Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 558 in Sheffield, AL earn $31.25/hr in base wages, or $46.05/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2024.
IBEW Local 558 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 558 pay scale is $31.25 per hour for journeymen in Sheffield, AL, or about $62,500 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $46.05 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 6/28/24.
| Local 558 journeyman hourly wage | $31.25 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $46.05 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $62,500 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $14.06–$15.63 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 6/28/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 558 apprentice in Sheffield, AL starts at roughly $14.06 an hour — about 45% of the $31.25 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $23.44 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 558 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $14.06 / hour | $28,125 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $17.19 / hour | $34,375 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $20.31 / hour | $40,625 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $23.44 / hour | $46,875 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $26.56 / hour | $53,125 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $31.25 / hour | $62,500 |
IBEW Local 558, headquartered in Sheffield, Alabama, represents skilled electrical workers across a broad territory spanning North Alabama and parts of Southern Tennessee. Established over a century ago, this local serves as a critical labor source for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and numerous industrial facilities that define the region's economic output. The membership includes inside wiremen, powerhouse employees, and maintenance technicians who support infrastructure ranging from high-voltage utility sites to modern commercial developments. By maintaining a centralized pool of highly trained labor, Local 558 ensures that large-scale energy and manufacturing projects remain adequately staffed with qualified personnel capable of meeting rigorous safety and technical standards.
The market for electrical labor in the Sheffield and Shoals area is heavily influenced by the presence of significant industrial manufacturing and government-backed energy projects. As technology evolves within the trade, Local 558 focuses on providing continuous education and training through its Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC). This commitment to quality makes the local a primary partner for signatory contractors bidding on complex multi-million dollar contracts. For the tradesperson, the local offers a structured career path with defined wage increases and benefits that are often superior to non-union counterparts in the regional market, providing stability in a historically cyclical construction and industrial maintenance environment.
As of the June 28, 2024 update, the Journeyman Wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 558 is set at $31.25, contributing to a total compensation package of $46.05 per hour when including fringe benefits. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% to 50% for first-year students and scaling upward annually as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the fifth year of the apprenticeship, workers generally earn approximately 80% to 85% of the full scale. This progression ensures that as a worker's technical proficiency and site responsibilities increase, their financial compensation follows a predictable and transparent trajectory defined by the collective bargaining agreement. All members should verify their specific classification and current step with the Sheffield business office.
The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 558 covers a multi-county region in North Alabama and stretches into the southern tier of Tennessee. This chartered territory includes major hubs such as the Shoals area, Decatur, and surrounding rural districts where industrial and utility work is prevalent. The jurisdiction covers all inside electrical work, including power distribution, lighting, and control systems for commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. Furthermore, the local has a significant presence in utility-related work through its relationship with regional power authorities. Travelers looking to work in this jurisdiction must typically report to the Sheffield hall for dispatch and maintain a current dues receipt from their home local to be eligible for Book 2 placement.
The contractor landscape within Local 558 is characterized by a mix of long-standing local firms and national mechanical-electrical primes that specialize in industrial infrastructure. Signatory contractors here frequently support the maintenance and capital improvement projects for regional utilities and large-scale manufacturing plants. There is also a robust contingent of contractors focused on commercial institutional work, such as hospitals and schools, throughout the Tennessee Valley. Hiring is managed through the union referral system, where contractors request manpower based on project needs. This allows for a flexible workforce that can scale rapidly for industrial shutdowns or major new construction projects while maintaining a consistent standard of workmanship across different employers.
The hourly rate of $31.25 is the gross amount paid directly on your paycheck before taxes. The total package of $46.05 includes an additional $14.80 in employer-paid benefits like health insurance and pension contributions. These fringes are paid by the contractor on top of your wages, meaning they are not deducted from your $31.25 hourly pay.
Yes, through the JATC, members can access advanced certifications in areas such as EVITP (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program), instrumentation, and fire alarm systems. These certifications often make a member more marketable for specific industrial projects or high-tech commercial builds within the North Alabama and Southern Tennessee jurisdiction.
Qualified IBEW members from other locals can sign the Book 2 at the Sheffield hall. When local members (Book 1) are all employed, the hall dispatches from Book 2. You must have a current travel letter and dues receipt. Work often depends on large industrial outages or major utility projects in the Tennessee Valley.
Yes, the collective bargaining agreement typically includes a 'tool list' specifying the hand tools a wireman is expected to provide. Contractors are responsible for providing all power tools, ladders, and specialized testing equipment. Apprentices are usually given a list of basic tools to acquire as they begin their first year of field work.
IBEW Local 558 is seated in Sheffield, Alabama (AL). We hold published wage sheets for 5 locals across Alabama — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Sheffield and the rest of Alabama, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 558. 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 558 pay scale is $31.25 per hour for journeymen in Sheffield, AL, or about $62,500 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $46.05 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 6/28/24.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 558 agreement make $31.25 an hour in base wages, or $46.05 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 6/28/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$31.25 per hour base wage and $46.05 per hour total package for a journeyman in Sheffield, AL, effective 6/28/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $62,500 before overtime.
A Local 558 apprentice in Sheffield, AL starts at roughly $14.06 an hour — about 45% of the $31.25 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $23.44 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 558 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $14.06 an hour, or roughly $28,125 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $31.25 journeyman rate effective 6/28/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $20.31 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $23.44 an hour in the fourth period and $31.25 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 558 training center.
The current IBEW Local 558 journeyman rate is $31.25/hour, with a total package of $46.05/hour including fringe benefits, effective 6/28/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $62,500 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 558 business office before relying on the figure.
The $31.25/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $46.05/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 558 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 $31.25/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $14.06–$15.63/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 558 is headquartered in Sheffield, AL 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 558 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 558 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 558 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 558 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 6/28/24 schedule; check with the Local 558 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 558 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.