Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 640 in Phoenix, AZ earn $40.61/hr in base wages, or $55.29/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jul 2026.
IBEW Local 640 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list — call the hall to confirm hours, books and what to bring. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 640 pay scale for 2026 is $40.61 per hour for journeymen in Phoenix, AZ, or about $81,220 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $55.29 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/26/26.
| Local 640 journeyman hourly wage | $40.61 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $55.29 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $81,220 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $18.27–$20.31 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 7/26/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 640 apprentice in Phoenix, AZ starts at roughly $18.27 an hour — about 45% of the $40.61 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $30.46 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 640 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $18.27 / hour | $36,549 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $22.34 / hour | $44,671 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $26.40 / hour | $52,793 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $30.46 / hour | $60,915 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $34.52 / hour | $69,037 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $40.61 / hour | $81,220 |
IBEW Local 640 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (602) 264-4506 to confirm dispatch hours, required documents (union card, certifications, ID) and current list standing before traveling in. Contact details are imported from the UA, SMART and IBEW public directories. Gulfstream is a private recruiting firm, is not affiliated with the local, and does not control hall dispatch.
IBEW Local 640 represents the electrical workforce across Phoenix and central Arizona, serving as a primary labor source for the region's massive industrial and commercial expansion. Established to standardize safety and technical proficiency, this local covers inside wiremen, telecommunications workers, and industrial electricians. The Phoenix market is currently defined by large-scale semiconductor fabrication facilities, hyperscale data center clusters, and a surging healthcare infrastructure sector. These projects require a high volume of skilled labor capable of executing complex power distribution and integrated systems under strict National Electrical Code standards. Local 640 ensures that its members are equipped to handle the unique environmental challenges of the Southwest while maintaining peak productivity for signatory partners.
Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor dynamics within the Phoenix electrical market, noting how Local 640 balances the needs of individual tradespeople with the requirements of major mechanical and electrical contractors. The local operates a robust training infrastructure to meet the demands of a rapidly growing metropolitan area, which remains one of the most active construction environments in the United States. For contractors, the local provides a scalable, pre-vetted workforce that reduces the risks associated with unskilled labor in high-voltage environments. For the electrician, the union offers a structured career path that includes negotiated wage increases and comprehensive benefit protections that often exceed non-union standards in the Arizona right-to-work landscape.
The current Journeyman Wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 640 is set at $40.61, effective July 2026. This base wage is supplemented by a fringe benefit package totaling $14.68, bringing the total taxable and non-taxable compensation to $55.29 per hour. Apprentices follow a strictly defined percentage-based progression that increases as they complete both on-the-job training hours and classroom modules. Typically starting around 40% to 50% of the journeyman rate, apprentices receive scheduled raises roughly every six to twelve months upon meeting performance benchmarks. This progression ensures that as the worker's technical skill and autonomy increase, their compensation reflects their growing value to the signatory contractor. All members should verify their specific classification and any applicable zone pay with the hall.
The jurisdiction for IBEW Local 640 is centered in Phoenix and extends across Maricopa County and several neighboring regions in central and northern Arizona. This vast geographic footprint includes major municipalities such as Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, and Tempe, reaching northward toward Prescott. The work performed under the Inside Wireman agreement encompasses all electrical construction, including high-voltage power systems, lighting, emergency backup generators, and building automation. Dispatch is managed through the local's referral system, where members are assigned to signatory contractors based on their position on the out-of-work list and specific certifications. Travel requirements vary depending on the location of the project, with specific provisions in the CBA addressing work performed outside the immediate Phoenix metropolitan zone.
The contractor landscape for Local 640 is comprised of a diverse mix of large-scale national electrical firms and specialized regional shops. These signatory contractors are heavily involved in the region's booming industrial sector, particularly in the construction of massive microchip manufacturing plants and logistics hubs. There is also a significant presence of contractors focused on commercial tenant improvements, high-rise residential projects, and municipal infrastructure. Hiring cycles are often driven by these large-capital projects, leading to periods of high demand for licensed wiremen. Signatory firms rely on Local 640 to provide a steady stream of manpower that is already safety-trained and drug-screened, which is critical for maintaining project timelines in a fast-paced market.
The Inside Wireman, which Local 640 primarily represents, focuses on the electrical systems within a property line, including power, lighting, and controls. This differs from Outside Linemen who handle utility-scale distribution or Telecommunications technicians who focus strictly on low-voltage data cabling. Inside Wiremen are trained to handle the widest variety of electrical tasks on a construction site.
While Arizona law allows employees to choose whether to join a union, Local 640 maintains its strength through the quality of its training and the superiority of its negotiated benefits. Members benefit from collective bargaining that establishes a floor for wages and safety standards that individual workers would find difficult to negotiate independently in the open market.
Beyond the standard journeyman license or card, many Phoenix projects require OSHA 10 or 30 safety certifications. Due to the high volume of industrial work, specialized certifications in motor controls, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and high-voltage splicing are highly valued and can lead to more consistent employment on complex industrial job sites.
Working in Phoenix requires strict adherence to heat safety protocols. Signatory contractors and the union work together to implement water, rest, and shade programs. Shift times are often adjusted to start earlier in the morning to avoid the peak afternoon heat, ensuring member safety while maintaining the project schedule.
IBEW Local 640 is seated in Phoenix, Arizona (AZ). We hold published wage sheets for 6 locals across Arizona — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Phoenix and the rest of Arizona, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 640. 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 640 pay scale for 2026 is $40.61 per hour for journeymen in Phoenix, AZ, or about $81,220 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $55.29 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/26/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 640 agreement make $40.61 an hour in base wages, or $55.29 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 7/26/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$40.61 per hour base wage and $55.29 per hour total package for a journeyman in Phoenix, AZ, effective 7/26/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $81,220 before overtime.
A Local 640 apprentice in Phoenix, AZ starts at roughly $18.27 an hour — about 45% of the $40.61 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $30.46 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 640 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $18.27 an hour, or roughly $36,549 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $40.61 journeyman rate effective 7/26/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $26.40 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $30.46 an hour in the fourth period and $40.61 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 640 training center.
The current IBEW Local 640 journeyman rate is $40.61/hour, with a total package of $55.29/hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/26/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $81,220 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 640 business office before relying on the figure.
The $40.61/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $55.29/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 640 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 $40.61/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $18.27–$20.31/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 640 is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ 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 640 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 640 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 640 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 640 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 7/26/26 schedule; check with the Local 640 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 640 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
The IBEW Local 640 hall is at 5808 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, serving Phoenix, AZ and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (602) 264-4506.
IBEW Local 640 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (602) 264-4506 to confirm dispatch hours, required documents (union card, certifications, ID) and current list standing before traveling in — Gulfstream does not control hall dispatch.
IBEW Local 640 can be reached at (602) 264-4506. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.