Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 508 in Savannah, GA earn $31.70/hr in base wages, or $44.21/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2025.
IBEW Local 508 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 508 pay scale for 2026 is $31.70 per hour for journeymen in Savannah, GA, or about $63,400 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $44.21 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/22/25.
| Local 508 journeyman hourly wage | $31.70 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $44.21 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $63,400 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $14.27–$15.85 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 6/22/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 508 apprentice in Savannah, GA starts at roughly $14.27 an hour — about 45% of the $31.70 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $23.78 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 508 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $14.27 / hour | $28,530 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $17.44 / hour | $34,870 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $20.61 / hour | $41,210 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $23.78 / hour | $47,550 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $26.95 / hour | $53,890 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $31.70 / hour | $63,400 |
IBEW Local 508 represents skilled inside wiremen, commercial electricians, and industrial technicians across Southeast Georgia, centered in the Savannah metropolitan market. As a pivotal hub for maritime commerce and manufacturing, this jurisdiction manages the electrical labor supply for critical infrastructure ranging from the Port of Savannah to regional healthcare facilities and manufacturing plants. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the regional labor market, noting that Local 508 provides the primary framework for standardized electrical training and safety compliance in a region experiencing significant industrial expansion and modernization. The local operates under the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, ensuring that signatory contractors have access to a pool of journey-level talent capable of executing complex electrical systems.
The Savannah market is characterized by a mix of historic preservation and heavy industrial growth, creating a diverse demand for electrical expertise. Local 508 members are essential to the execution of large-scale commercial builds, high-voltage industrial installations, and long-term maintenance contracts for regional utility and transport hubs. By maintaining a structured collective bargaining agreement, the local stabilizes labor costs for contractors while providing electricians with a sustainable career path involving rigorous classroom instruction and on-the-job training. This stability is particularly relevant as Georgia continues to attract major investment in the energy and logistics sectors, requiring a highly skilled workforce that can meet the technical demands of contemporary electrical code and specialized industrial automation systems.
Effective June 22, 2025, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for IBEW Local 508 is established at $31.70 per hour, contributing to a total compensation package of $44.21 when including fringe benefits. This package reflects the negotiated balance between take-home pay and long-term security. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% to 50% and receiving incremental raises every six to twelve months as they complete required work hours and educational modules. These steps continue until the apprentice reaches 100% scale upon passing the journeyman exam. For those benchmarking labor costs or evaluating a career move, these figures represent the minimum standards set by the CBA, though specialized roles or overtime may impact the final gross earnings for members in the field.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 508 encompasses the southeastern corner of Georgia, radiating from the Savannah headquarters to cover several surrounding counties. This territory includes the strategic coastal corridor and inland areas where industrial development is most concentrated. Members are dispatched to job sites across this region, which includes major port facilities, aerospace manufacturing sites, and municipal infrastructure projects. The jurisdiction ensures that all electrical work performed under the signatory agreement meets N.E.C. standards and local building codes. Travel and subsistence rules are defined within the collective bargaining agreement to address projects located outside the immediate Savannah metro zone, providing clarity for both traveling wiremen and local contractors managing multi-site operations.
The signatory contractor landscape in Savannah is a robust mix of large-scale electrical primes and specialized service firms. These organizations range from national contractors managing multi-million dollar industrial builds to local shops focusing on commercial tenant improvements and residential service. Because the Savannah market includes high-security zones like the port and military installations, many signatory contractors focus on maintaining a workforce with specific certifications and clean background clearances. Hiring typically follows the fluctuations of major regional projects, with contractors relying on the Local 508 referral hall to scale their workforce quickly in response to new contract awards or accelerated project timelines in the industrial sector.
The $31.70 hourly rate is the gross amount paid directly on a member's paycheck before taxes. The $44.21 total package includes that hourly rate plus an additional $12.51 in fringe benefits paid by the contractor. These benefits include health insurance and retirement contributions, which do not come out of the employee's hourly wage, effectively increasing the total value of the compensation.
Yes, due to the proximity of the Port of Savannah, many members obtain specific certifications such as TWIC cards and specialized industrial safety training. The JATC often coordinates with signatory contractors to ensure the workforce meets the stringent requirements for maritime and federal installations, which are high-demand areas within this specific jurisdiction compared to inland locals.
Wage increases are determined through collective bargaining between the IBEW and the local chapter of NECA. Typically, these increases occur annually on a set date, such as the June 22nd effective date noted for 2025. These adjustments account for cost-of-living changes and the economic health of the Savannah construction market, ensuring competitive pay for the region's electricians.
Transferring, or 'moving your ticket,' is possible but subject to the rules of the IBEW Constitution and the local's current bylaws. Generally, a member must work in the jurisdiction for a specific period and gain approval from the executive board. Travelers are often welcomed when work man-hours exceed the local's capacity, but permanent transfers depend on long-term labor market stability.
IBEW Local 508 is seated in Savannah, Georgia (GA). We hold published wage sheets for 9 locals across Georgia — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Savannah and the rest of Georgia, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 508. 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 508 pay scale for 2026 is $31.70 per hour for journeymen in Savannah, GA, or about $63,400 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $44.21 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/22/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 508 agreement make $31.70 an hour in base wages, or $44.21 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 6/22/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$31.70 per hour base wage and $44.21 per hour total package for a journeyman in Savannah, GA, effective 6/22/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $63,400 before overtime.
A Local 508 apprentice in Savannah, GA starts at roughly $14.27 an hour — about 45% of the $31.70 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $23.78 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 508 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $14.27 an hour, or roughly $28,530 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $31.70 journeyman rate effective 6/22/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $20.61 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $23.78 an hour in the fourth period and $31.70 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 508 training center.
The current IBEW Local 508 journeyman rate is $31.70/hour, with a total package of $44.21/hour including fringe benefits, effective 6/22/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $63,400 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 508 business office before relying on the figure.
The $31.70/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $44.21/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 508 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 $31.70/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $14.27–$15.85/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 508 is headquartered in Savannah, GA 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 508 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 508 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 508 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 508 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 6/22/25 schedule; check with the Local 508 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 508 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.