Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 700 in Fort Smith, AR earn $30.03/hr in base wages, or $43.63/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Dec 2025.
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IBEW Local 700 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 700 pay scale for 2026 is $30.03 per hour for journeymen in Fort Smith, AR, or about $60,060 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $43.63 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 12/22/25.
| Local 700 journeyman hourly wage | $30.03 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $43.63 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $60,060 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $13.51–$15.02 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 12/22/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 700 apprentice in Fort Smith, AR starts at roughly $13.51 an hour — about 45% of the $30.03 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $22.52 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 700 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $13.51 / hour | $27,027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $16.52 / hour | $33,033 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $19.52 / hour | $39,039 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $22.52 / hour | $45,045 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $25.53 / hour | $51,051 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $30.03 / hour | $60,060 |
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Local 700 wages: $30.03 an hour on the journeyman scale, $43.63 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 12/22/25. That is the most recent Fort Smith, AR sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 31% of the IBEW Local 700 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 700 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective December 22, 2025.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $13.60/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 700 scale used across the Fort Smith, AR 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 Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 700 rates. For current Fort Smith scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
IBEW Local 700 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 700 represents skilled electrical workers across Western and Northwestern Arkansas, headquartered in Fort Smith. As a charter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, this local manages the labor supply for critical commercial, industrial, and residential projects throughout the region. The market is defined by a mix of heavy industrial manufacturing, healthcare facility expansion, and the robust commercial growth surrounding the Interstate 49 corridor. Members are trained to install and maintain complex power systems, lighting, and control circuitry while adhering to the National Electrical Code and strict safety standards required by signatory partners.
The electrical trade in Arkansas remains a vital component of the state's infrastructure development and industrial modernization. Local 700 serves as a central hub for workforce development, ensuring that signatory contractors have access to a pool of highly qualified Inside Wiremen. This partnership allows for the successful execution of large-scale builds, from food processing plants and paper mills to modern retail and office complexes. By maintaining high training standards through their Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, the local ensures that the regional electrical grid and private developments are serviced by technicians who prioritize long-term reliability and operational efficiency.
Based on the 12/22/25 effective rate, the Journeyman Inside Wireman hourly wage is set at $30.03, with a total compensation package reaching $43.63 when fringes are included. Apprentices follow a structured percentage-based wage scale that increases as they complete specific milestones of their five-year program. Typically, a first-year apprentice starts at a set percentage of the journeyman rate, often around 40-50%, and receives incremental raises every 1,000 hours of on-the-job training coupled with successful classroom completion. This progression ensures that as the worker's technical proficiency in conduit bending, circuit design, and motor controls grows, their compensation reflects their increased value to the signatory contractor and the project site.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 700 encompasses several counties in Western and Northwestern Arkansas, centered around the Fort Smith metropolitan area. The territory covers a significant geographic footprint where members are dispatched to various job sites ranging from urban commercial centers to remote industrial facilities. The local maintains authority over all electrical work defined in their collective bargaining agreement, including power distribution, interior wiring, and specialized systems. Members must be prepared for travel within these designated counties, and contractors operating in this zone must adhere to the specific wage and benefit standards established for this region to ensure fair competition and labor stability.
The signatory landscape for Local 700 consists of a diverse array of electrical firms ranging from large regional primes to specialized service shops. These contractors handle everything from multi-million dollar industrial installations and high-voltage substation work to routine commercial maintenance and emergency repairs. The hiring environment is driven by the project cycles of the area's major employers in manufacturing and logistics. Because these signatory firms utilize the local's referral hall, they can scale their workforce rapidly to meet the demands of large outages or accelerated construction schedules, providing members with exposure to varied work environments and complex technical challenges across the Arkansas River Valley.
The hourly rate of $30.03 is the gross amount paid on the member's weekly paycheck before taxes. The total package of $43.63 includes an additional $13.60 per hour in employer-paid benefits. These benefits, such as health insurance and pension contributions, are paid directly into trust funds on the member's behalf and are not deducted from the hourly wage.
While Local 700 focuses heavily on commercial and industrial 'Inside Wireman' work, they may have residential classifications or specific agreements for larger multi-family housing projects. Most members work on high-value projects like schools, hospitals, and factories. Applicants interested specifically in residential work should ask the business manager about current residential market share and specific scales.
Yes, IBEW Local 700 and the JATC provide journeyman upgrade classes. These cover evolving technologies such as electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, advanced PLC programming, instrumentation, and updated National Electrical Code requirements. Keeping these certifications current is essential for members who want to remain eligible for specialized foreman roles or highly technical industrial assignments.
Local 700 operates a referral hall where out-of-work members register on an 'out-of-work list.' When signatory contractors need manpower, they submit a request to the hall. Members are dispatched based on their position on the list and their qualifications. This system ensures fair distribution of work and allows members to move between different contractors as project needs fluctuate.
IBEW Local 700 is seated in Fort Smith, Arkansas (AR). We hold published wage sheets for 5 locals across Arkansas — 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 700 pay scale for 2026 is $30.03 per hour for journeymen in Fort Smith, AR, or about $60,060 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $43.63 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 12/22/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 700 agreement make $30.03 an hour in base wages, or $43.63 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 12/22/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$30.03 per hour base wage and $43.63 per hour total package for a journeyman in Fort Smith, AR, effective 12/22/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $60,060 before overtime.
A Local 700 apprentice in Fort Smith, AR starts at roughly $13.51 an hour — about 45% of the $30.03 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $22.52 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 700 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $13.51 an hour, or roughly $27,027 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $30.03 journeyman rate effective 12/22/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $19.52 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $22.52 an hour in the fourth period and $30.03 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 700 training center.
Local 700 wages: $30.03 an hour on the journeyman scale, $43.63 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 12/22/25. That is the most recent Fort Smith, AR sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published IBEW Local 700 journeyman rate is $30.03 an hour ($43.63 total package), effective 12/22/25 — roughly $60,060 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable IBEW Local 700 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ibew-local-700-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $30.03 hourly scale, the $43.63 total package and the 12/22/25 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current IBEW Local 700 journeyman rate is $30.03/hour, with a total package of $43.63/hour including fringe benefits, effective 12/22/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $60,060 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 700 business office before relying on the figure.
The $30.03/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $43.63/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 700 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 $30.03/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $13.51–$15.02/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 700 is headquartered in Fort Smith, AR 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 700 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 700 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 700 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 700 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 12/22/25 schedule; check with the Local 700 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 700 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
The IBEW Local 700 hall is at 2914 Midland Blvd, Fort Smith, AR 72904, serving Fort Smith, AR and the surrounding jurisdiction.
IBEW Local 700 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 700 does not publish a phone number in the directory data we import; check the local's official site for current contact details.
$30.03/hr in base wages for journeyman inside wireman, or $43.63/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective December 22, 2025 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
December 22, 2025. 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 $30.03/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $13.60/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $43.63/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.