Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 271 in Wichita, KS earn $35.55/hr in base wages, or $54.68/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Dec 2024.
IBEW Local 271 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 271 pay scale is $35.55 per hour for journeymen in Wichita, KS, or about $71,100 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $54.68 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 12/23/24.
| Local 271 journeyman hourly wage | $35.55 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $54.68 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $71,100 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $16.00–$17.78 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 12/23/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 271 apprentice in Wichita, KS starts at roughly $16.00 an hour — about 45% of the $35.55 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $26.66 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 271 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $16.00 / hour | $31,995 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $19.55 / hour | $39,105 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $23.11 / hour | $46,215 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $26.66 / hour | $53,325 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $30.22 / hour | $60,435 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $35.55 / hour | $71,100 |
IBEW Local 271 serves as the primary labor organization for electrical professionals in Wichita and throughout Central and Western Kansas. Established as a charter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, this local represents Inside Wiremen who specialize in the installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical systems for commercial, industrial, and residential projects. The Wichita market is a critical hub for the aviation and manufacturing sectors, and Local 271 provides the skilled workforce necessary to support these high-tech environments. By maintaining rigorous training standards and advocating for fair labor practices, the local ensures that regional infrastructure meets modern safety and efficiency requirements.
The significance of Local 271 extends beyond simple labor supply, as it acts as a central resource for workforce development in the Kansas interior. Signatory contractors rely on this local to provide apprentices and journeymen who are proficient in complex circuitry, motor controls, and power distribution. In an area characterized by steady industrial growth and significant healthcare facility expansions, the availability of a certified, drug-free workforce is a primary driver for major developers. Members benefit from collective bargaining power that secures competitive wages and comprehensive benefits, while contractors gain access to a scalable labor pool that minimizes the risks associated with unskilled or uncertified labor.
Effective December 23, 2024, the journeyman hourly rate for IBEW Local 271 is set at $35.55, contributing to a total compensation package of $54.68 per hour. This package includes approximately $19.13 in fringe benefits covering healthcare and retirement security. Apprentices entering the Wichita Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee program start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically ranging from 40% to 50% for first-year students. As apprentices complete required classroom hours and reach defined milestones of on-the-job training, their pay increases incrementally—often in 5% or 10% steps—until they pass the journeyman wireman examination. These scheduled raises provide a transparent career path for new entrants, ensuring that compensation scales directly with the acquisition of technical proficiency and field experience in the electrical trade.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 271 encompasses a broad section of Kansas, centered in Wichita and Sedgwick County, extending to cover various municipalities in the central and western portions of the state. The local manages dispatch operations from its Wichita headquarters, assigning members to projects ranging from municipal infrastructure and hospital renovations to large-scale industrial manufacturing plants. The Inside Wireman agreement covers all electrical work performed within these boundaries, including power and lighting systems, fiber optics, and building automation. Members must remain in good standing to be eligible for dispatch through the referral hall, which operates under a structured list system to ensure fair employment opportunities across the wide geographic footprint of the local.
The signatory contractor landscape in the Wichita region consists of a mix of large-scale mechanical-electrical primes and specialized local shops. These firms handle the bulk of the area's high-voltage industrial work, particularly within the aerospace manufacturing facilities and energy sectors. Hiring typically fluctuates based on major capital projects, such as school bond initiatives or healthcare campus expansions. Because Local 271 provides a standardized training curriculum, signatory contractors can bid on complex projects with confidence in their labor costs. The relationship between the local and its signatory partners is managed through the a mechanical contractor Association (NECA) to maintain stable labor relations and consistent project delivery across the Kansas market.
The hourly rate of $35.55 is the gross pay appearing on a member's paycheck before taxes. The total package of $54.68 includes an additional $19.13 per hour paid by the contractor into fringe benefits like health insurance and pension funds. These benefits are not deducted from the hourly wage but are paid in addition to it, providing significant total value.
Prior experience is not required for the apprenticeship program, which is designed to train individuals from the ground up. However, those with previous electrical experience in non-union environments may be able to test into a higher apprenticeship year or organize in as a journeyman if they meet the required work hours and pass the competency exam.
Wage increases are determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated between the Union and NECA. These typically occur annually or bi-annually. For apprentices, pay increases occur as they progress through the five-year program, provided they meet the minimum requirements for work hours and classroom performance set by the JATC.
Members of Local 271 work on a diverse array of projects. This includes wiring large aircraft hangers and manufacturing plants in Wichita, installing electrical systems in modern hospitals, and performing commercial build-outs for retail and office spaces. The work is physically demanding and requires a strong understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC).
IBEW Local 271 is seated in Wichita, Kansas (KS). We hold published wage sheets for 6 locals across Kansas — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Wichita and the rest of Kansas, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 271. 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 271 pay scale is $35.55 per hour for journeymen in Wichita, KS, or about $71,100 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $54.68 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 12/23/24.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 271 agreement make $35.55 an hour in base wages, or $54.68 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 12/23/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$35.55 per hour base wage and $54.68 per hour total package for a journeyman in Wichita, KS, effective 12/23/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $71,100 before overtime.
A Local 271 apprentice in Wichita, KS starts at roughly $16.00 an hour — about 45% of the $35.55 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $26.66 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 271 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $16.00 an hour, or roughly $31,995 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $35.55 journeyman rate effective 12/23/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $23.11 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $26.66 an hour in the fourth period and $35.55 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 271 training center.
The current IBEW Local 271 journeyman rate is $35.55/hour, with a total package of $54.68/hour including fringe benefits, effective 12/23/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $71,100 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 271 business office before relying on the figure.
The $35.55/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $54.68/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 271 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 $35.55/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $16.00–$17.78/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 271 is headquartered in Wichita, KS 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 271 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 271 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 271 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 271 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 12/23/24 schedule; check with the Local 271 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 271 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.