Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 479 in Beaumont, TX earn $34.76/hr in base wages, or $47.65/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Oct 2025.
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IBEW Local 479 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 479 pay scale for 2026 is $34.76 per hour for journeymen in Beaumont, TX, or about $69,520 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $47.65 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 10/26/25.
| Local 479 journeyman hourly wage | $34.76 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $47.65 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $69,520 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $15.64–$17.38 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 10/26/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 479 apprentice in Beaumont, TX starts at roughly $15.64 an hour — about 45% of the $34.76 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $26.07 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 479 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $15.64 / hour | $31,284 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $19.12 / hour | $38,236 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $22.59 / hour | $45,188 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $26.07 / hour | $52,140 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $29.55 / hour | $59,092 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $34.76 / hour | $69,520 |
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Local 479 wages: $34.76 an hour on the journeyman scale, $47.65 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 10/26/25. That is the most recent Beaumont, TX sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 27% of the IBEW Local 479 package is employer-paid benefits and fringes rather than wages, which is why the package figure and a take-home hourly rate are not the same number.
Unverified: crowd-sourced figure (unionpayscales.com), not confirmed against the local's own wage sheet
Download the IBEW Local 479 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective October 26, 2025.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $12.89/hr | Derived: total package minus base wage. This is the employer's combined hourly contribution to the funds, not take-home pay. |
|---|---|---|
| What the contributions fund | Health & welfare, pension, annuity, training and industry funds | Standard fund categories in mechanical and electrical agreements. The exact split between funds is set in the local's agreement — the hall or fund office publishes the schedule. |
| Paid on | Every hour worked | Fringe contributions are made per hour worked, so they scale with dispatched hours and are paid to the funds rather than to the member. |
The rates above are the IBEW Local 479 scale used across the Beaumont, TX area. 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 Beaumont metro, so a electrician wage quoted locally is normally this scale plus the fringe package shown in the table.
Gulfstream recruits electrician talent for commercial mechanical, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around Beaumont. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 479 rates. For current Beaumont scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
IBEW Local 479 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — contact the hall to confirm dispatch procedure and what to bring 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.
IBEW Local 479 serves the Beaumont and Port Arthur markets, acting as the primary labor source for skilled inside wiremen and electrical workers in Southeast Texas. Since 2014, our recruitment efforts in this region have highlighted the critical role this local plays in supporting the massive industrial infrastructure along the Gulf Coast. The membership provides essential electrical installation, maintenance, and instrumentation services for the heavy industrial sector, particularly within the petrochemical and refining complexes that define the local economy. This jurisdiction is vital for maintaining the electrical integrity of facilities that drive national energy production, requiring a workforce that is highly trained in both safety and technical execution.
The market in Beaumont is distinct due to its concentration of large-scale capital projects and ongoing facility modernization. Local 479 members are responsible for complex power distribution, motor controls, and sophisticated automation systems that keep these facilities operational. Because the region is susceptible to extreme weather and high industrial demand, the demand for certified journeymen remains steady. Signatory contractors rely on the local's hiring hall to source manpower that meets rigorous safety standards, ensuring that large-scale industrial builds and commercial developments are completed according to the National Electrical Code. For electricians, this local represents a gateway to high-stakes industrial work and specialized technical career paths.
As of October 26, 2025, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for IBEW Local 479 is established at $34.76 per hour. When accounting for the full fringe benefit package, the total compensation reaches $47.65 per hour. Apprentices in the program earn a progressive percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% to 50% and increasing annually as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. This tiered structure ensures that as an apprentice's skill set grows, their compensation reflects their increased utility to the signatory contractor. The gap between the hourly check and the total package covers essential non-taxable benefits, ensuring long-term financial stability and healthcare coverage for the member and their family without deductions from the base hourly wage.
The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 479 covers the southeastern corner of Texas, centered around the Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange metropolitan area, often referred to as the Golden Triangle. The territory extends across several counties bordering the Louisiana line and the Gulf of Mexico, providing a wide geographic footprint for industrial and commercial work. Members dispatched from the Beaumont hall may work on diverse sites ranging from coastal refineries and LNG terminals to inland commercial hubs. The local manages the referral system, ensuring that manpower is allocated efficiently to signatory contractors across this entire chartered territory, maintaining labor standards and prevailing wage consistency throughout the region.
The signatory contractor landscape in the IBEW Local 479 jurisdiction is heavily weighted toward industrial specialty firms and large-scale mechanical-electrical primes. These contractors are frequently engaged in long-term maintenance contracts within refineries or are mobilized for multi-year industrial expansions. While the industrial sector is the primary driver, there is also a robust presence of commercial contractors handling healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and municipal projects. Hiring typically follows the project cycles of the local industrial giants; during major shutdowns or turnarounds, the demand for skilled wiremen can spike significantly, leading to increased opportunities for both local members and traveling electricians through the referral system.
The Inside Wireman, represented by Local 479, focuses on the distribution of electricity within a facility's boundary. This includes everything from high-voltage industrial switchgear and motors in refineries to lighting and power systems in commercial buildings. Unlike Linemen who work on utility poles and exterior transmission lines, Inside Wiremen handle the complex electrical systems inside the footprint of a project site.
Yes, due to the high concentration of petrochemical work in Southeast Texas, members often must maintain specific industrial safety credentials. This frequently includes the Basic Plus safety orientation, specific site-entry badges, and TWIC cards for access to port-regulated facilities. The JATC and the local office assist members in ensuring these certifications remain current to prevent dispatch delays.
IBEW Local 479 operates a standard referral system divided into books. Local members have priority on Book 1, while traveling members from other locals sign Book 2. During periods of high demand, such as refinery turnarounds or large industrial expansions, calls often reach Book 2. Travelers must provide a current dues receipt and a travel letter from their home local's business manager.
Overtime is largely dependent on the project type and schedule. Commercial projects typically follow a standard 40-hour week, but industrial work in the Beaumont area often involves 'heavy' schedules. During shutdowns or outages, 50 to 60-hour weeks are common. All overtime pay rates and weekend premiums are strictly governed by the terms of the standing collective bargaining agreement.
IBEW Local 479 is seated in Beaumont, Texas (TX). We hold published wage sheets for 22 locals across Texas — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits mechanical construction and service staff for contractors across Texas, including shops signatory to IBEW Local 479. Pick the market closest to your work: Dallas–Fort Worth mechanical recruiter · Houston mechanical recruiter.
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Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle — confirm with the hall.
The Local 479 pay scale for 2026 is $34.76 per hour for journeymen in Beaumont, TX, or about $69,520 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $47.65 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 10/26/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 479 agreement make $34.76 an hour in base wages, or $47.65 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 10/26/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$34.76 per hour base wage and $47.65 per hour total package for a journeyman in Beaumont, TX, effective 10/26/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $69,520 before overtime.
A Local 479 apprentice in Beaumont, TX starts at roughly $15.64 an hour — about 45% of the $34.76 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $26.07 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 479 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $15.64 an hour, or roughly $31,284 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $34.76 journeyman rate effective 10/26/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $22.59 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $26.07 an hour in the fourth period and $34.76 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 479 training center.
Local 479 wages: $34.76 an hour on the journeyman scale, $47.65 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 10/26/25. That is the most recent Beaumont, TX sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published IBEW Local 479 journeyman rate is $34.76 an hour ($47.65 total package), effective 10/26/25 — roughly $69,520 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable IBEW Local 479 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ibew-local-479-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $34.76 hourly scale, the $47.65 total package and the 10/26/25 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current IBEW Local 479 journeyman rate is $34.76/hour, with a total package of $47.65/hour including fringe benefits, effective 10/26/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $69,520 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 479 business office before relying on the figure.
The $34.76/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $47.65/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 479 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 $34.76/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $15.64–$17.38/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 479 is headquartered in Beaumont, 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 479 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 479 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 479 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 479 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 10/26/25 schedule; check with the Local 479 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 479 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
The IBEW Local 479 hall is at 1430 Spindletop Ave, Beaumont, TX 77705, serving Beaumont, TX and the surrounding jurisdiction.
IBEW Local 479 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Contact the hall 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 479 does not publish a phone number in the directory data we import; check the local's official site for current contact details.
$34.76/hr in base wages for journeyman inside wireman, or $47.65/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective October 26, 2025 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
October 26, 2025. Pulled from the local's current published CBA wage sheet on unionpayscales.com and cross-checked at build time. High confidence for offer benchmarking.
No — the $34.76/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $12.89/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $47.65/hr package.
No. Gulfstream Strategic Placements is a private mechanical construction recruiting firm. We are not affiliated with the local, we do not run dispatch, and we do not set or negotiate union rates. We publish the local's own sourced figures as a reference for members and contractors.
High confidence — last cross-checked against the source on Sep 23, 2026 (7 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.