Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 661 in Hutchinson, KS earn $39.95/hr in base wages, or $58.34/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Mar 2026.
IBEW Local 661 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 661 pay scale for 2026 is $39.95 per hour for journeymen in Hutchinson, KS, or about $79,900 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $58.34 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/14/26.
| Local 661 journeyman hourly wage | $39.95 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $58.34 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $79,900 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $17.98–$19.98 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 3/14/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 661 apprentice in Hutchinson, KS starts at roughly $17.98 an hour — about 45% of the $39.95 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $29.96 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 661 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $17.98 / hour | $35,955 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $21.97 / hour | $43,945 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $25.97 / hour | $51,935 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $29.96 / hour | $59,925 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $33.96 / hour | $67,915 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $39.95 / hour | $79,900 |
IBEW Local 661 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals across the Hutchinson, Kansas market and surrounding regions. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored how this local provides a stable workforce for the area's industrial, commercial, and institutional infrastructure. The local is essential to the region's energy grid and industrial manufacturing facilities, ensuring that electrical installations meet the National Electrical Code standards while maintaining high safety benchmarks. Members here focus primarily on power distribution, control systems, and complex wiring for diverse facility types that drive the central Kansas economy.
The market in Hutchinson and the broader jurisdiction relies heavily on a mix of legacy industrial sites and modern commercial developments. Local 661 serves as a critical labor partner for contractors bidding on public works, school renovations, and agricultural processing facilities. Because central Kansas is a hub for specialized manufacturing, the skill set of a Local 661 journeyman must encompass both basic commercial wiring and sophisticated industrial motor controls. This versatility allows the union to maintain a strong market share even as construction cycles fluctuate, providing signatory contractors with a reliable pipeline of vetted, licensed electrical talent.
Based on the figures effective March 14, 2026, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate is $39.95 per hour, contributing to a comprehensive total package of $58.34. The difference between the hourly check and the total package covers the fringe benefits that secure a member's long-term financial health. Apprentices in the Local 661 program earn a percentage of this journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% to 50% for first-year students. As apprentices complete their classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones, their pay scales up in set intervals. This structured progression ensures that labor costs remain predictable for signatory mechanical and electrical primes while rewarding workers as they gain technical proficiency.
The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 661 is centered in Hutchinson and extends throughout several counties in Central and Western Kansas. This territory covers a vast geographic footprint where members are dispatched to various job sites ranging from urban commercial centers to remote industrial outposts. The collective bargaining agreement dictates the travel protocols and zone pay that may apply when working outside the immediate Hutchinson metro area. Signatory contractors operating in this region benefit from a unified labor agreement that covers all inside electrical work, including lighting, power systems, and low-voltage installations, ensuring consistent labor standards across county lines and municipal boundaries.
The contractor landscape for Local 661 is characterized by a blend of regional electrical primes and specialized service contractors. These firms handle everything from large-scale industrial facility maintenance to high-density commercial builds and municipal infrastructure projects. Since 2014, we have observed that the signatory market here is highly competitive, requiring contractors to leverage the superior training of union wiremen to offset tighter margins. Hiring typically follows the referral hall model, where contractors request manpower based on project backlogs, ensuring they can scale their workforce up or down efficiently without the overhead of permanent staffing for every specialized role.
The hourly wage of $39.95 is the gross amount paid directly on the member's paycheck. The total package of $58.34 includes an additional $18.39 in employer-paid benefits like health insurance and pension contributions. These fringes are paid on top of the hourly rate and are not deducted from the member's $39.95 check.
Wage increases are negotiated as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between Local 661 and the regional NECA chapter. These increases usually occur annually or semi-annually on dates specified in the contract. The current rate of $39.95 is scheduled for the March 2026 period.
Yes, as part of the IBEW, Local 661 participates in the ERTS (Electronic Reciprocity Transfer System). This allows travelers from other locals to have their fringe benefits directed back to their home funds while working in the Hutchinson jurisdiction, provided they are in good standing.
The Inside Wireman classification covers the installation and maintenance of electrical systems within commercial and industrial buildings. This includes conduit, wiring, lighting, motors, controllers, and renewable energy systems. It is the broadest and most common classification for electricians in the Local 661 jurisdiction.
IBEW Local 661 is seated in Hutchinson, Kansas (KS). We hold published wage sheets for 6 locals across Kansas — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Hutchinson and the rest of Kansas, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 661. 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 661 pay scale for 2026 is $39.95 per hour for journeymen in Hutchinson, KS, or about $79,900 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $58.34 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/14/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 661 agreement make $39.95 an hour in base wages, or $58.34 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 3/14/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$39.95 per hour base wage and $58.34 per hour total package for a journeyman in Hutchinson, KS, effective 3/14/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $79,900 before overtime.
A Local 661 apprentice in Hutchinson, KS starts at roughly $17.98 an hour — about 45% of the $39.95 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $29.96 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 661 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $17.98 an hour, or roughly $35,955 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $39.95 journeyman rate effective 3/14/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $25.97 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $29.96 an hour in the fourth period and $39.95 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 661 training center.
The current IBEW Local 661 journeyman rate is $39.95/hour, with a total package of $58.34/hour including fringe benefits, effective 3/14/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $79,900 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 661 business office before relying on the figure.
The $39.95/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $58.34/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 661 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 $39.95/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $17.98–$19.98/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 661 is headquartered in Hutchinson, KS 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 661 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 661 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 661 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 661 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 3/14/26 schedule; check with the Local 661 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 661 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.