Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 48 in Portland, OR earn $65.50/hr in base wages, or $96.71/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Feb 2026.
IBEW Local 48 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.
The Local 48 pay scale for 2026 is $65.50 per hour for journeymen in Portland, OR, or about $131,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $96.71 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 2/18/26.
| Local 48 journeyman hourly wage | $65.50 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $96.71 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $131,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $29.48–$32.75 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 2/18/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 48 apprentice in Portland, OR starts at roughly $29.48 an hour — about 45% of the $65.50 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $49.13 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 48 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $29.48 / hour | $58,950 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $36.03 / hour | $72,050 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $42.58 / hour | $85,150 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $49.13 / hour | $98,250 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $55.68 / hour | $111,350 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $65.50 / hour | $131,000 |
IBEW Local 48 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (503) 256-4848 to confirm dispatch hours, 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.
IBEW Local 48 represents one of the most significant electrical labor forces in the Pacific Northwest, covering Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington. Based in Portland, this local manages a massive jurisdiction that includes high-tech manufacturing, heavy industrial facilities, and large-scale commercial developments. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this market, noting that Local 48 is central to the regional power infrastructure and telecommunications sectors. The local provides a highly trained workforce for signatory contractors who handle everything from data center build-outs in the Silicon Forest to complex marine electrical work along the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
The Portland market is defined by a high demand for skilled labor due to the concentration of semiconductor fabrication plants and public infrastructure projects. IBEW Local 48 members work under several specific agreements, including the Inside Construction, Sound and Communication, and Residential contracts. Because the jurisdiction spans both Oregon and Washington, members often navigate differing state licensing requirements while maintaining a single standard of craftsmanship. The local's influence extends beyond mere labor supply; its Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NIETC) is one of the premier facilities in the country, ensuring a steady pipeline of journey-level talent to meet the region's aggressive growth targets.
As of the February 18, 2026, effective date, the Journeyman Wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 48 is $65.50, contributing to a comprehensive total package of $96.71. This total package includes employer-paid fringes such as health insurance and pension contributions that are not deducted from the hourly check. Apprentices follow a strict wage progression based on a percentage of the Journeyman scale, typically starting at 40-45% and increasing in six-month or 1,000-hour intervals as they meet OJT and classroom requirements. By the final year of the five-year program, an apprentice can expect to earn 80-90% of the full rate. These scheduled increases are contingent upon the successful completion of both work hours and technical schooling through the NIETC.
The territorial jurisdiction of IBEW Local 48 is extensive, covering Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Multnomah, Tillamook, Wasco, and Washington counties in Oregon. It also encompasses Clark, Klickitat, and Skamania counties in Washington state. This dual-state reach requires the local to manage a dispatch system that accounts for the Oregon General Journeyman License and the Washington EL01 certification. Work covered under the Inside agreement includes all electrical systems in commercial and industrial structures. Travel within this jurisdiction is common, particularly between the Portland metro core and the industrial hubs in Hillsboro and Vancouver. Signatory contractors rely on this wide reach to mobilize crews for significant regional utility and private sector projects.
The signatory contractor landscape for Local 48 is diverse, ranging from global mechanical-electrical primes to specialized local shops. A significant portion of the man-hours in this market is driven by large-scale industrial projects, specifically in the high-tech and semiconductor space where precision and reliability are paramount. Additionally, the region sees heavy involvement from signatory firms specializing in healthcare facilities and public transit infrastructure. Hiring typically fluctuates based on major project cycles, with large primes often scaling up for multi-year builds while smaller service-oriented contractors maintain steady residential and commercial maintenance work. The local's dispatch office coordinates these labor needs to ensure contractors have specialized talent for specific project phases.
The Inside Construction agreement covers general wiring, power distribution, and industrial systems, carrying the highest hourly rate. The Sound and Communication agreement covers low-voltage work, including security, data cabling, and fire alarms. While both fall under Local 48, they have distinct apprenticeship tracks and separate wage schedules reflecting the different scopes of work and licensing requirements.
Yes, because the jurisdiction covers two states, workers must hold the appropriate license for the site location. In Oregon, a General Journeyman License (J) is typically required for inside work, while Washington requires an EL01 license. The local often assists members in understanding how to reciprocate hours or prepare for the exam in the neighboring state to maximize their dispatch opportunities.
The $65.50 hourly rate is the gross taxable wage appearing on the paycheck. The $96.71 total package includes an additional $31.21 in benefits such as pension, health insurance, and training funds paid by the contractor. These fringes are not deducted from the $65.50, meaning the employer's actual cost to employ a journeyman is significantly higher than the base wage.
Travelers from other IBEW locals can work in Local 48's jurisdiction by signing 'Book 2' at the dispatch hall. To permanently transfer membership, often called 'getting your ticket in,' a member usually needs to work a specific number of hours in the jurisdiction and receive approval from the local's executive board, following the procedures outlined in the IBEW Constitution.
IBEW Local 48 is seated in Portland, Oregon (OR). We hold published wage sheets for 6 locals across Oregon — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Portland and the rest of Oregon, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 48. Our office is in South Corona, California and we place union-scale 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.
The Local 48 pay scale for 2026 is $65.50 per hour for journeymen in Portland, OR, or about $131,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $96.71 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 2/18/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 48 agreement make $65.50 an hour in base wages, or $96.71 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 2/18/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$65.50 per hour base wage and $96.71 per hour total package for a journeyman in Portland, OR, effective 2/18/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $131,000 before overtime.
A Local 48 apprentice in Portland, OR starts at roughly $29.48 an hour — about 45% of the $65.50 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $49.13 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 48 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $29.48 an hour, or roughly $58,950 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $65.50 journeyman rate effective 2/18/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $42.58 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $49.13 an hour in the fourth period and $65.50 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 48 training center.
The current IBEW Local 48 journeyman rate is $65.50/hour, with a total package of $96.71/hour including fringe benefits, effective 2/18/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $131,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 48 business office before relying on the figure.
The $65.50/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $96.71/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 48 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 $65.50/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $29.48–$32.75/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 48 is headquartered in Portland, OR 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 48 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 48 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 48 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 48 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 2/18/26 schedule; check with the Local 48 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 48 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
The IBEW Local 48 hall is at 15937 Ne Airport Way, Portland, OR 97230, serving Portland, OR and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (503) 256-4848.
IBEW Local 48 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (503) 256-4848 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 48 can be reached at (503) 256-4848. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.