Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 474 in Memphis, TN earn $36.75/hr in base wages, or $52/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective May 2026.
IBEW Local 474 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 474 pay scale for 2026 is $36.75 per hour for journeymen in Memphis, TN, or about $73,500 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $52.00 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 5/25/26.
| Local 474 journeyman hourly wage | $36.75 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $52.00 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $73,500 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $16.54–$18.38 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 5/25/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 474 apprentice in Memphis, TN starts at roughly $16.54 an hour — about 45% of the $36.75 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $27.56 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 474 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $16.54 / hour | $33,075 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $20.21 / hour | $40,425 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $23.89 / hour | $47,775 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $27.56 / hour | $55,125 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $31.24 / hour | $62,475 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $36.75 / hour | $73,500 |
IBEW Local 474 represents the skilled electrical workforce across the Memphis metropolitan area and the surrounding Tri-State region. As the primary labor organization for Inside Wiremen in West Tennessee, this local manages the supply of high-voltage and low-voltage professionals for critical infrastructure, industrial facilities, and commercial developments. The Memphis market is a central logistics hub, which creates a consistent demand for electrical contractors capable of handling large-scale distribution centers and manufacturing plants. Local 474 members are trained to meet rigorous National Electrical Code standards while adhering to the safety protocols required by major signatory partners operating in high-demand environments.
Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor dynamics within the Memphis electrical trade, where Local 474 serves as the backbone for both new construction and long-term maintenance. The local operates in coordination with the a mechanical contractor Association to ensure a steady pipeline of qualified journey-level talent. This relationship stabilizes labor costs for contractors while providing electricians with a structured career path. In a region defined by industrial growth and urban revitalization, Local 474 provides the specialized technical expertise necessary for complex power distribution, motor controls, and integrated building systems that modern commercial and industrial projects require.
The current economic framework for IBEW Local 474 establishes a Journeyman Wireman hourly rate of $36.75, effective May 25, 2026. When considering the full value of the contract, the total package reaches $52.00 per hour, which includes employer-paid benefits such as health insurance and retirement contributions. Apprentices in the Memphis JATC program enter a multi-year progression where their pay is calculated as a percentage of the journeyman rate. These steps typically begin at approximately 40% to 50% for first-year students and increase incrementally as they complete classroom modules and reach designated on-the-job training hours. This structured escalation ensures that as an apprentice's technical proficiency and site responsibilities grow, their compensation reflects their increasing value to the signatory contractor and the project owner.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 474 is centered in Memphis, Tennessee, and extends across several counties in the western portion of the state, as well as specific neighboring areas in Mississippi and Arkansas. This territory covers a diverse landscape, ranging from the dense urban core of Shelby County to the expanding industrial corridors in Fayette and Tipton counties. Members dispatched through the hall may work on diverse sites, including the Memphis International Airport, major healthcare campuses, and the extensive logistics network along the Mississippi River. The local maintains authority over all inside electrical work, including power distribution, lighting systems, and control wiring within these geographic boundaries.
The contractor landscape for IBEW Local 474 consists of a mix of large-scale industrial electrical firms and specialized commercial shops. These signatory mechanical and electrical primes often handle the city's most significant capital projects, including data centers and automotive-related manufacturing facilities. The market is also supported by medium-sized contractors who focus on healthcare facility maintenance and municipal infrastructure. Hiring through the local hall allows these contractors to scale their workforce rapidly in response to project milestones, ensuring that specialized tasks like medium-voltage terminations or PLC programming are handled by certified professionals. This scalability is a key factor for contractors bidding on major regional developments.
The $36.75 hourly rate is the gross taxable amount paid directly on the member's paycheck. The $52.00 total package includes an additional $15.25 per hour in employer-paid benefits, such as health insurance and retirement plans. These benefits are paid by the contractor in addition to the wage, meaning they are not deducted from the journeyman's hourly pay.
Yes, through the Memphis JATC, members have access to advanced training and certifications. This includes OSHA safety courses, EVITP (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program) certification, and specialized instrumentation or motor control training. These certifications allow members to qualify for specialized roles on industrial and high-tech job sites, increasing their employability across different signatory contractors.
Local 474 operates a referral system based on 'Books.' Book 1 is for local members who have met specific residency and work requirements. Book 2 is for traveling members from other IBEW locals. When contractors need labor, they place a call to the hall, and members are dispatched based on their position on the list and their specific qualifications for the project.
The standard work week typically consists of five eight-hour days or four ten-hour days, depending on the specific project agreement. Overtime rates, usually time-and-a-half or double-time for Sundays and holidays, are clearly defined in the a mechanical contractor and members should refer to the current contract language for specific shift differential and overtime triggers.
IBEW Local 474 is seated in Memphis, Tennessee (TN). We hold published wage sheets for 14 locals across Tennessee — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Memphis and the rest of Tennessee, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 474. 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 474 pay scale for 2026 is $36.75 per hour for journeymen in Memphis, TN, or about $73,500 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $52.00 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 5/25/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 474 agreement make $36.75 an hour in base wages, or $52.00 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 5/25/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$36.75 per hour base wage and $52.00 per hour total package for a journeyman in Memphis, TN, effective 5/25/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $73,500 before overtime.
A Local 474 apprentice in Memphis, TN starts at roughly $16.54 an hour — about 45% of the $36.75 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $27.56 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 474 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $16.54 an hour, or roughly $33,075 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $36.75 journeyman rate effective 5/25/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $23.89 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $27.56 an hour in the fourth period and $36.75 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 474 training center.
The current IBEW Local 474 journeyman rate is $36.75/hour, with a total package of $52.00/hour including fringe benefits, effective 5/25/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $73,500 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 474 business office before relying on the figure.
The $36.75/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $52.00/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 474 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 $36.75/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $16.54–$18.38/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 474 is headquartered in Memphis, TN 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 474 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 474 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 474 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 474 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 5/25/26 schedule; check with the Local 474 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 474 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.