Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 236 in Albany, NY earn $52/hr in base wages, or $84.48/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2026.
IBEW Local 236 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 236 pay scale for 2026 is $52.00 per hour for journeymen in Albany, NY, or about $104,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $84.48 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/11/26.
| Local 236 journeyman hourly wage | $52.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $84.48 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $104,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $23.40–$26.00 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 6/11/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 236 apprentice in Albany, NY starts at roughly $23.40 an hour — about 45% of the $52.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $39.00 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 236 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $23.40 / hour | $46,800 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $28.60 / hour | $57,200 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $33.80 / hour | $67,600 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $39.00 / hour | $78,000 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $44.20 / hour | $88,400 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $52.00 / hour | $104,000 |
IBEW Local 236 represents the skilled electrical workforce across the Capital Region of New York, providing labor for commercial, industrial, and residential projects. Based in Albany, this local union ensures that signatory contractors have access to journey-level wiremen who have completed rigorous training in power distribution, lighting systems, and complex electrical infrastructure. The market is defined by a mix of state government facilities, growing technology hubs, and heavy industrial sites along the Hudson River corridor. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this region as a critical hub for electrical talent supporting both new construction and long-term facility maintenance throughout eastern New York.
The strength of Local 236 lies in its Tri-City footprint, covering the major metropolitan areas of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy. This jurisdiction is vital for contractors involved in large-scale institutional work, including hospitals and higher education campuses, as well as the expanding semiconductor and nanotech sectors in the surrounding counties. For the electrician, membership provides a structured career path backed by collective bargaining, ensuring that safety standards and compensation remain competitive with the high cost of living in the Northeast. As infrastructure demands shift toward renewable energy and smart building technology, the local’s role in workforce development remains a central pillar of the regional construction economy.
The wage structure for IBEW Local 236 is defined by a significant delta between the hourly take-home pay and the total compensation package. As of the June 2026 effective date, the journeyman wireman rate is set at $52.00 per hour, with a total package reaching $84.48 when including all fringe benefits. Apprentices in the five-year Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) program earn a progressive percentage of this journeyman rate. Typically, a first-year apprentice starts at roughly 40-45% of the scale, with annual increases triggered by the completion of required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the fifth year, apprentices often reach 80% or more of the full rate, providing a clear financial trajectory for those entering the trade from entry-level positions or non-union backgrounds.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 236 encompasses a broad swathe of eastern New York, centered on the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. This territory extends through the Hudson Valley and into the Adirondack foothills, requiring members to be mobile for dispatch to various job sites. The agreement covers all inside electrical work, including power wiring, control systems, and telecommunications infrastructure. Members must adhere to the residency and referral rules established by the business office, which manage the flow of labor to signatory contractors across urban centers and rural development projects. Travel requirements are standard for the region, as the local services several surrounding counties to maintain a consistent market share against open-shop competition.
The contractor landscape for Local 236 is comprised of a diverse group of signatory firms ranging from small service-oriented shops to large-scale mechanical-electrical primes. These contractors handle the bulk of the public works projects in the Capital Region, benefiting from the prevailing wage requirements and the high skill floor provided by the union. Large industrial contractors often dominate the landscape at the region's chip plants and manufacturing facilities, while specialized electrical contractors focus on commercial fit-outs and municipal infrastructure. Hiring for these firms fluctuates based on major project starts, but the steady demand for institutional maintenance at state-owned properties provides a stabilizing effect on the local labor market for qualified wiremen.
The base wage of $52.00 is the gross hourly amount paid on a paycheck before taxes. The total package of $84.48 includes an additional $32.48 per hour in employer-paid fringes, such as health insurance and pension contributions, which are not deducted from the base pay.
While the basic journeyman license covers most work, the local provides specialized training through the JATC for EVITP (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program) and solar PV installations. These certifications are increasingly required by signatory contractors for renewable energy projects in the Albany area.
Electricians from other IBEW locals must sign the Book 2 out-of-work list at the Albany hall. Referrals are issued based on project demand after the Book 1 (local members) list has been exhausted, which typically occurs during large industrial shutdowns or major tech plant builds.
Yes, Local 236 often maintains a separate residential agreement with different wage scales and fringe contributions than the commercial 'Inside' agreement. This allows signatory contractors to remain competitive in the home-building market while still providing union benefits to the workforce.
IBEW Local 236 is seated in Albany, New York (NY). We hold published wage sheets for 27 locals across New York — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Albany and the rest of New York, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 236. 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 236 pay scale for 2026 is $52.00 per hour for journeymen in Albany, NY, or about $104,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $84.48 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/11/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 236 agreement make $52.00 an hour in base wages, or $84.48 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.
$52.00 per hour base wage and $84.48 per hour total package for a journeyman in Albany, NY, effective 6/11/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $104,000 before overtime.
A Local 236 apprentice in Albany, NY starts at roughly $23.40 an hour — about 45% of the $52.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $39.00 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 236 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $23.40 an hour, or roughly $46,800 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $52.00 journeyman rate effective 6/11/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $33.80 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $39.00 an hour in the fourth period and $52.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 236 training center.
The current IBEW Local 236 journeyman rate is $52.00/hour, with a total package of $84.48/hour including fringe benefits, effective 6/11/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $104,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 236 business office before relying on the figure.
The $52.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $84.48/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 236 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 $52.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $23.40–$26.00/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 236 is headquartered in Albany, NY 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 236 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 236 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 236 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 236 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 236 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 236 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.