Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 288 in Waterloo, IA earn $38/hr in base wages, or $57.89/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2026.
IBEW Local 288 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 288 pay scale for 2026 is $38.00 per hour for journeymen in Waterloo, IA, or about $76,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $57.89 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/26/26.
| Local 288 journeyman hourly wage | $38.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $57.89 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $76,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $17.10–$19.00 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 6/26/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 288 apprentice in Waterloo, IA starts at roughly $17.10 an hour — about 45% of the $38.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.50 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 288 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $17.10 / hour | $34,200 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $20.90 / hour | $41,800 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $24.70 / hour | $49,400 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $28.50 / hour | $57,000 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $32.30 / hour | $64,600 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $38.00 / hour | $76,000 |
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 288 serves as the primary labor organization for skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals in the Waterloo and Cedar Falls metropolitan areas. Since 2014, our recruitment team has tracked the impact of this local on the Northeast Iowa construction market, where they maintain rigorous standards for commercial, industrial, and residential electrical installations. The local is headquartered in Waterloo and operates a joint apprenticeship training program that ensures a steady pipeline of qualified labor for signatory contractors across the Cedar Valley region. Their presence is vital for complex infrastructure projects, including healthcare facilities, manufacturing plants, and municipal developments that require high-voltage expertise and adherence to the National Electrical Code.
The market served by Local 288 is characterized by a mix of heavy industrial manufacturing and significant institutional expansion. As a charter of the IBEW, this organization provides a structured labor framework that balances the needs of the workforce with the competitive demands of regional signatory contractors. Membership in Local 288 offers electricians access to standardized collective bargaining agreements, which define the floor for wages, safety protocols, and benefit contributions. For contractors, the local serves as a central dispatch point for pre-vetted, drug-tested, and highly trained personnel, reducing the overhead associated with individual hiring and skill verification in a specialized trade environment where technical proficiency and safety are paramount.
["Based on the scale effective June 26, 2026, the Journeyman Inside Wireman hourly rate is set at $38.00. When factoring in the fringe benefit contributions, the total compensation package reaches $57.89 per hour. This total package includes employer-paid health insurance, pension contributions, and training funds that are managed via the collective bargaining agreement. Apprentices within Local 288 follow a structured percentage-based progression, typically starting at approximately 40% to 50% of the journeyman rate. As they complete required classroom hours and reach specific on-the-job training milestones, these percentages increase annually until reaching full scale upon graduation. Prospective members and contractors should note that these figures represent the minimum negotiated rates for building trades work, and specialized certifications or foreman roles may command additional premiums as defined by the local's current contract."]
["The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 288 covers several key counties in Northeast Iowa, centered around the Waterloo and Cedar Falls hubs. The chartered territory extends into the surrounding rural areas, ensuring that signatory contractors have a consistent labor supply for projects ranging from agricultural industrial builds to urban commercial centers. Dispatch is managed through the Waterloo office, where members are referred to jobs based on their position on the out-of-work list and their specific qualifications. The agreement covers all inside electrical work, including power distribution, lighting systems, fire alarms, and motor controls. Contractors operating within this territory are required to adhere to the terms of the Local 288 Inside Agreement, which governs travel pay, zone requirements, and shift differentials for work performed outside the immediate metropolitan vicinity."]
["The signatory contractor landscape for Local 288 includes a diverse array of electrical firms ranging from small service-oriented shops to large-scale industrial electrical primes. These contractors rely on the local for a scalable workforce that can meet the demands of major project cycles without the long-term burden of permanent staffing. The market is particularly strong in industrial food processing and heavy equipment manufacturing, where signatory firms provide specialized maintenance and installation services. Hiring activity generally follows the seasonal trends of the Iowa construction cycle, with peaks in the spring and summer months. Contractors working under the Local 288 agreement benefit from the NECA-IBEW partnership, which emphasizes productivity and high-quality craftsmanship through continuous education and professional development programs."]
An Inside Wireman, like those represented by Local 288, specializes in the electrical systems within a building's structure, starting from the point of service. This differs from Outside Linemen who work on high-voltage utility distribution. Inside Wiremen handle power, lighting, and control systems for commercial and industrial facilities.
Yes, as part of the IBEW, Local 288 participates in the reciprocal system. Traveling journeymen must check in with the hall and provide their current dues receipt and a travel letter from their home local. Employment is subject to the availability of work after all local members have been offered dispatch.
All electricians working in the jurisdiction must comply with the Iowa Electrical Examining Board's licensing requirements. Local 288 members are expected to maintain their state licenses, and the JATC often provides the necessary continuing education units (CEUs) required for license renewal as part of their membership benefits.
Wage rates are determined through collective bargaining between Local 288 and the regional NECA chapter. These updates usually occur annually or every few years according to the schedule set in the Inside Agreement. The June 2026 date represents a scheduled increase within the current or upcoming contract cycle.
IBEW Local 288 is seated in Waterloo, Iowa (IA). We hold published wage sheets for 9 locals across Iowa — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Waterloo and the rest of Iowa, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 288. 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 288 pay scale for 2026 is $38.00 per hour for journeymen in Waterloo, IA, or about $76,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $57.89 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/26/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 288 agreement make $38.00 an hour in base wages, or $57.89 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 6/26/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$38.00 per hour base wage and $57.89 per hour total package for a journeyman in Waterloo, IA, effective 6/26/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $76,000 before overtime.
A Local 288 apprentice in Waterloo, IA starts at roughly $17.10 an hour — about 45% of the $38.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.50 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 288 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $17.10 an hour, or roughly $34,200 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $38.00 journeyman rate effective 6/26/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $24.70 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $28.50 an hour in the fourth period and $38.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 288 training center.
The current IBEW Local 288 journeyman rate is $38.00/hour, with a total package of $57.89/hour including fringe benefits, effective 6/26/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $76,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 288 business office before relying on the figure.
The $38.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $57.89/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 288 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 $38.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $17.10–$19.00/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 288 is headquartered in Waterloo, IA 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 288 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 288 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 288 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 288 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 6/26/26 schedule; check with the Local 288 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 288 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.