Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 649 in Alton, IL earn $49.79/hr in base wages, or $75.59/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Apr 2024.
IBEW Local 649 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 649 pay scale is $49.79 per hour for journeymen in Alton, IL, or about $99,580 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $75.59 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 4/12/24.
| Local 649 journeyman hourly wage | $49.79 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $75.59 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $99,580 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $22.41–$24.90 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 4/12/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 649 apprentice in Alton, IL starts at roughly $22.41 an hour — about 45% of the $49.79 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $37.34 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 649 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $22.41 / hour | $44,811 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $27.38 / hour | $54,769 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $32.36 / hour | $64,727 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $37.34 / hour | $74,685 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $42.32 / hour | $84,643 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $49.79 / hour | $99,580 |
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 649 serves as the primary labor source for skilled electricians across the Riverbend region and surrounding Illinois counties. Based in Alton, this local represents a diverse membership of inside wiremen, residential specialists, and telecommunications technicians. The organization manages the labor supply for critical infrastructure, industrial refining facilities, and commercial developments throughout the Metro East area. By maintaining high standards for technical proficiency and safety, Local 649 ensures that its signatory contractors can execute complex electrical installations while providing members with sustainable middle-class careers and robust benefits packages that exceed non-union averages in the Southern Illinois region.
The market for electrical work in this jurisdiction is heavily influenced by the presence of industrial manufacturing, logistics hubs, and educational institutions. Local 649 plays a vital role in coordinating the apprenticeship training and journeyman continuing education necessary to handle modern electrical demands, including renewable energy integration and automated industrial systems. Since 2014, our firm has observed that this local remains a cornerstone of the regional building trades, facilitating cooperation between skilled labor and signatory employers. For contractors, the local provides a scalable workforce that can meet fluctuating demand for large-scale capital projects or long-term facility maintenance without the overhead of permanent internal recruitment.
["As of the April 12, 2024 update, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for IBEW Local 649 is established at $49.79 per hour. When accounting for the fringe benefit package, the total compensation reaches $75.59 per hour. This gap of $25.80 represents the employer-paid contributions toward retirement, healthcare, and training. Apprentices in the five-year program enter at a set percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40-45% and advancing in annual increments upon the successful completion of classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled increases provide a clear path to the full $49.79 scale. Prospective members and traveling wiremen should contact the Alton business office to confirm current deductions and any specific subsistence or travel pay provisions outlined in the collective bargaining agreement."]
["IBEW Local 649 holds jurisdiction over a specific multi-county area in Southwestern Illinois, centered around Alton and extending through Madison, Jersey, and Greene counties. The territory covers a strategic corridor of the Mississippi River, encompassing heavy industrial zones, suburban commercial developments, and rural residential areas. Work performed under this jurisdiction includes the installation and maintenance of electrical systems in refineries, hospitals, and public schools. Members are dispatched through a standardized referral system based on the out-of-work list, ensuring fair distribution of labor. The local also coordinates with neighboring IBEW locals for large-scale regional projects that require a unified labor response across county lines."]
["The signatory contractor landscape for IBEW Local 649 is comprised of diverse entities ranging from large-scale industrial electrical primes to specialized commercial service shops. These firms rely on the local's hiring hall to staff projects in the refinery sectors and large institutional builds. The relationship between the local and its signatory partners is managed through the a mechanical contractor Association (NECA), ensuring standardized bidding and labor costs. Hiring activity is generally robust in the Metro East, driven by steady demand in the manufacturing and healthcare sectors. Contractors benefit from a workforce that is already drug-tested, OSHA-certified, and technically trained through the JATC."]
The hourly wage of $49.79 is the gross amount appearing on a member's paycheck before taxes. The total package of $75.59 includes an additional $25.80 in employer-paid benefits like health insurance and retirement funds. These benefits are paid by the contractor in addition to the wage, not deducted from it, providing a higher overall value than most non-union positions.
Yes, while the Inside Wireman agreement covers heavy commercial and industrial work, Local 649 also maintains provisions for residential electrical work. The residential scale and benefits may differ from the commercial/industrial building trades agreement. This allows signatory contractors to remain competitive in the home construction and renovation market while still utilizing skilled, organized labor.
Traveling wiremen from other IBEW locals must sign 'Book 2' at the Alton hall. Local 649 members have priority on 'Book 1'. When local demand exceeds the available resident workforce, travelers are dispatched to signatory contractors. All travelers must provide a current dues receipt and a travel letter from their home local's business manager.
The jurisdiction is home to significant industrial activity, including steel processing, petroleum refining, and manufacturing. Electricians in this local frequently work on high-voltage power distribution, motor control centers, and complex instrumentation. The presence of the Mississippi River also leads to work involving maritime logistics facilities and infrastructure projects like locks and dams.
IBEW Local 649 is seated in Alton, Illinois (IL). We hold published wage sheets for 26 locals across Illinois — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Alton and the rest of Illinois, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 649. 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 649 pay scale is $49.79 per hour for journeymen in Alton, IL, or about $99,580 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $75.59 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 4/12/24.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 649 agreement make $49.79 an hour in base wages, or $75.59 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 4/12/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$49.79 per hour base wage and $75.59 per hour total package for a journeyman in Alton, IL, effective 4/12/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $99,580 before overtime.
A Local 649 apprentice in Alton, IL starts at roughly $22.41 an hour — about 45% of the $49.79 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $37.34 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 649 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $22.41 an hour, or roughly $44,811 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $49.79 journeyman rate effective 4/12/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $32.36 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $37.34 an hour in the fourth period and $49.79 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 649 training center.
The current IBEW Local 649 journeyman rate is $49.79/hour, with a total package of $75.59/hour including fringe benefits, effective 4/12/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $99,580 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 649 business office before relying on the figure.
The $49.79/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $75.59/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 649 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 $49.79/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $22.41–$24.90/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 649 is headquartered in Alton, IL 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 649 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 649 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 649 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 649 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 4/12/24 schedule; check with the Local 649 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 649 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.