Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 234 in Castroville, CA earn $70.41/hr in base wages, or $103.22/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Mar 2026.
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The Local 234 pay scale for 2026 is $70.41 per hour for journeymen in Castroville, CA, or about $140,820 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $103.22 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/29/26.
| Local 234 journeyman hourly wage | $70.41 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $103.22 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $140,820 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $31.68–$35.21 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 3/29/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
Apply now — Gulfstream places electricians candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 234 apprentice in Castroville, CA starts at roughly $31.68 an hour — about 45% of the $70.41 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $52.81 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 234 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $31.68 / hour | $63,369 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $38.73 / hour | $77,451 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $45.77 / hour | $91,533 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $52.81 / hour | $105,615 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $59.85 / hour | $119,697 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $70.41 / hour | $140,820 |
Active Gulfstream trade listings in the local's state, with Castroville listings first when available. Jobs elsewhere in the state are not necessarily near this hall. Union status is not verified for these jobs; confirm with your recruiter.
IBEW Local 234 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list — call the hall to confirm hours, books and what to bring. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
Official job-call, referral and apprenticeship pages on the hall's own website. Application windows and requirements are set by the hall; check its page for current dates.
Links checked 2026-10-06 on the hall's site.
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Local 234 wages: $70.41 an hour on the journeyman scale, $103.22 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 3/29/26. That is the most recent Castroville, CA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 32% of the IBEW Local 234 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 234 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective March 29, 2026.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $32.81/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 234 scale used across the Castroville, CA 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 Castroville 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 Castroville. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 234 rates. For current Castroville scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
IBEW Local 234 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (831) 633-2311 to confirm dispatch procedure, required documents (union card, certifications, ID) and current list standing 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.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 234 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical workers throughout California's Central Coast, primarily serving the Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito areas. Headquartered in Castroville, this local provides the specialized labor force necessary for the region's diverse infrastructure, ranging from the agriculture-heavy Salinas Valley to the high-tech and educational facilities in Santa Cruz. The union ensures that electrical installations meet the rigorous standards required by California's building codes while maintaining a steady pipeline of qualified professionals to support both public works and private commercial development across this strategic coastal corridor.
The market for Local 234 is defined by a blend of institutional, hospitality, and industrial projects. As California pushes for increased electrification and renewable energy integration, the demand for Union electricians in this jurisdiction remains high. Signatory contractors rely on the local for a workforce capable of handling complex power systems, sophisticated lighting controls, and industrial motor controls. For the tradesperson, Local 234 offers a structured career path with industry-leading safety standards and comprehensive benefits, ensuring that workers are fairly compensated for their technical expertise in one of the state's most high-cost living areas.
["The journeyman inside wireman hourly rate is established at $70.41, contributing to a total compensation package of $103.22 when accounting for employer-paid fringes. This wage reflects the high technical skill required and the economic conditions of the Monterey Bay market. Apprentices in Local 234 enter a five-year program where wages are calculated as a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% and increasing in six-month or yearly intervals as they complete classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the final year of the apprenticeship, workers often earn 80% to 85% of the full scale. These scheduled increases provide a clear financial trajectory for new entrants as they work toward their state certification and journeyman status."]
["IBEW Local 234 maintains jurisdiction over all electrical work in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties. This territory includes the urban centers of Salinas and Watsonville, the coastal hospitality hubs, and the agricultural facilities throughout the region. The dispatch system operates out of the Castroville office, assigning members to projects ranging from new commercial construction and tenant improvements to industrial maintenance at food processing plants. Members working in this jurisdiction must adhere to the terms of the Inside Wireman's Agreement, which governs travel pay, shift differentials, and overtime rules for all electrical installations performed within these county lines."]
["The signatory contractor landscape for Local 234 is composed of diverse firms ranging from national mechanical-electrical primes to specialized local shops. These contractors handle the bulk of the region’s large-scale projects, including healthcare facilities, educational campuses like UCSC, and the extensive cold-storage infrastructure supporting the local agriculture industry. Hiring typically follows the fluctuations of the construction cycle, with significant man-hours generated by public bond projects and private commercial renovations. For the electrician, this provides a mix of long-term project assignments and shorter-term service or specialty installation work across the tri-county area."]
To work as a Journeyman Inside Wireman in California, you must hold a valid Social Security number and a California General Electrician Certification issued by the DIR. Local 234 requires members to maintain this state license, which involves passing a state exam and completing 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience. The JATC provides continuing education units (CEUs) to help members meet their biennial renewal requirements.
IBEW Local 234 follows standard international dispatch procedures. Members from other locals who wish to work in the Monterey area must sign the 'Book 2' register at the Castroville hall. Dispatch is typically handled in person or via a recorded job line. Priority is given to Local 234 members (Book 1), but high-demand periods often create opportunities for travelers to man large-scale projects.
While the primary focus of the Inside Wireman agreement is commercial and industrial work, IBEW Local 234 may have specific residential addendums or separate classifications for residential wiremen. However, the $70.41 journeyman rate typically applies to the commercial and industrial building trades. Residential rates are usually negotiated under a different scale to remain competitive in the housing market.
Given the 'Salad Bowl of the World' location, a significant portion of industrial work involves food processing plants, cooling facilities, and automated sorting systems. Electricians here often work on complex motor controls, PLC systems, and heavy-duty power distribution required for industrial refrigeration. This requires a high degree of proficiency in rigid conduit installation and specialized control wiring.
IBEW Local 234 is seated in Castroville, California (CA). We hold published wage sheets for 50 locals across California — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits mechanical construction and service staff for contractors across California, including shops signatory to IBEW Local 234. Pick the market closest to your work: Sacramento mechanical recruiter · Orange County mechanical recruiter · Los Angeles mechanical recruiter · San Diego mechanical recruiter · Inland Empire mechanical recruiter · Bay Area mechanical recruiter.
We are a commercial mechanical construction recruiting firm serving Castroville and the rest of California, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 234. 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 234 pay scale for 2026 is $70.41 per hour for journeymen in Castroville, CA, or about $140,820 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $103.22 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/29/26.
IBEW Local 234 wages for 2026: journeyman Electricians rate of $70.41 per hour in Castroville, CA, with a total package of $103.22 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 3/29/26. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 3/29/26 with the IBEW Local 234 business office.
The IBEW Local 234 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $70.41 per hour ($103.22 per hour total package), effective 3/29/26, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the IBEW Local 234 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 3/29/26 with the hall.
Local 234 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $70.41 per hour journeyman rate — typically starting near 40–50% ($31.68–$35.21 per hour) in the first period and stepping up each period to 100% at turnout. The exact percentage schedule is set by the IBEW Local 234 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 234 agreement make $70.41 an hour in base wages, or $103.22 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.
$70.41 per hour base wage and $103.22 per hour total package for a journeyman in Castroville, CA, effective 3/29/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $140,820 before overtime.
A Local 234 apprentice in Castroville, CA starts at roughly $31.68 an hour — about 45% of the $70.41 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $52.81 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 234 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $31.68 an hour, or roughly $63,369 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $70.41 journeyman rate effective 3/29/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $45.77 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $52.81 an hour in the fourth period and $70.41 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 234 training center.
Local 234 wages: $70.41 an hour on the journeyman scale, $103.22 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 3/29/26. That is the most recent Castroville, CA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published IBEW Local 234 journeyman rate is $70.41 an hour ($103.22 total package), effective 3/29/26 — roughly $140,820 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable IBEW Local 234 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ibew-local-234-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $70.41 hourly scale, the $103.22 total package and the 3/29/26 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current IBEW Local 234 journeyman rate is $70.41/hour, with a total package of $103.22/hour including fringe benefits, effective 3/29/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $140,820 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 234 business office before relying on the figure.
The $70.41/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $103.22/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 234 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 $70.41/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $31.68–$35.21/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 234 is headquartered in Castroville, CA 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 234 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 234 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 234 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 234 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 234 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 234 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
Yes — the openings section on this page lists current electricians roles near Castroville, CA, and you can apply directly through the apply form on this page. These are direct-hire positions with mechanical contractors that Gulfstream recruits for, not union dispatch or hall referrals. For the hall's out-of-work list, contact the Local 234 business office.
The IBEW Local 234 hall is at 747 El Camino Real, Salinas, CA 93907, serving Castroville, CA and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (831) 633-2311.
IBEW Local 234 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (831) 633-2311 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 234 can be reached at (831) 633-2311. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
Apply through the local's joint apprenticeship training committee (JATC). Most programs open applications on a set schedule and require an aptitude test and interview. For IBEW Local 234's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at (831) 633-2311.
Each Electricians local sets its own intake process, and it varies. The common paths: apprenticeship through the JATC; organizing in as an experienced worker, since journeymen and technicians already working in the trade can usually apply directly to the hall for membership; or transferring from another local of the same international with a transfer card from your current hall. For fees and requirements, contact the hall at (831) 633-2311.
We haven't found an official source for IBEW Local 234's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at (831) 633-2311.
We haven't found an official source for IBEW Local 234's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at (831) 633-2311.
IBEW Local 234's sourced journeyman inside wireman union rate is $70.41/hr in base wages and $103.22/hr for the total package, effective March 29, 2026. The rate applies to the listed classification and source area; apprentice, foreman and specialty classifications may differ.
$70.41/hr in base wages for journeyman inside wireman, or $103.22/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective March 29, 2026 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
March 29, 2026. 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 $70.41/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $32.81/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $103.22/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 Oct 5, 2026 (14 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.