Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 577 in Appleton, WI earn $41.76/hr in base wages, or $64.99/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jul 2025.
IBEW Local 577 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 577 pay scale for 2026 is $41.76 per hour for journeymen in Appleton, WI, or about $83,520 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $64.99 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/6/25.
| Local 577 journeyman hourly wage | $41.76 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $64.99 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $83,520 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $18.79–$20.88 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 7/6/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 577 apprentice in Appleton, WI starts at roughly $18.79 an hour — about 45% of the $41.76 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.32 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 577 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $18.79 / hour | $37,584 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $22.97 / hour | $45,936 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $27.14 / hour | $54,288 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $31.32 / hour | $62,640 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $35.50 / hour | $70,992 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $41.76 / hour | $83,520 |
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 577 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals across the Fox Valley region. Based in Appleton, Wisconsin, this local serves as the primary labor source for commercial, industrial, and residential electrical installations. The local maintains a strict focus on safety and technical proficiency, ensuring that signatory contractors have access to a highly trained workforce capable of handling complex power distribution and control systems. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor trends in this region, noting that Local 577 is a vital component of the construction economy in Northeast Wisconsin, supporting everything from paper mill maintenance to modern healthcare facility builds.
The market covered by Local 577 is characterized by a robust industrial base and growing urban centers like Appleton and Neenah. This local operates under a collective bargaining agreement that standardizes labor costs for signatory contractors while providing workers with stable, middle-class compensation. The partnership between the union and the a mechanical contractor Association (NECA) ensures that the Fox Valley electrical industry remains competitive against non-union alternatives. For electricians, membership provides access to specialized certifications and high-voltage training, while contractors benefit from a scalable workforce that can meet the rigorous demands of large-scale industrial shutdowns and commercial expansions common in this specific Wisconsin corridor.
As of July 6, 2025, the Journeyman Inside Wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 577 is set at $41.76, contributing to a total compensation package of $64.99 when all fringe benefits are included. This gap between the check rate and the total package covers essential employer-paid benefits that would otherwise be out-of-pocket costs for the worker. Apprentices follow a strictly defined wage progression based on a percentage of the journeyman rate. Typically, these percentages start at roughly 40-50% for first-year students and increase annually or upon the completion of a specific number of work hours and classroom modules. By the final year of the five-year program, an apprentice earns a significant portion of the full rate, ensuring a sustainable path toward the $41.76 journeyman scale upon graduation and licensure.
The chartered jurisdiction of IBEW Local 577 covers several key counties in the Fox Valley and Central Wisconsin areas, centered around the Appleton metropolitan market. Work performed under this agreement includes all inside wiring, lighting, power distribution, and electrical maintenance within the commercial and industrial sectors. The local manages a dispatch system that assigns qualified wiremen to signatory contractors based on project demand and worker skills. While the primary concentration of work is in Outagamie and Winnebago counties, the territory extends to surrounding rural areas where industrial manufacturing and food processing facilities often require union-scale electrical expertise. Members are expected to travel within these boundaries to fulfill the labor needs of the signatory employer group.
The signatory contractor landscape for Local 577 consists of a diverse mix of local family-owned shops and larger regional electrical primes. These contractors specialize in different niches, ranging from small-scale commercial tenant improvements to massive industrial infrastructure projects. Many signatory firms focus on the heavy industrial demands of the local paper and manufacturing industries, requiring electricians with experience in motor controls and PLC systems. Hiring is generally handled through the union referral hall, though contractors maintain their own core crews. This structure allows the market to remain flexible, as contractors can rapidly scale their workforce for major projects and then return labor to the hall as jobs reach completion.
The hourly wage of $41.76 is the gross amount paid on the member's paycheck before taxes. The total package of $64.99 includes an additional $23.23 in employer-paid benefits such as health insurance, pension contributions, and training funds. These benefits are paid by the contractor in addition to the wage, not deducted from it, providing a more comprehensive view of labor costs.
Yes, as part of the IBEW, Local 577 participates in reciprocity agreements for benefits. Traveling wiremen from other locals can work in the Appleton jurisdiction if there is a labor shortage, and their benefit contributions can typically be transferred back to their home local's funds through the ERTS system. This allows for seamless transitions for traveling craftsmen.
Work in the Fox Valley is heavily influenced by the industrial sector, including paper mills, food processing plants, and manufacturing facilities. Additionally, Local 577 members handle large-scale commercial work such as hospitals, schools, and government buildings. The local's jurisdiction requires a workforce skilled in both heavy industrial conduit and complex commercial power systems.
Wage rates are determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated between the union and the local NECA chapter. These adjustments usually occur annually, often in the summer months. The current rate of $41.76 is scheduled to be effective as of July 6, 2025, reflecting the negotiated increases for that contract period.
IBEW Local 577 is seated in Appleton, Wisconsin (WI). We hold published wage sheets for 16 locals across Wisconsin — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Appleton and the rest of Wisconsin, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 577. 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 577 pay scale for 2026 is $41.76 per hour for journeymen in Appleton, WI, or about $83,520 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $64.99 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/6/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 577 agreement make $41.76 an hour in base wages, or $64.99 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 7/6/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$41.76 per hour base wage and $64.99 per hour total package for a journeyman in Appleton, WI, effective 7/6/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $83,520 before overtime.
A Local 577 apprentice in Appleton, WI starts at roughly $18.79 an hour — about 45% of the $41.76 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.32 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 577 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $18.79 an hour, or roughly $37,584 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $41.76 journeyman rate effective 7/6/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $27.14 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $31.32 an hour in the fourth period and $41.76 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 577 training center.
The current IBEW Local 577 journeyman rate is $41.76/hour, with a total package of $64.99/hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/6/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $83,520 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 577 business office before relying on the figure.
The $41.76/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $64.99/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 577 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 $41.76/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $18.79–$20.88/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 577 is headquartered in Appleton, 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 577 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 577 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 577 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 577 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 7/6/25 schedule; check with the Local 577 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 577 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.