Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 466 in Charleston, WV earn $41.41/hr in base wages, or $74.28/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Nov 2024.
IBEW Local 466 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 466 pay scale is $41.41 per hour for journeymen in Charleston, WV, or about $82,820 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $74.28 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 11/25/24.
| Local 466 journeyman hourly wage | $41.41 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $74.28 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $82,820 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $18.63–$20.71 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 11/25/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 466 apprentice in Charleston, WV starts at roughly $18.63 an hour — about 45% of the $41.41 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.06 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 466 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $18.63 / hour | $37,269 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $22.78 / hour | $45,551 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $26.92 / hour | $53,833 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $31.06 / hour | $62,115 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $35.20 / hour | $70,397 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $41.41 / hour | $82,820 |
IBEW Local 466 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals across a significant portion of West Virginia, centered in the Charleston metropolitan area. As a vital component of the region’s construction and industrial infrastructure, Local 466 ensures that signatory contractors have access to a highly trained workforce capable of handling complex power systems, lighting, and specialized electrical installations. The local operates within a market defined by heavy industrial presence, state government infrastructure, and expanding commercial developments, making it a cornerstone for labor standards in the Kanawha Valley. Members are trained to meet rigorous National Electrical Code requirements while maintaining safety standards that protect both the craftsman and the end-user.
The Charleston market is characterized by a mix of long-term industrial maintenance and new capital construction projects. Local 466 members provide the technical expertise required for chemical processing plants, healthcare facilities, and public works projects that drive the regional economy. By maintaining a centralized dispatch and training system, the local facilitates a stable labor environment for both workers and signatory firms. Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this specific market since 2014, observing how the demand for skilled electricians fluctuates with regional energy trends and infrastructure spending. For the tradesperson, this local offers a structured career path backed by collective bargaining, ensuring that compensation remains commensurate with the high level of skill required.
Effective November 25, 2024, the journeyman inside wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 466 is $41.41, contributing to a total compensation package of $74.28 when fringes are included. This gap between the check rate and the total package covers essential benefits like healthcare and retirement, providing a level of security rarely found in the non-union sector. Apprentices in the JATC program typically start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often beginning around 40-50% and increasing annually as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled raises incentivize skill acquisition and ensure that as an apprentice’s value to the contractor grows, their pay follows suit. All members should verify their specific classification and any recent cost-of-living adjustments directly with the Local 466 business office to ensure payroll accuracy.
The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 466 is headquartered in Charleston and covers several key counties in west-central West Virginia. The territory encompasses urban commercial hubs, suburban residential developments, and rural industrial sites, requiring members to be mobile and adaptable to various work environments. The local’s charter governs all inside electrical work, including power distribution, control wiring, and instrumentation within its geographic boundaries. Contractors signatory to the Local 466 agreement must adhere to these jurisdictional lines for labor sourcing, ensuring that local workers are prioritized for projects within the Kanawha Valley and surrounding areas. This structured geographic reach prevents labor disputes and provides a clear roadmap for project bidding and manpower allocation.
The signatory contractor landscape for IBEW Local 466 is composed of diverse entities ranging from large-scale industrial electrical firms to specialized commercial shops. These contractors often partner on major regional projects, such as hospital expansions or chemical plant turnarounds, where the demand for manpower exceeds the capacity of a single firm. The relationship between the union and its signatory partners is managed through the a mechanical contractor Association (NECA), ensuring that labor costs are predictable and competitive for bidding purposes. Since 2014, we have seen these contractors maintain a steady presence in the Kanawha Valley, providing consistent man-hours for the membership across various sectors including institutional, industrial, and heavy commercial work.
The hourly rate of $41.41 is the gross amount appearing on your paycheck before taxes. The total package of $74.28 includes an additional $32.87 per hour paid by the contractor into your benefits. These fringes cover health insurance, multiple retirement funds, and training costs, which are not deducted from your hourly wage but are paid on top of it.
Wage increases are determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated between Local 466 and the regional NECA chapter. These increases usually occur annually or semi-annually and are often split between the take-home pay and the benefit funds. Members vote on these allocations to decide where the additional money is most needed.
Travelers and those seeking a permanent transfer must follow the IBEW Constitution's procedures for 'traveling cards.' You must first report to the Local 466 business manager. Permanent transfers generally require working in the jurisdiction for a set period and obtaining approval from the local's executive board, depending on the current work outlook.
The work is highly varied due to the mix of state government buildings, chemical manufacturing, and healthcare facilities. You might find yourself doing heavy industrial conduit runs one month and intricate control wiring in a high-rise office building the next. This diversity requires a broad skill set and familiarity with different specialized tools and safety protocols.
IBEW Local 466 is seated in Charleston, West Virginia (WV). We hold published wage sheets for 8 locals across West Virginia — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Charleston and the rest of West Virginia, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 466. 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 466 pay scale is $41.41 per hour for journeymen in Charleston, WV, or about $82,820 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $74.28 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 11/25/24.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 466 agreement make $41.41 an hour in base wages, or $74.28 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 11/25/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$41.41 per hour base wage and $74.28 per hour total package for a journeyman in Charleston, WV, effective 11/25/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $82,820 before overtime.
A Local 466 apprentice in Charleston, WV starts at roughly $18.63 an hour — about 45% of the $41.41 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.06 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 466 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $18.63 an hour, or roughly $37,269 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $41.41 journeyman rate effective 11/25/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $26.92 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $31.06 an hour in the fourth period and $41.41 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 466 training center.
The current IBEW Local 466 journeyman rate is $41.41/hour, with a total package of $74.28/hour including fringe benefits, effective 11/25/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $82,820 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 466 business office before relying on the figure.
The $41.41/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $74.28/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 466 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 $41.41/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $18.63–$20.71/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 466 is headquartered in Charleston, WV 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 466 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 466 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 466 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 466 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 11/25/24 schedule; check with the Local 466 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 466 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.