Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 233 in Helena, MT earn $38.51/hr in base wages, or $57.11/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Oct 2024.
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IBEW Local 233 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 233 pay scale is $38.51 per hour for journeymen in Helena, MT, or about $77,020 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $57.11 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 10/21/24.
| Local 233 journeyman hourly wage | $38.51 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $57.11 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $77,020 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $17.33–$19.26 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 10/21/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 233 apprentice in Helena, MT starts at roughly $17.33 an hour — about 45% of the $38.51 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.88 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 233 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $17.33 / hour | $34,659 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $21.18 / hour | $42,361 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $25.03 / hour | $50,063 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $28.88 / hour | $57,765 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $32.73 / hour | $65,467 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $38.51 / hour | $77,020 |
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Local 233 wages: $38.51 an hour on the journeyman scale, $57.11 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 10/21/24. That is the most recent Helena, MT sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 33% of the IBEW Local 233 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.
Unverified: crowd-sourced figure (unionpayscales.com), not confirmed against the local's own wage sheet
Download the IBEW Local 233 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective October 21, 2024.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $18.60/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 233 scale used across the Helena, MT 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 Helena 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 Helena. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 233 rates. For current Helena scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
IBEW Local 233 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — contact the hall to confirm dispatch procedure and what to bring before traveling in. Contact details are imported from the UA, SMART and IBEW public directories. Gulfstream is a private recruiting firm, is not affiliated with the local, and does not control hall dispatch.
IBEW Local 233 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical workers across a vast territory centered in Helena, Montana. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the regional labor market where Local 233 members provide essential services for commercial, industrial, and residential projects. The local operates as a critical hub for workforce development in the Big Sky Country, ensuring that large-scale infrastructure and private developments meet rigorous National Electrical Code standards. Their members are instrumental in maintaining the electrical grid, installing complex power systems, and integrating modern telecommunications infrastructure throughout the western and central portions of the state.
The market in Helena and the surrounding jurisdictions is defined by a mix of public sector institutional work and private sector industrial growth. As a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 233 coordinates with the a mechanical contractor Association to maintain stable labor relations and competitive compensation. This partnership ensures that signatory contractors have access to a pool of highly trained electricians who have completed rigorous apprenticeship programs. For the tradesperson, this means access to a stable career path with portable benefits and a collective voice in the workplace, which is particularly significant given Montana's diverse and demanding geographic landscape.
As of October 21, 2024, the journeyman inside wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 233 is set at $38.51. When factoring in the comprehensive fringe benefit package, the total compensation reaches $57.11 per hour. Apprentices in the program earn a percentage of the journeyman rate that increases as they progress through their multi-year training cycles. Typically, a first-year apprentice starts at roughly 40% to 50% of the journeyman wage, with incremental raises occurring every six to twelve months upon the completion of required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. This structured progression allows new entrants to earn a living wage while mastering the trade, eventually reaching full scale upon passing their journeyman examination and completing the IBEW/NECA Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee requirements.
The chartered jurisdiction of IBEW Local 233 covers a significant portion of Western and Central Montana, including the state capital of Helena. The territory extends to encompass several counties where the local holds exclusive rights to provide electrical labor under their collective bargaining agreement. Dispatch is managed through the Helena business office, coordinating manpower for projects ranging from remote industrial sites to urban commercial developments. Workers under this agreement are subject to specific travel pay and subsistence rules when projects are located outside of defined free zones or home jurisdictions, ensuring fair compensation for the geographical challenges inherent to the Montana construction market.
The signatory contractor landscape for IBEW Local 233 is comprised of a diverse array of firms ranging from small, specialized shops to large multi-state mechanical and electrical primes. These contractors operate primarily in the commercial and industrial sectors, handling substantial contracts for state government facilities, healthcare institutions, and educational campuses. While specific firm names are not disclosed, the market is characterized by a steady demand for qualified labor to support renewable energy projects, data center installations, and traditional power plant maintenance. Signatory firms rely on Local 233 to provide a scalable workforce that can meet the technical demands of modern electrical engineering specifications.
The hourly wage of $38.51 is the gross amount paid directly on the paycheck before taxes. The total package of $57.11 includes the hourly wage plus the dollar value of fringe benefits like healthcare, pension, and training funds. These benefits are paid by the employer in addition to the wage, not deducted from it.
Yes, as a member of the IBEW, Local 233 participates in the ERTS (Electronic Reciprocity Transfer System). This allows travelers working in the Montana jurisdiction to have their fringe benefits and pension credits directed back to their home local's funds, ensuring no lapse in coverage while working away from home.
The market is heavily influenced by state government infrastructure, including office buildings and institutional facilities. Additionally, the region sees significant activity in healthcare expansions and industrial maintenance. Local 233 members often work on high-voltage systems, control wiring, and general commercial lighting and power distribution.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, journeymen and apprentices are typically required to provide a basic set of hand tools, often referred to as a 'tool list.' Power tools, heavy equipment, and specialty testing devices are provided by the signatory contractor. Check the current CBA for the exact required tool inventory.
IBEW Local 233 is seated in Helena, Montana (MT). We hold published wage sheets for 5 locals across Montana — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Helena and the rest of Montana, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 233. 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 233 pay scale is $38.51 per hour for journeymen in Helena, MT, or about $77,020 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $57.11 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 10/21/24.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 233 agreement make $38.51 an hour in base wages, or $57.11 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 10/21/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$38.51 per hour base wage and $57.11 per hour total package for a journeyman in Helena, MT, effective 10/21/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $77,020 before overtime.
A Local 233 apprentice in Helena, MT starts at roughly $17.33 an hour — about 45% of the $38.51 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.88 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 233 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $17.33 an hour, or roughly $34,659 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $38.51 journeyman rate effective 10/21/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $25.03 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $28.88 an hour in the fourth period and $38.51 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 233 training center.
Local 233 wages: $38.51 an hour on the journeyman scale, $57.11 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 10/21/24. That is the most recent Helena, MT sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Yes — a one-page printable IBEW Local 233 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ibew-local-233-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $38.51 hourly scale, the $57.11 total package and the 10/21/24 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current IBEW Local 233 journeyman rate is $38.51/hour, with a total package of $57.11/hour including fringe benefits, effective 10/21/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $77,020 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 233 business office before relying on the figure.
The $38.51/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $57.11/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 233 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 $38.51/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $17.33–$19.26/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 233 is headquartered in Helena, MT 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 233 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 233 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 233 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 233 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 10/21/24 schedule; check with the Local 233 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 233 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
The IBEW Local 233 hall is at 110 N Warren St, Helena, MT 59601, serving Helena, MT and the surrounding jurisdiction.
IBEW Local 233 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Contact the hall to confirm dispatch hours, required documents (union card, certifications, ID) and current list standing before traveling in — Gulfstream does not control hall dispatch.
IBEW Local 233 does not publish a phone number in the directory data we import; check the local's official site for current contact details.
$38.51/hr in base wages for journeyman inside wireman, or $57.11/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective October 21, 2024 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
October 21, 2024. The source wage sheet is more than 18 months old, so a mid-term raise may already be in effect. Confirm the current step with the local's business office before extending an offer.
No — the $38.51/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $18.60/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $57.11/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.
Moderate confidence — last cross-checked against the source on Sep 23, 2026 (7 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.