Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 237 in Niagara Falls, NY earn $44.20/hr in base wages, or $76.95/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Aug 2025.
IBEW Local 237 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 237 pay scale for 2026 is $44.20 per hour for journeymen in Niagara Falls, NY, or about $88,400 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $76.95 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 8/22/25.
| Local 237 journeyman hourly wage | $44.20 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $76.95 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $88,400 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $19.89–$22.10 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 8/22/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 237 apprentice in Niagara Falls, NY starts at roughly $19.89 an hour — about 45% of the $44.20 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $33.15 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 237 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $19.89 / hour | $39,780 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $24.31 / hour | $48,620 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $28.73 / hour | $57,460 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $33.15 / hour | $66,300 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $37.57 / hour | $75,140 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $44.20 / hour | $88,400 |
IBEW Local 237 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals throughout the Niagara Falls region and its surrounding territory in Western New York. Since 2014, our recruitment team has tracked the evolution of the Niagara electrical market, which is characterized by a mix of heavy industrial processing, tourism-driven commercial development, and essential public infrastructure. The local is responsible for ensuring that all electrical installations meet the high safety standards required by the National Electrical Code and local building regulations while maintaining a stable pipeline of qualified manpower for signatory contractors.
The Niagara Falls market remains a critical hub for electrical work due to its significant hydroelectric power generation facilities and the specialized industrial needs of the chemical and manufacturing sectors. Local 237 electricians work across diverse environments including large-scale hospitality renovations near the falls, industrial maintenance at regional plants, and new construction for educational and healthcare facilities. For the electrician, this diversity offers a varied work environment that demands proficiency in everything from motor controls and PLC systems to high-voltage distribution and complex commercial lighting controls, ensuring long-term skill development and marketability.
Effective August 22, 2025, the journeyman hourly rate for IBEW Local 237 is established at $44.20. When accounting for the full fringe benefit contribution, the total compensation package reaches $76.95 per hour. Apprentices within the Local 237 JATC program follow a structured percentage-based wage progression that typically begins at approximately 40% to 50% of the journeyman rate. As apprentices complete required classroom hours and hit on-the-job training milestones—usually divided into five distinct years or periods—their pay scales increase annually. By the final year of the apprenticeship, workers typically earn 80% to 90% of the full rate. These incremental raises ensure that as the worker's technical proficiency and responsibility on the job site grow, their financial compensation reflects their increasing value to the signatory contractor.
The chartered jurisdiction of IBEW Local 237 is centered in Niagara County, New York, covering the city of Niagara Falls and extending into the surrounding rural and suburban townships. This territory defines where the local has the exclusive right to provide electrical labor under the collective bargaining agreement. Workers dispatched from the Niagara Falls hiring hall may be sent to sites ranging from the industrial corridors along the Niagara River to commercial developments in North Tonawanda or Lockport. The jurisdiction requires contractors to adhere to specific travel and subsistence rules when work is performed outside of designated zones, ensuring that local members receive fair compensation for their commute and time spent on-site within the Niagara frontier.
The signatory contractor landscape in the Niagara Falls region is comprised of several distinct tiers. This includes large-scale mechanical and electrical primes that handle multi-million dollar industrial projects and infrastructure upgrades, as well as mid-sized commercial contractors focused on the retail and hospitality sectors. There is also a robust group of smaller shops that specialize in electrical service, maintenance, and specialty low-voltage systems. Because the region is a gateway for power generation, many signatory firms focus heavily on high-uptime industrial environments. Hiring typically fluctuates based on major plant shutdowns, hospital expansions, and seasonal tourism-related construction, requiring a flexible and highly trained workforce.
The hourly rate of $44.20 is the gross amount paid directly on your paycheck before taxes. The total package of $76.95 includes that wage plus an additional $32.75 in employer-paid benefits like health insurance and pensions. These benefits are paid by the contractor on top of your wage and are not deducted from your hourly pay.
Yes, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in algebra. This is a mandatory requirement for the apprenticeship because electrical theory involves significant calculations regarding load, voltage drop, and circuitry. If you do not have a passing grade in high school algebra, the JATC often recommends taking a college-level equivalent before applying to ensure success on the aptitude test.
Travelers looking to work in Local 237 must report to the hall with a valid travel letter from their home local. Work availability for travelers depends on the current 'Book 2' status, which is influenced by large-scale industrial projects or outages at the local power plants. It is standard practice to call the Niagara Falls hall to check the current call volume before traveling.
Union membership and municipal licensing are separate. While Local 237 recognizes your craft status through the IBEW, you may still need to meet specific Niagara Falls or New York State licensing requirements for certain types of work. The local's business agent can provide guidance on how your current credentials align with the requirements for signatory contractors in the region.
IBEW Local 237 is seated in Niagara Falls, 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 Niagara Falls and the rest of New York, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 237. 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 237 pay scale for 2026 is $44.20 per hour for journeymen in Niagara Falls, NY, or about $88,400 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $76.95 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 8/22/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 237 agreement make $44.20 an hour in base wages, or $76.95 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 8/22/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$44.20 per hour base wage and $76.95 per hour total package for a journeyman in Niagara Falls, NY, effective 8/22/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $88,400 before overtime.
A Local 237 apprentice in Niagara Falls, NY starts at roughly $19.89 an hour — about 45% of the $44.20 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $33.15 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 237 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $19.89 an hour, or roughly $39,780 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $44.20 journeyman rate effective 8/22/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $28.73 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $33.15 an hour in the fourth period and $44.20 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 237 training center.
The current IBEW Local 237 journeyman rate is $44.20/hour, with a total package of $76.95/hour including fringe benefits, effective 8/22/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $88,400 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 237 business office before relying on the figure.
The $44.20/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $76.95/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 237 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 $44.20/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $19.89–$22.10/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 237 is headquartered in Niagara Falls, 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 237 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 237 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 237 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 237 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 8/22/25 schedule; check with the Local 237 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 237 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.