Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 648 in Hamilton, OH earn $34/hr in base wages, or $53.67/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jul 2024.
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IBEW Local 648 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 648 pay scale is $34.00 per hour for journeymen in Hamilton, OH, or about $68,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $53.67 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 7/26/24.
| Local 648 journeyman hourly wage | $34.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $53.67 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $68,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $15.30–$17.00 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 7/26/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 648 apprentice in Hamilton, OH starts at roughly $15.30 an hour — about 45% of the $34.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $25.50 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 648 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $15.30 / hour | $30,600 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $18.70 / hour | $37,400 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $22.10 / hour | $44,200 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $25.50 / hour | $51,000 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $28.90 / hour | $57,800 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $34.00 / hour | $68,000 |
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Local 648 wages: $34.00 an hour on the journeyman scale, $53.67 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 7/26/24. That is the most recent Hamilton, OH sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 37% of the IBEW Local 648 package is employer-paid benefits and fringes rather than wages, which is why the package figure and a take-home hourly rate are not the same number.
Unverified: crowd-sourced figure (unionpayscales.com), not confirmed against the local's own wage sheet
Download the IBEW Local 648 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective July 26, 2024.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $19.67/hr | Derived: total package minus base wage. This is the employer's combined hourly contribution to the funds, not take-home pay. |
|---|---|---|
| What the contributions fund | Health & welfare, pension, annuity, training and industry funds | Standard fund categories in mechanical and electrical agreements. The exact split between funds is set in the local's agreement — the hall or fund office publishes the schedule. |
| Paid on | Every hour worked | Fringe contributions are made per hour worked, so they scale with dispatched hours and are paid to the funds rather than to the member. |
The rates above are the IBEW Local 648 scale used across the Hamilton, OH area. Members dispatched out of this hall work commercial and industrial electrical, building automation and controls wiring, data and low-voltage systems and service and retrofit work for signatory contractors throughout the Hamilton metro, so a electrician wage quoted locally is normally this scale plus the fringe package shown in the table.
Gulfstream recruits electrician talent for commercial mechanical, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around Hamilton. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 648 rates. For current Hamilton scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
IBEW Local 648 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — contact the hall to confirm dispatch procedure and what to bring 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 648 serves as the primary labor organization for electrical workers throughout Butler County and the surrounding southwestern Ohio region. Chartered to provide skilled manpower for commercial, industrial, and residential sectors, the local maintains a rigorous standard for craftsmanship through its partnership with the a mechanical contractor Association. The Hamilton market acts as a critical hub for industrial manufacturing and healthcare infrastructure, creating a consistent demand for journeyman wiremen capable of handling complex power systems, lighting, and integrated controls. As part of a larger regional electrical corridor, Local 648 ensures that its members are equipped to meet the evolving technical requirements of modern job sites while maintaining strict safety protocols.
The presence of Local 648 in the Hamilton area is vital for ensuring labor stability across diverse project types, ranging from municipal upgrades to heavy industrial installations. By providing a centralized dispatch and standardized training through the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, the local allows signatory contractors to scale their workforce rapidly to meet project deadlines. For the tradesperson, this structure offers a clear career path with negotiated benefits and a collective bargaining agreement that protects both working conditions and compensation. The strength of this local is rooted in its ability to supply a highly specialized workforce that supports the regional economy's growth and the maintenance of critical electrical infrastructure across its chartered territory.
As of the July 26, 2024 update, the journeyman hourly rate for IBEW Local 648 is set at $34.00, contributing to a total compensation package of $53.67 when including fringe benefits. This package reflects the negotiated value of the electrician's skill set in the Hamilton market. Apprentices within the program follow a structured wage progression typically starting at a percentage of the journeyman rate, such as 40% or 50%, and increasing annually as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled raises ensure that as an apprentice's competency and responsibility increase, their compensation follows suit. The difference between the hourly take-home pay and the total package covers essential employer-paid contributions to retirement and healthcare, providing a level of financial security not typically found in non-union electrical roles.
The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 648 is centered in Hamilton, Ohio, and encompasses the entirety of Butler County, while also extending into portions of Warren and Preble Counties. This territory defines where the local has the exclusive right to supply labor under its collective bargaining agreement. Members may be dispatched to various sites within this footprint, ranging from urban commercial developments to rural industrial facilities. The local's authority covers all inside electrical work, including the installation of conduits, wiring, switchgear, and low-voltage systems. Contractors operating within these boundaries must adhere to the dispatch rules and wage scales established by the local, ensuring a level playing field for all signatory employers and consistent standards for the workforce.
The signatory contractor landscape for IBEW Local 648 is comprised of a diverse mix of regional mechanical-electrical primes and specialized local shops. These employers range from large-scale industrial contractors that manage heavy manufacturing plant maintenance to commercial firms focused on retail, education, and healthcare facilities. Because Hamilton sits between major metropolitan centers, these contractors often operate across county lines, requiring a workforce that is mobile and versatile. The relationship between the local and its signatory partners is governed by a commitment to productivity and safety, which allows these firms to bid on high-stakes public and private projects that require guaranteed labor quality and adherence to strict building codes.
The total package for a journeyman wireman is $53.67 per hour as of the July 2024 update. This includes the $34.00 hourly base wage plus $19.67 in various fringe benefits such as health insurance, pension contributions, and training funds. It is important to distinguish between the check amount and the total cost of labor, which includes these employer-paid benefits.
Wage adjustments are typically negotiated as part of a multi-year collective bargaining agreement. These increases are usually scheduled annually or bi-annually. The specific allocation between the base wage and fringe benefits is determined by a vote of the membership, allowing them to prioritize either take-home pay or long-term benefits like pension and healthcare funding.
While Local 648 is primarily known for its inside wireman (commercial/industrial) agreement, they often have provisions for residential work. Residential rates are generally lower than the commercial scale due to different market demands, but the work still offers structured benefits and training. Interested applicants should ask the JATC specifically about the residential wireman program availability.
Travelers and members from other locals may work in Local 648's jurisdiction via 'Book 2' at the dispatch hall. To permanently transfer membership, often called 'joining the book,' a member typically needs to work a specific number of hours in the jurisdiction and receive approval from the local's executive board, following the rules set in the IBEW Constitution.
IBEW Local 648 is seated in Hamilton, Ohio (OH). We hold published wage sheets for 31 locals across Ohio — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle — confirm with the hall.
The Local 648 pay scale is $34.00 per hour for journeymen in Hamilton, OH, or about $68,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $53.67 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 7/26/24.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 648 agreement make $34.00 an hour in base wages, or $53.67 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 7/26/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$34.00 per hour base wage and $53.67 per hour total package for a journeyman in Hamilton, OH, effective 7/26/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $68,000 before overtime.
A Local 648 apprentice in Hamilton, OH starts at roughly $15.30 an hour — about 45% of the $34.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $25.50 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 648 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $15.30 an hour, or roughly $30,600 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $34.00 journeyman rate effective 7/26/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $22.10 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $25.50 an hour in the fourth period and $34.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 648 training center.
Local 648 wages: $34.00 an hour on the journeyman scale, $53.67 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 7/26/24. That is the most recent Hamilton, OH sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Yes — a one-page printable IBEW Local 648 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ibew-local-648-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $34.00 hourly scale, the $53.67 total package and the 7/26/24 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current IBEW Local 648 journeyman rate is $34.00/hour, with a total package of $53.67/hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/26/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $68,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 648 business office before relying on the figure.
The $34.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $53.67/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 648 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 $34.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $15.30–$17.00/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 648 is headquartered in Hamilton, OH 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 648 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 648 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 648 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 648 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 7/26/24 schedule; check with the Local 648 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 648 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
The IBEW Local 648 hall is at 4300 Millikin Rd, Liberty Township, OH 45011, serving Hamilton, OH and the surrounding jurisdiction.
IBEW Local 648 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Contact the hall 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 648 does not publish a phone number in the directory data we import; check the local's official site for current contact details.
$34.00/hr in base wages for journeyman inside wireman, or $53.67/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective July 26, 2024 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
July 26, 2024. The source wage sheet is more than 18 months old, so a mid-term raise may already be in effect. Confirm the current step with the local's business office before extending an offer.
No — the $34.00/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $19.67/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $53.67/hr package.
No. Gulfstream Strategic Placements is a private mechanical construction recruiting firm. We are not affiliated with the local, we do not run dispatch, and we do not set or negotiate union rates. We publish the local's own sourced figures as a reference for members and contractors.
Moderate confidence — last cross-checked against the source on Sep 23, 2026 (7 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.