechanical, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around Jersey City. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 164 rates. For current Jersey City scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
IBEW Local 164 represents a highly skilled workforce of electricians and telecommunications technicians serving Bergen, Hudson, and Essex counties. Headquartered in Jersey City, this local is a critical labor partner for the commercial, industrial, and residential construction sectors across the North Jersey landscape. The members specialize in the installation and maintenance of electrical systems, ensuring power distribution, life safety systems, and sophisticated instrumentation are integrated into the region's dense urban infrastructure. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor dynamics in this market, where Local 164 provides the qualified manpower necessary for complex high-rise developments, medical facilities, and transportation hubs that define the metropolitan area.
The market for electrical labor in Northern New Jersey is characterized by its proximity to New York City and its role as a logistics and pharmaceutical powerhouse. Local 164 provides signatory contractors with a steady pipeline of journey-level talent through its rigorous training programs at the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee facility. By maintaining high standards for technical proficiency and safety, the local ensures that infrastructure projects are completed to code and on schedule. For the electrician, membership offers a path to middle-class stability with comprehensive benefits and a structured wage scale that reflects the high cost of living and the technical demands of the New Jersey electrical trade.
Effective June 8, 2025, the journeyman hourly rate for IBEW Local 164 is established at $64.96. When accounting for the full fringe benefit package, the total compensation reaches $105.24 per hour. This substantial total package includes contributions toward healthcare, multiple retirement funds, and advanced training. Apprentices entering the program typically begin at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often starting around 35-40% and advancing through five stages or years of training. Each successful year of school and on-the-job hours triggers an incremental raise, eventually reaching 100% of the journeyman scale upon completion of the program. These rates are subject to the specific terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and may vary based on the classification of the work performed.
The chartered jurisdiction of IBEW Local 164 covers the entirety of Bergen and Hudson counties, as well as significant portions of Essex County in New Jersey. This territory encompasses major urban centers like Jersey City, Hoboken, and Hackensack, as well as the industrial corridors along the Meadowlands. Dispatch for members is managed through the local's business office, ensuring that labor is allocated efficiently to signatory contractors across the tri-county area. The work scope under this agreement includes all electrical wiring, equipment installation, and maintenance for new construction and renovation projects within these geographic boundaries. Travel requirements are generally confined to this North Jersey footprint, making it a concentrated and high-activity jurisdiction for electrical tradespeople.
The signatory contractor landscape for IBEW Local 164 is comprised of a diverse mix of specialty electrical firms ranging from large-scale prime contractors to smaller service-oriented shops. These contractors operate primarily in the commercial and industrial sectors, handling major projects such as data centers, pharmaceutical labs, and large residential towers. Hiring in this market is driven by large-scale infrastructure investment and the continuous demand for technological upgrades in existing commercial spaces. Signatory mechanical primes often partner with these electrical firms for integrated building systems. The local maintains a referral system that allows contractors to scale their workforce quickly in response to project awards and seasonal fluctuations in the construction cycle.
The journeyman rate of $64.96 is the gross hourly wage paid directly to the employee before taxes. The total package of $105.24 includes this wage plus an additional $40.28 per hour in employer-paid benefits like healthcare, pension, and training. These fringe benefits are paid by the contractor on top of the hourly wage and are not deducted from the employee's check.
Yes, Local 164 provides advanced training through its JATC for various specialty certifications. This includes certifications in high-voltage splicing, instrumentation, EV charging station installation, and LEED green building standards. These additional skills allow members to work on highly specialized projects and remain competitive as building technologies evolve in the Northern New Jersey market.
Transferring into Local 164, often referred to as 'working as a traveler' or 'jamming your card,' is governed by the IBEW Constitution and the local's current work-on-hand. Typically, a member must first work in the jurisdiction as a traveler via Book 2. Permanent transfers usually require a specific period of residency and work within the jurisdiction, followed by approval from the Local 164 Executive Board.
Members are frequently deployed to large-scale commercial developments in Jersey City's waterfront, industrial warehouse electrification in the Meadowlands, and essential infrastructure at Newark Liberty International Airport. They also perform significant work in the healthcare sector, installing critical power systems for hospitals and specialized laboratory equipment for the region's many pharmaceutical and biotech research facilities.
IBEW Local 164 is seated in Jersey City, New Jersey (NJ). We hold published wage sheets for 12 locals across New Jersey — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Jersey City and the rest of New Jersey, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 164. Our office is in South Corona, California and we place union-scale tradespeople and field leadership nationwide.
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Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle — confirm with the hall.
The Local 164 pay scale for 2026 is $64.96 per hour for journeymen in Jersey City, NJ, or about $129,920 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $105.24 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/8/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 164 agreement make $64.96 an hour in base wages, or $105.24 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 6/8/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$64.96 per hour base wage and $105.24 per hour total package for a journeyman in Jersey City, NJ, effective 6/8/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $129,920 before overtime.
A Local 164 apprentice in Jersey City, NJ starts at roughly $29.23 an hour — about 45% of the $64.96 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $48.72 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 164 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $29.23 an hour, or roughly $58,464 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $64.96 journeyman rate effective 6/8/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $42.22 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $48.72 an hour in the fourth period and $64.96 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 164 training center.
Local 164 wages: $64.96 an hour on the journeyman scale, $105.24 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 6/8/25. That is the most recent Jersey City, NJ sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published IBEW Local 164 journeyman rate is $64.96 an hour ($105.24 total package), effective 6/8/25 — roughly $129,920 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable IBEW Local 164 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ibew-local-164-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $64.96 hourly scale, the $105.24 total package and the 6/8/25 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current IBEW Local 164 journeyman rate is $64.96/hour, with a total package of $105.24/hour including fringe benefits, effective 6/8/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $129,920 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 164 business office before relying on the figure.
The $64.96/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $105.24/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 164 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 $64.96/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $29.23–$32.48/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 164 is headquartered in Jersey City, NJ 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 164 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 164 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 164 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 164 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 6/8/25 schedule; check with the Local 164 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 164 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
$64.96/hr in base wages for journeyman inside wireman, or $105.24/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective June 8, 2025 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
June 8, 2025. Pulled from the local's current published CBA wage sheet on unionpayscales.com and cross-checked at build time. High confidence for offer benchmarking.
No — the $64.96/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $40.28/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $105.24/hr package.
No. Gulfstream Strategic Placements is a private mechanical construction recruiting firm. We are not affiliated with the local, we do not run dispatch, and we do not set or negotiate union rates. We publish the local's own sourced figures as a reference for members and contractors.
High confidence — last cross-checked against the source on Sep 1, 2026 (14 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.