Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 68 in Denver, CO earn $49.35/hr in base wages, or $68.08/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jul 2026.
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IBEW Local 68 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 68 pay scale for 2026 is $49.35 per hour for journeymen in Denver, CO, or about $98,700 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $68.08 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/31/26.
| Local 68 journeyman hourly wage | $49.35 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $68.08 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $98,700 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $22.21–$24.68 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 7/31/26 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 68 apprentice in Denver, CO starts at roughly $22.21 an hour — about 45% of the $49.35 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $37.01 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 68 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $22.21 / hour | $44,415 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $27.14 / hour | $54,285 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $32.08 / hour | $64,155 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $37.01 / hour | $74,025 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $41.95 / hour | $83,895 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $49.35 / hour | $98,700 |
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Local 68 wages: $49.35 an hour on the journeyman scale, $68.08 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 7/31/26. That is the most recent Denver, CO sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 28% of the IBEW Local 68 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 68 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective July 31, 2026.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $18.73/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 68 scale used across the Denver, CO 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 Denver 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 Denver. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 68 rates. For current Denver scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
IBEW Local 68 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (303) 297-0229 to confirm dispatch procedure, 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 68 represents organized electrical workers across the Denver metropolitan area and throughout northeastern Colorado. Chartered in 1900, this local oversees a vast jurisdiction that includes the state's most critical infrastructure, commercial centers, and industrial facilities. The organization provides the skilled labor force necessary for large-scale construction, high-voltage installations, and integrated communication systems. As Colorado's population and industrial footprint continue to expand, Local 68 serves as the primary labor source for contractors requiring licensed, safety-trained electricians capable of meeting rigorous National Electrical Code standards while maintaining project timelines in a fast-paced mountain west construction environment.
The market for Local 68 is characterized by a mix of massive public works projects, high-density residential developments, and specialized technology sectors including data centers and aerospace facilities. Signatory contractors within this local rely on a standardized training program to ensure that all journeyman wiremen and apprentices possess uniform skills. This stability allows the Denver electrical market to remain competitive against non-union labor by offering superior productivity and safety records. For the electrician, membership provides access to a structured career path with defined wage increases, portable benefits, and the collective bargaining power required to maintain a middle-class standard of living within the increasingly expensive Front Range corridor.
The economic framework for IBEW Local 68 is built around a transparent scale that rewards skill acquisition and tenure. As of the July 31, 2026 effective date, the Journeyman Wireman hourly rate is set at $49.35, with a total compensation package reaching $68.08 per hour when including all fringe benefits. Apprentices follow a strictly regulated progression, typically starting at a percentage of the journeyman rate—often around 40 to 50 percent—and receiving scheduled increases every six to twelve months as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the time an apprentice reaches their final year of the five-year program, they generally earn 80 to 90 percent of the full scale. This system ensures that labor costs remain predictable for signatory contractors while providing a clear financial roadmap for new entrants into the electrical trade.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 68 covers a significant portion of Colorado, extending from the Denver metro hub through the northeastern plains to the state lines of Nebraska and Wyoming. This territory includes high-activity zones such as the Denver Tech Center, Denver International Airport, and various municipal redevelopment districts. The work covered under this agreement encompasses all aspects of electrical construction, including inside wireman tasks, telecommunications, fire alarm systems, and industrial motor controls. Members dispatched within this jurisdiction may work on diverse sites ranging from downtown skyscrapers to remote water treatment plants, with travel and subsistence rules governed by the specific terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement relative to the dispatch point in Denver.
The contractor landscape in Denver consists of a robust network of signatory firms ranging from small, specialized shops to some of the largest electrical contractors in the United States. These firms primarily focus on large-scale commercial builds, healthcare facilities, and heavy industrial work where technical complexity is high. The hiring environment is driven by the Local 68 referral system, ensuring that contractors receive qualified labor based on specific project needs. While some contractors specialize in service and maintenance for corporate campuses, the majority of the man-hours are generated through new construction and major renovations of Denver’s aging infrastructure, creating a consistent demand for licensed journeymen.
The hourly wage of $49.35 is the gross amount appearing on an electrician's paycheck before taxes. The total package of $68.08 includes the hourly wage plus the dollar value of employer-paid benefits like health insurance and pension contributions. These benefits are paid by the contractor in addition to the wage and are not deducted from the employee's $49.35 hourly rate.
Yes, to work as a Journeyman Wireman within the jurisdiction, you must hold a valid Colorado State Journeyman Electrician License. The union and the JATC provide the necessary training and hours verification required by the state regulatory board. Apprentices work under the supervision of licensed journeymen while they accumulate the 8,000 hours of experience required for state testing.
Local 68 members have the ability to work as 'travelers' in other IBEW jurisdictions across the country if the local Denver work sign is slow. Conversely, when large projects like airport expansions or data centers create a labor shortage in Denver, the local will open calls to travelers from other locals, provided they meet Colorado's licensing reciprocity requirements.
Members typically participate in three distinct retirement layers: the National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF), a local pension or annuity fund, and Social Security. The NEBF is a defined-benefit plan, meaning your monthly check at retirement is based on how many years you worked. The annuity acts more like a 401k, where contributions grow over time based on market performance.
IBEW Local 68 is seated in Denver, Colorado (CO). We hold published wage sheets for 8 locals across Colorado — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits mechanical construction and service staff for contractors across Denver, CO, including shops signatory to IBEW Local 68. See the roles we fill there, how the search runs and what it costs: Denver mechanical recruiter. Post a role.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Denver and the rest of Colorado, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 68. 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 68 pay scale for 2026 is $49.35 per hour for journeymen in Denver, CO, or about $98,700 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $68.08 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/31/26.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 68 agreement make $49.35 an hour in base wages, or $68.08 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 7/31/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$49.35 per hour base wage and $68.08 per hour total package for a journeyman in Denver, CO, effective 7/31/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $98,700 before overtime.
A Local 68 apprentice in Denver, CO starts at roughly $22.21 an hour — about 45% of the $49.35 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $37.01 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 68 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $22.21 an hour, or roughly $44,415 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $49.35 journeyman rate effective 7/31/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $32.08 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $37.01 an hour in the fourth period and $49.35 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 68 training center.
Local 68 wages: $49.35 an hour on the journeyman scale, $68.08 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 7/31/26. That is the most recent Denver, CO sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published IBEW Local 68 journeyman rate is $49.35 an hour ($68.08 total package), effective 7/31/26 — roughly $98,700 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable IBEW Local 68 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ibew-local-68-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $49.35 hourly scale, the $68.08 total package and the 7/31/26 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current IBEW Local 68 journeyman rate is $49.35/hour, with a total package of $68.08/hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/31/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $98,700 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 68 business office before relying on the figure.
The $49.35/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $68.08/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 68 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 $49.35/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $22.21–$24.68/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 68 is headquartered in Denver, CO 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 68 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 68 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 68 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 68 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 7/31/26 schedule; check with the Local 68 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 68 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
The IBEW Local 68 hall is at 5660 Logan Street, Denver, CO 80216, serving Denver, CO and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (303) 297-0229.
IBEW Local 68 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (303) 297-0229 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 68 can be reached at (303) 297-0229. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
$49.35/hr in base wages for journeyman inside wireman, or $68.08/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective July 31, 2026 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
July 31, 2026. Pulled from the local's current published CBA wage sheet on unionpayscales.com and cross-checked at build time. High confidence for offer benchmarking.
No — the $49.35/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $18.73/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $68.08/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.
High 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.