Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 257 in Jefferson City, MO earn $42.50/hr in base wages, or $66.91/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Mar 2026.
IBEW Local 257 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 257 pay scale for 2026 is $42.50 per hour for journeymen in Jefferson City, MO, or about $85,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $66.91 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/6/26.
| Local 257 journeyman hourly wage | $42.50 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $66.91 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $85,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $19.13–$21.25 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 3/6/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 257 apprentice in Jefferson City, MO starts at roughly $19.13 an hour — about 45% of the $42.50 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.88 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 257 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $19.13 / hour | $38,250 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $23.38 / hour | $46,750 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $27.63 / hour | $55,250 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $31.88 / hour | $63,750 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $36.13 / hour | $72,250 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $42.50 / hour | $85,000 |
IBEW Local 257 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals across a significant portion of Central Missouri, headquartered in Jefferson City. As the primary labor source for high-voltage power distribution, commercial lighting, and industrial controls in the state capital region, this local provides the specialized workforce required for both public sector infrastructure and private commercial development. The union ensures that its members are trained to the highest safety standards, serving as a critical partner for signatory electrical contractors who bid on large-scale institutional projects, state government facilities, and regional healthcare centers throughout the Missouri River valley and beyond.
The market for Local 257 is defined by its stability and its role in supporting the logistical and administrative hub of Missouri. Because the jurisdiction encompasses the state capital, the demand for reliable electrical service and new construction is consistent. Signatory contractors rely on the local's dispatch for journeymen who possess a deep understanding of National Electrical Code compliance and complex building systems. For the tradesperson, this local offers a structured career path backed by collective bargaining, ensuring that wages and benefits reflect the technical expertise required to manage the modern electrical needs of the region's diverse industrial and commercial sectors.
Based on the figures effective March 6, 2026, the Journeyman Inside Wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 257 is set at $42.50. When accounting for the full fringe benefit package, the total compensation reaches $66.91 per hour. This gap of $24.41 covers essential employer-paid contributions to retirement and healthcare. Apprentices in the program typically start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often ranging from 40% to 50% for first-year students, and receive incremental raises every 1,000 to 2,000 hours of on-the-job training. These step-ups are contingent upon successful completion of classroom modules at the JATC. By the fifth year, apprentices earn near-journeyman wages as they prepare for their licensing exams and final classification.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 257 covers a multi-county area in Central Missouri, centered around Jefferson City and extending into the surrounding rural and suburban corridors. This territory includes work performed on all commercial, industrial, and residential electrical systems within the defined geographic boundaries. Members are dispatched to job sites ranging from state-owned office complexes to manufacturing plants and utility substations. The local maintains jurisdiction over the installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical wiring and equipment, ensuring that all work under the collective bargaining agreement meets the rigorous quality standards required by the international union and the signatory contractors operating in these specific Missouri counties.
The signatory contractor landscape for IBEW Local 257 consists of a mix of large-scale regional electrical firms and specialized local shops. These companies focus on diverse market segments including state government renovations, municipal infrastructure, and private industrial facilities. Hiring is managed through the local's referral system, where contractors request manpower based on project needs. This model allows for a flexible workforce that can scale for major projects while providing steady employment for core service and maintenance crews. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this region, noting that the contractor base remains deeply integrated into the Central Missouri construction economy.
The hourly rate of $42.50 is the gross amount appearing on your paycheck before taxes. The total package of $66.91 includes the additional $24.41 per hour that contractors pay directly into your benefits, such as health insurance and pension funds. These fringes are not deducted from your $42.50, but are paid on top of it, providing significant long-term value.
Yes, as part of the IBEW, Local 257 participates in the ERTS (Electronic Reciprocal Transfer System). This allows traveling wiremen to have their fringe benefit contributions redirected to their home local's funds. This ensures that retirement credits and health eligibility remain consistent even when working outside of your home jurisdiction in Missouri or other states.
Due to Jefferson City's status as the state capital, there is a high volume of institutional work involving government office buildings, correctional facilities, and educational campuses. Additionally, the jurisdiction includes substantial industrial work in surrounding counties and commercial development along the Highway 63 and Highway 54 corridors, providing a varied project workload for members.
While the IBEW provides the training and certification to work as a journeyman, specific municipalities within the jurisdiction may require a local electrical license or a state-wide contractor license for certain roles. Most signatory contractors require completion of the JATC program or a verified equivalent to be dispatched at the full journeyman scale of $42.50.
IBEW Local 257 is seated in Jefferson City, Missouri (MO). We hold published wage sheets for 13 locals across Missouri — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Jefferson City and the rest of Missouri, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 257. 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 257 pay scale for 2026 is $42.50 per hour for journeymen in Jefferson City, MO, or about $85,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $66.91 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/6/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 257 agreement make $42.50 an hour in base wages, or $66.91 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 3/6/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$42.50 per hour base wage and $66.91 per hour total package for a journeyman in Jefferson City, MO, effective 3/6/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $85,000 before overtime.
A Local 257 apprentice in Jefferson City, MO starts at roughly $19.13 an hour — about 45% of the $42.50 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.88 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 257 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $19.13 an hour, or roughly $38,250 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $42.50 journeyman rate effective 3/6/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $27.63 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $31.88 an hour in the fourth period and $42.50 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 257 training center.
The current IBEW Local 257 journeyman rate is $42.50/hour, with a total package of $66.91/hour including fringe benefits, effective 3/6/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $85,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 257 business office before relying on the figure.
The $42.50/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $66.91/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 257 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 $42.50/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $19.13–$21.25/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 257 is headquartered in Jefferson City, MO 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 257 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 257 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 257 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 257 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 3/6/26 schedule; check with the Local 257 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 257 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.