Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 494 in Milwaukee, WI earn $52.51/hr in base wages, or $80.03/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective May 2026.
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The Local 494 pay scale for 2026 is $52.51 per hour for journeymen in Milwaukee, WI, or about $105,020 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $80.03 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 5/26/26.
| Local 494 journeyman hourly wage | $52.51 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $80.03 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $105,020 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $23.63–$26.26 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 5/26/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
Apply now — Gulfstream places electricians candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 494 apprentice in Milwaukee, WI starts at roughly $23.63 an hour — about 45% of the $52.51 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $39.38 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 494 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $23.63 / hour | $47,259 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $28.88 / hour | $57,761 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $34.13 / hour | $68,263 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $39.38 / hour | $78,765 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $44.63 / hour | $89,267 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $52.51 / hour | $105,020 |
Active Gulfstream trade listings in the local's state, with Milwaukee listings first when available. Jobs elsewhere in the state are not necessarily near this hall. Union status is not verified for these jobs; confirm with your recruiter.
IBEW Local 494 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.
Official job-call, referral and apprenticeship pages on the hall's own website. Application windows and requirements are set by the hall; check its page for current dates.
Links checked 2026-10-06 on the hall's site.
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Local 494 wages: $52.51 an hour on the journeyman scale, $80.03 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 5/26/26. That is the most recent Milwaukee, WI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 34% of the IBEW Local 494 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 494 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective May 26, 2026.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $27.52/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 494 scale used across the Milwaukee, WI 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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 494 rates. For current Milwaukee scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
IBEW Local 494 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (414) 327-5202 to confirm dispatch procedure, 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 494 serves as the primary labor organization for electrical workers across the Milwaukee metropolitan area and surrounding southeastern Wisconsin counties. Established to represent inside wiremen, residential electricians, and telecommunications technicians, the local manages a significant portion of the region's commercial and industrial electrical infrastructure. The Milwaukee market is characterized by a high demand for skilled labor in healthcare expansions, food processing facilities, and large-scale manufacturing renovations. Local 494 members provide the technical expertise required for complex power distribution, lighting systems, and control wiring that keep the regional economy operational while adhering to rigorous safety standards and the National Electrical Code.
The local operates a robust training infrastructure through its Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, ensuring a steady pipeline of journey-level talent for signatory contractors. Beyond traditional construction, the local is deeply involved in renewable energy projects and modernizing the electrical grid within its jurisdiction. For contractors, partnering with Local 494 provides access to a pre-screened, highly mobile workforce capable of scaling for major industrial shutdowns or long-term institutional builds. For the electrician, the union provides a framework for collective bargaining that ensures competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a voice in workplace safety, making it a cornerstone of the skilled trades in the Great Lakes region.
The current economic terms for IBEW Local 494 set the Journeyman Inside Wireman hourly rate at $52.51, effective May 26, 2026. When accounting for the full fringe benefit contribution, the total taxable and non-taxable package reaches $80.03 per hour. Apprentices in the five-year program typically begin at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often starting between 40% and 50% for first-year students. As apprentices complete required classroom hours and hit on-the-job training milestones, their pay scales increase incrementally—usually every six to twelve months—until they achieve full journey-level status. This structured progression ensures that labor costs remain predictable for signatory contractors while providing a clear career path for those entering the trade in the Milwaukee market.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 494 encompasses the Greater Milwaukee area, extending through Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, and Ozaukee counties. The local also holds jurisdiction in portions of Sheboygan and Fond du Lac counties, providing a broad footprint across southeastern Wisconsin. Work under this agreement includes all inside wiring for commercial, industrial, and institutional projects, as well as maintenance and specialty systems within those boundaries. Members are dispatched from the Milwaukee headquarters to various job sites, and the jurisdiction is managed to ensure that signatory contractors have priority access to local talent before pulling from the broader IBEW traveler pool via the referral system.
The contractor landscape within Local 494 is diverse, ranging from small, specialized shops to some of the largest mechanical and electrical primes in the Midwest. Signatory contractors include major commercial firms that dominate the Milwaukee skyline projects, as well as industrial specialists focused on the region's heavy manufacturing and brewing heritage. There is also a strong presence of contractors specializing in healthcare facilities, where redundant power systems and complex low-voltage installations are required. Hiring typically follows the referral hall model, where contractors request specific numbers of wiremen to meet project deadlines, ensuring a flexible labor force that can contract or expand based on the regional construction pipeline.
Inside Wiremen are trained to handle the distribution of electricity from the point of service into a building, covering commercial and industrial systems. Other classifications, such as Sound and Communication or Residential, focus on specific sectors like low-voltage cabling or single-family housing. The Inside Wireman classification generally commands the highest wage scale due to the complexity and scope of the work involved.
Electricians from other IBEW locals, known as travelers, can sign the Book 2 referral list at the Local 494 hall. Work is first offered to local members on Book 1. If the labor demand exceeds the local supply, contractors will pull from Book 2. Travelers must have a valid dues receipt from their home local and meet any specific state licensing requirements for Wisconsin.
Yes, the State of Wisconsin requires electricians to be licensed through the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). Local 494 members must maintain their Journeyman Electrician license, which requires passing a state exam and completing biennial continuing education. The union's JATC often provides the necessary courses to help members meet these state-mandated educational credits.
To remain competitive in certain sectors, Local 494 may utilize market recovery programs or specific project labor agreements (PLAs). These tools allow signatory contractors to bid more effectively against non-union entities while maintaining union standards. These programs are governed by the executive board and are designed to increase man-hours for the membership by securing work that might otherwise go to unorganized labor.
IBEW Local 494 is seated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (WI). We hold published wage sheets for 16 locals across Wisconsin — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle — confirm with the hall.
The Local 494 pay scale for 2026 is $52.51 per hour for journeymen in Milwaukee, WI, or about $105,020 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $80.03 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 5/26/26.
IBEW Local 494 wages for 2026: journeyman Electricians rate of $52.51 per hour in Milwaukee, WI, with a total package of $80.03 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 5/26/26. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 5/26/26 with the IBEW Local 494 business office.
The IBEW Local 494 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $52.51 per hour ($80.03 per hour total package), effective 5/26/26, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the IBEW Local 494 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 5/26/26 with the hall.
Local 494 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $52.51 per hour journeyman rate — typically starting near 40–50% ($23.63–$26.26 per hour) in the first period and stepping up each period to 100% at turnout. The exact percentage schedule is set by the IBEW Local 494 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 494 agreement make $52.51 an hour in base wages, or $80.03 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 5/26/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$52.51 per hour base wage and $80.03 per hour total package for a journeyman in Milwaukee, WI, effective 5/26/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $105,020 before overtime.
A Local 494 apprentice in Milwaukee, WI starts at roughly $23.63 an hour — about 45% of the $52.51 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $39.38 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 494 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $23.63 an hour, or roughly $47,259 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $52.51 journeyman rate effective 5/26/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $34.13 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $39.38 an hour in the fourth period and $52.51 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 494 training center.
Local 494 wages: $52.51 an hour on the journeyman scale, $80.03 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 5/26/26. That is the most recent Milwaukee, WI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published IBEW Local 494 journeyman rate is $52.51 an hour ($80.03 total package), effective 5/26/26 — roughly $105,020 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable IBEW Local 494 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ibew-local-494-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $52.51 hourly scale, the $80.03 total package and the 5/26/26 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current IBEW Local 494 journeyman rate is $52.51/hour, with a total package of $80.03/hour including fringe benefits, effective 5/26/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $105,020 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 494 business office before relying on the figure.
The $52.51/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $80.03/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 494 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 $52.51/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $23.63–$26.26/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 494 is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI 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 494 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 494 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 494 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 494 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 5/26/26 schedule; check with the Local 494 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 494 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
Yes — the openings section on this page lists current electricians roles near Milwaukee, WI, and you can apply directly through the apply form on this page. These are direct-hire positions with mechanical contractors that Gulfstream recruits for, not union dispatch or hall referrals. For the hall's out-of-work list, contact the Local 494 business office.
The IBEW Local 494 hall is at 3303 S 103rd St, Milwaukee, WI 53227, serving Milwaukee, WI and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (414) 327-5202.
IBEW Local 494 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (414) 327-5202 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 494 can be reached at (414) 327-5202. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
Apply through the local's joint apprenticeship training committee (JATC). Most programs open applications on a set schedule and require an aptitude test and interview. For IBEW Local 494's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at (414) 327-5202.
Each Electricians local sets its own intake process, and it varies. The common paths: apprenticeship through the JATC; organizing in as an experienced worker, since journeymen and technicians already working in the trade can usually apply directly to the hall for membership; or transferring from another local of the same international with a transfer card from your current hall. For fees and requirements, contact the hall at (414) 327-5202.
We haven't found an official source for IBEW Local 494's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at (414) 327-5202.
We haven't found an official source for IBEW Local 494's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at (414) 327-5202.
IBEW Local 494's sourced journeyman inside wireman union rate is $52.51/hr in base wages and $80.03/hr for the total package, effective May 26, 2026. The rate applies to the listed classification and source area; apprentice, foreman and specialty classifications may differ.
$52.51/hr in base wages for journeyman inside wireman, or $80.03/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective May 26, 2026 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
May 26, 2026. 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 $52.51/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $27.52/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $80.03/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 Oct 5, 2026 (14 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.