Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 596 in Clarksburg, WV earn $39.04/hr in base wages, or $65.91/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Nov 2024.
IBEW Local 596 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 596 pay scale is $39.04 per hour for journeymen in Clarksburg, WV, or about $78,080 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $65.91 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 11/6/24.
| Local 596 journeyman hourly wage | $39.04 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $65.91 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $78,080 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $17.57–$19.52 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 11/6/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 596 apprentice in Clarksburg, WV starts at roughly $17.57 an hour — about 45% of the $39.04 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $29.28 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 596 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $17.57 / hour | $35,136 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $21.47 / hour | $42,944 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $25.38 / hour | $50,752 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $29.28 / hour | $58,560 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $33.18 / hour | $66,368 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $39.04 / hour | $78,080 |
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 596 serves as the primary labor organization for skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals throughout North Central West Virginia. Headquartered in Clarksburg, this local provides the specialized manpower required for the region's diverse industrial, commercial, and institutional infrastructure. The local is essential to maintaining high standards of electrical safety and efficiency, supporting projects ranging from healthcare facility upgrades to the complex electrical needs of the regional energy sector. For tradespeople, this local offers a structured path toward a career in electrical construction, ensuring that members are equipped with the technical proficiency needed for modern power systems.
The market surrounding Clarksburg and the Interstate 79 corridor is defined by a mix of established industrial facilities and new commercial developments. Local 596 members play a critical role in these environments, installing and maintaining power distribution, lighting, and control systems. As technology advances in renewable energy and automated building systems, the local remains a central hub for training and labor standards. For signatory contractors, partnering with Local 596 provides access to a pre-screened, highly qualified workforce that mitigates the risks associated with unskilled labor. This partnership ensures that large-scale electrical projects are completed on schedule while adhering to the rigorous National Electrical Code standards.
As of November 6, 2024, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for IBEW Local 596 is $39.04 per hour, contributing to a total compensation package of $65.91 when all fringe benefits are included. The $26.87 difference covers critical benefits including health insurance and multi-tiered retirement funds. Apprentices follow a strictly defined percentage-based progression that increases as they accumulate both classroom hours through the JATC and on-the-job training milestones. Typically starting between 40% and 50% of the journeyman rate, apprentices receive incremental raises every 1,000 to 2,000 hours. This structure ensures that as an individual's technical skill and responsibility on the job site grow, their compensation reflects their increasing value to the signatory contractor and the trade.
The chartered jurisdiction of IBEW Local 596 encompasses a significant portion of North Central West Virginia, centered around the Clarksburg and Fairmont areas. This territory includes several key counties where the local holds exclusive rights to provide labor for signatory contractors. The work covered under this agreement includes all inside electrical wiring, motor controls, fire alarm systems, and industrial power applications. Members dispatched through the Clarksburg hall may work on diverse sites, from federal facilities and university campuses to manufacturing plants. The jurisdiction is designed to provide a stable labor pool for regional projects, ensuring that contractors have access to local talent without the need for extensive travel outside the North Central region.
The contractor landscape for IBEW Local 596 is comprised of a diverse group of signatory employers ranging from small, specialized shops to large-scale regional electrical primes. These contractors typically engage in a mix of long-term maintenance contracts at industrial sites and competitive bids for new commercial construction. Hiring is managed through a traditional referral system, where the union hall dispatches qualified wiremen based on an out-of-work list to meet contractor needs. This system allows signatory firms to scale their workforce rapidly for major projects, such as hospital expansions or government facility renovations, without the overhead of permanent large-scale recruiting, while ensuring every worker on-site has met the local's rigorous training requirements.
The total package value is $65.91 per hour. This includes the $39.04 base hourly wage paid on the check plus $26.87 in fringe benefits. These benefits include health insurance and various retirement contributions that are paid by the employer on top of the hourly wage. This total package represents the true cost of labor for signatory contractors and the total compensation for the member.
Yes, through the JATC, members have access to training for various certifications including OSHA safety, instrumentation, and EVITP (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program). These certifications are increasingly important as the Clarksburg market shifts toward specialized industrial automation and green energy infrastructure. Keeping certifications current allows members to remain eligible for a wider variety of job site dispatches.
Local 596 operates a referral system where members sign an 'out-of-work' list. When a signatory contractor requires labor, they submit a request to the union hall. The hall then offers the job to the qualified member at the top of the list. This ensures a fair distribution of work opportunities based on seniority and availability, providing contractors with the specific skills required for their project.
Travelers from other IBEW locals can work in the 596 jurisdiction by signing the 'Book 2' referral list. Permanent transfers, often called 'changing your ticket,' are subject to the local's current bylaws, the approval of the business manager, and the local's ability to sustain the existing membership. Most members start by working as travelers before seeking a permanent transfer into the Clarksburg local.
IBEW Local 596 is seated in Clarksburg, West Virginia (WV). We hold published wage sheets for 8 locals across West Virginia — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Clarksburg and the rest of West Virginia, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 596. 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 596 pay scale is $39.04 per hour for journeymen in Clarksburg, WV, or about $78,080 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $65.91 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 11/6/24.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 596 agreement make $39.04 an hour in base wages, or $65.91 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 11/6/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$39.04 per hour base wage and $65.91 per hour total package for a journeyman in Clarksburg, WV, effective 11/6/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $78,080 before overtime.
A Local 596 apprentice in Clarksburg, WV starts at roughly $17.57 an hour — about 45% of the $39.04 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $29.28 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 596 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $17.57 an hour, or roughly $35,136 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $39.04 journeyman rate effective 11/6/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $25.38 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $29.28 an hour in the fourth period and $39.04 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 596 training center.
The current IBEW Local 596 journeyman rate is $39.04/hour, with a total package of $65.91/hour including fringe benefits, effective 11/6/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $78,080 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 596 business office before relying on the figure.
The $39.04/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $65.91/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 596 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 $39.04/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $17.57–$19.52/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 596 is headquartered in Clarksburg, WV 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 596 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 596 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 596 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 596 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 11/6/24 schedule; check with the Local 596 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 596 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.