Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 495 in Wilmington, NC earn $30.55/hr in base wages, or $39.39/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Dec 2025.
IBEW Local 495 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 495 pay scale for 2026 is $30.55 per hour for journeymen in Wilmington, NC, or about $61,100 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $39.39 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 12/15/25.
| Local 495 journeyman hourly wage | $30.55 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $39.39 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $61,100 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $13.75–$15.28 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 12/15/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 495 apprentice in Wilmington, NC starts at roughly $13.75 an hour — about 45% of the $30.55 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $22.91 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 495 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $13.75 / hour | $27,495 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $16.80 / hour | $33,605 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $19.86 / hour | $39,715 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $22.91 / hour | $45,825 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $25.97 / hour | $51,935 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $30.55 / hour | $61,100 |
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 495 serves as the primary labor organization for skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals across southeastern North Carolina. Based in Wilmington, this local manages the workforce for critical infrastructure, industrial facilities, and commercial developments throughout a multi-county coastal region. The market is defined by a mix of maritime-related industrial projects, healthcare expansions, and the growing energy sector. Local 495 ensures that signatory contractors have access to a pool of electricians who have met rigorous national standards for safety and technical proficiency, which is essential for maintaining the region's complex electrical systems.
Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor dynamics within the coastal North Carolina electrical trade, where Local 495 plays a pivotal role in setting area standards. The local operates in a Right-to-Work environment, making its focus on superior training and productivity through the JATC program a key differentiator for signatory mechanical and electrical primes. Members provide the technical expertise required for high-voltage installations, motor controls, and integrated building systems. As the Wilmington metro area continues to attract significant investment, the demand for IBEW-trained wiremen remains a constant factor for contractors bidding on large-scale public and private sector projects.
The current Journeyman Inside Wireman hourly rate is $30.55, reflecting the base taxable income for skilled electricians in the Wilmington jurisdiction. When factoring in the employer-paid benefits, the total package reaches $39.39 per hour as of the December 2025 effective date. Apprentices follow a strictly defined wage progression based on a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% to 50% for first-year students and increasing annually as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled increases provide a clear career path for those entering the trade, ensuring that pay raises are tied directly to skill acquisition and seniority within the five-year apprenticeship program managed by the local JATC.
The territorial jurisdiction of IBEW Local 495 covers a significant portion of southeastern North Carolina, centered on the Wilmington metropolitan area and extending through several surrounding coastal and inland counties. This charter gives the local authority over all inside electrical work, including commercial build-outs, industrial maintenance, and renewable energy installations within these boundaries. Port-related electrical work and military installations often fall under this agreement. Traveling members must report to the business manager’s office for dispatch, while local members are prioritized for projects within their home territory. The jurisdiction is characterized by its logistical importance to the state's maritime and energy infrastructure, requiring a highly mobile and adaptable workforce.
The signatory contractor landscape for Local 495 is comprised of diverse firms ranging from national electrical primes to specialized regional shops. These contractors handle the bulk of the large-scale industrial work at the port, as well as complex institutional projects for healthcare providers and educational facilities. While the market features several long-standing local signatories, it also attracts outside firms that sign short-term letters of assent for specific major projects in the Wilmington area. Hiring typically fluctuates based on major capital improvement cycles, with steady demand found in the commercial service and industrial maintenance sectors. Contractors rely on the local's hall to scale their workforce rapidly for labor-intensive phases of construction.
The journeyman rate of $30.55 is the hourly taxable wage paid in the member's paycheck. The total package of $39.39 includes an additional $8.84 per hour in employer contributions toward fringes such as health insurance, pension funds, and apprenticeship training. These benefits are paid by the signatory contractor on top of the base wage and are not deducted from the employee's hourly pay.
Yes, IBEW Local 495 participates in the ERTS (Electronic Reciprocal Transfer System), which allows members from other locals to have their fringe benefit contributions redirected to their home funds while working in the Wilmington jurisdiction. Travelers must be in good standing with their home local and check in with the Local 495 dispatcher to verify work availability and specific referral procedures.
Wage adjustments are determined by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiated between Local 495 and their signatory contractor partners. These adjustments typically occur annually or bi-annually and may be allocated between the base wage and various fringe benefit funds based on a vote by the membership. The $30.55 rate is the confirmed scale effective as of late 2025.
Experienced electricians can join through a process known as organizing. The local will evaluate your years of experience and may require a craft performance test or a written exam to determine your skill level. Based on this assessment, you may be classified as a Journeyman Wireman or placed into a specific year of the apprenticeship program to bridge any gaps in your technical knowledge.
IBEW Local 495 is seated in Wilmington, North Carolina (NC). We hold published wage sheets for 5 locals across North Carolina — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Wilmington and the rest of North Carolina, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 495. 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 495 pay scale for 2026 is $30.55 per hour for journeymen in Wilmington, NC, or about $61,100 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $39.39 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 12/15/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 495 agreement make $30.55 an hour in base wages, or $39.39 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 12/15/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$30.55 per hour base wage and $39.39 per hour total package for a journeyman in Wilmington, NC, effective 12/15/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $61,100 before overtime.
A Local 495 apprentice in Wilmington, NC starts at roughly $13.75 an hour — about 45% of the $30.55 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $22.91 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 495 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $13.75 an hour, or roughly $27,495 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $30.55 journeyman rate effective 12/15/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $19.86 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $22.91 an hour in the fourth period and $30.55 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 495 training center.
The current IBEW Local 495 journeyman rate is $30.55/hour, with a total package of $39.39/hour including fringe benefits, effective 12/15/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $61,100 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 495 business office before relying on the figure.
The $30.55/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $39.39/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 495 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 $30.55/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $13.75–$15.28/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 495 is headquartered in Wilmington, NC 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 495 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 495 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 495 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 495 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 12/15/25 schedule; check with the Local 495 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 495 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.