Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 278 in Corpus Christi, TX earn $30.80/hr in base wages, or $40.72/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Nov 2024.
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The Local 278 pay scale is $30.80 per hour for journeymen in Corpus Christi, TX, or about $61,600 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $40.72 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 11/1/24.
| Local 278 journeyman hourly wage | $30.80 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $40.72 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $61,600 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45 to 50% of scale) | $13.86 to $15.40 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 11/1/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
Apply now | Gulfstream recruits for commercial electrical contractors. These are direct-hire roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 278 apprentice in Corpus Christi, TX starts at roughly $13.86 an hour, about 45% of the $30.80 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $23.10 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 278 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $13.86 / hour | $27,720 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $16.94 / hour | $33,880 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $20.02 / hour | $40,040 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $23.10 / hour | $46,200 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $26.18 / hour | $52,360 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $30.80 / hour | $61,600 |
See electrical jobs we're recruiting for near Corpus Christi, or get an alert when this scale changes.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements is an MEP recruiting firm. We recruit for commercial mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors nationwide from our office in Corona, California. We are an independent firm. We don't speak for IBEW Local 278, set its rates or run its referral list.
Gulfstream recruits for commercial electrical contractors. These are direct-hire roles, not union dispatch.
Gulfstream recruits for commercial electrical contractors nationwide. Searches are confidential. You pay only when you hire, and every placement carries a 90-day replacement guarantee. We place direct hires on your payroll. We don't dispatch crews or replace the hall's referral process.
Active Gulfstream trade listings in the local's state, with Corpus Christi 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 278 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.
IBEW Local 278 pay rates and union rules
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 278 wages: $30.80 an hour on the journeyman scale, $40.72 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 11/1/24. That is the most recent Corpus Christi, TX sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
IBEW Local 278 has not published a current wage sheet to the public rate sources we track, so the figure above is the reporting-wide electrician average, not this hall's own scale. 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 Corpus Christi, TX area, and local scale in the Corpus Christi market is normally set by the hall's current collective bargaining agreement, confirm it with the business office before quoting.
Gulfstream recruits electrician talent for commercial mechanical, electrical, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around Corpus Christi. We are a private recruiting firm, we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 278 rates. For current Corpus Christi scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
IBEW Local 278 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall, call (361) 855-1084 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 278 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals across the South Texas Coastal Bend. Based in Corpus Christi, this local is a central hub for providing qualified electrical labor to the region's diverse industrial and commercial sectors. The union maintains rigorous standards for safety and technical proficiency, ensuring that all signatory contractors have access to a workforce capable of handling high-voltage systems and complex control wiring. Because of the heavy industrial presence near the port, the local emphasizes specialized training in hazardous locations and industrial automation, which are critical for the regional energy infrastructure.
The market for Local 278 is driven largely by the massive industrial footprint along the Gulf Coast, including refineries, liquefied natural gas terminals, and manufacturing facilities. Beyond industrial work, the local provides manpower for municipal projects, healthcare facilities, and commercial developments within its chartered territory. For electricians in the Corpus Christi area, membership offers a structured career path with standardized pay scales and comprehensive benefits that are often superior to the regional non-union market. For contractors, the local serves as a reliable labor partner capable of scaling up for large-scale capital projects or maintaining steady-state commercial service contracts throughout the year.
As of November 1, 2024, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for IBEW Local 278 is established at $30.80 per hour. When factoring in the fringe benefit package, the total hourly compensation reaches $40.72. This total package includes contributions toward healthcare, retirement funds, and ongoing technical education. Apprentices in the local follow a structured percentage-based wage progression, typically starting at 40% to 50% of the journeyman rate and increasing annually as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled increases provide a predictable path toward the full $30.80 rate. While these figures represent the current collective bargaining minimums, members should verify specific shift differentials or foreman premiums with the local's business office to understand the full earning potential on specialized job sites.
The contractor landscape for IBEW Local 278 consists of a mix of national industrial electrical contractors and locally owned commercial shops. A large portion of the man-hours are generated through signatory mechanical and electrical primes working within the petrochemical and refining sector. These firms require high-level certifications and strict adherence to safety protocols. Additionally, several signatory contractors focus on medium-sized commercial projects, including retail centers, schools, and government buildings in the Coastal Bend. For a tradesperson, this diversity means opportunities can shift between long-term industrial maintenance and fast-paced commercial new construction, depending on the current regional project backlog and economic conditions.
The hourly wage of $30.80 is the gross amount paid directly on your paycheck before taxes. The total package of $40.72 includes that wage plus an additional $9.92 per hour paid by the employer into your health insurance, pensions, and training funds. These benefits are not deducted from your check but are paid in addition to your hourly rate.
Yes, many signatory contractors working in the Corpus Christi industrial corridor require members to hold a valid Texas Journeyman Electrician License. Additionally, sites like refineries often require specific safety credentials, such as Basic Plus via the Gulf Coast Safety Council and TWIC cards for port access, which the local helps coordinate.
Traveling members from other locals can work in the jurisdiction by signing the 'Book 2' out-of-work list. To permanently transfer your membership, or 'move your ticket,' you must typically work in the jurisdiction for a set period and receive approval from the Local 278 Executive Board according to the IBEW Constitution.
Apprentice wages usually increase after completing specific milestones, which include a set number of work hours (typically 1,000 to 2,000 per period) and the successful completion of each year of related classroom instruction. These raises occur annually or semi-annually until the apprentice reaches 100% of the journeyman scale upon graduation.
IBEW Local 278 is seated in Corpus Christi, Texas (TX). We hold published wage sheets for 23 locals across Texas, compare nearby scales before you take a call.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits mechanical, electrical and plumbing staff for contractors across Texas, including shops signatory to IBEW Local 278. Pick the market closest to your work: Dallas-Fort Worth mechanical recruiter · Houston mechanical recruiter.
We are a commercial MEP recruiting firm serving Corpus Christi and the rest of Texas, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 278. Our office is in South Corona, California and we place tradespeople and field leadership nationwide.
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Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle, confirm with the hall.
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The Local 278 pay scale is $30.80 per hour for journeymen in Corpus Christi, TX, or about $61,600 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $40.72 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 11/1/24.
IBEW Local 278 wages: journeyman Electricians rate of $30.80 per hour in Corpus Christi, TX, with a total package of $40.72 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 11/1/24. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 11/1/24 with the IBEW Local 278 business office.
The IBEW Local 278 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $30.80 per hour ($40.72 per hour total package), effective 11/1/24, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the IBEW Local 278 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 11/1/24 with the hall.
Local 278 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $30.80 per hour journeyman rate, typically starting near 40 to 50% ($13.86 to $15.40 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 278 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 278 agreement make $30.80 an hour in base wages, or $40.72 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 11/1/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$30.80 per hour base wage and $40.72 per hour total package for a journeyman in Corpus Christi, TX, effective 11/1/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $61,600 before overtime.
A Local 278 apprentice in Corpus Christi, TX starts at roughly $13.86 an hour, about 45% of the $30.80 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $23.10 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 278 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $13.86 an hour, or roughly $27,720 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $30.80 journeyman rate effective 11/1/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $20.02 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $23.10 an hour in the fourth period and $30.80 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 278 training center.
Local 278 wages: $30.80 an hour on the journeyman scale, $40.72 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 11/1/24. That is the most recent Corpus Christi, TX sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Yes, a one-page printable IBEW Local 278 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ibew-local-278-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $30.80 hourly scale, the $40.72 total package and the 11/1/24 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download, no sign-up needed.
The current IBEW Local 278 journeyman rate is $30.80/hour, with a total package of $40.72/hour including fringe benefits, effective 11/1/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $61,600 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle, confirm with the Local 278 business office before relying on the figure.
The $30.80/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $40.72/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 278 agreement are paid a graduated percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting near 40 to 50% in the first period and stepping up each six-month or annual period until reaching 100% at turnout. Against the current $30.80/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $13.86 to $15.40/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 278 is headquartered in Corpus Christi, TX 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 278 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 278 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 278 training center directly.
Electricians apprenticeships generally run four to five years, roughly 8,000 to 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 278 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 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 11/1/24 schedule; check with the Local 278 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 278 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
Yes, the openings section on this page lists current electricians roles near Corpus Christi, TX, and you can apply directly through the apply form on this page. These are direct-hire positions with electrical contractors that Gulfstream recruits for, not union dispatch or hall referrals. For the hall's out-of-work list, contact the Local 278 business office.
The IBEW Local 278 hall is at 2301 Saratoga Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78417, serving Corpus Christi, TX and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (361) 855-1084.
IBEW Local 278 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (361) 855-1084 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 278 can be reached at (361) 855-1084. 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 278's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at (361) 855-1084.
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 (361) 855-1084.
We haven't found an official source for IBEW Local 278's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at (361) 855-1084.
We haven't found an official source for IBEW Local 278's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at (361) 855-1084.
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Confirm the current agreement, classification, zone and effective schedule with the hall; a package is not take-home pay.
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Recruiting inquiries go to Gulfstream, not IBEW Local 278. Membership, dispatch and apprenticeship applications must go directly to the hall. Gulfstream is union-independent and recruits for commercial mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors.
Gulfstream recruits for commercial electrical contractors. These are direct-hire roles, not union dispatch.