Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 716 in Houston, TX earn $38.50/hr in base wages, or $48.82/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Sep 2025.
IBEW Local 716 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 716 pay scale for 2026 is $38.50 per hour for journeymen in Houston, TX, or about $77,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $48.82 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 9/7/25.
| Local 716 journeyman hourly wage | $38.50 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $48.82 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $77,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $17.33–$19.25 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 9/7/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 716 apprentice in Houston, TX starts at roughly $17.33 an hour — about 45% of the $38.50 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.88 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 716 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $17.33 / hour | $34,650 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $21.18 / hour | $42,350 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $25.03 / hour | $50,050 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $28.88 / hour | $57,750 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $32.73 / hour | $65,450 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $38.50 / hour | $77,000 |
IBEW Local 716 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (713) 869-8900 to confirm dispatch hours, 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 716 represents the electrical trade across the Houston metropolitan area and surrounding Gulf Coast counties. As a cornerstone of the Texas building trades, this local provides skilled labor for a massive industrial and commercial corridor, ranging from the Port of Houston to the Texas Medical Center. The local is responsible for ensuring that inside wiremen, telecommunications workers, and specialized technicians meet the rigorous demands of one of the nation’s largest energy and healthcare hubs. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this market, recognizing the local's role in supplying the technical expertise required for complex power systems, automation, and infrastructure maintenance.
The Houston market is characterized by high-volume construction and a heavy emphasis on industrial reliability. Local 716 members work under the Inside Wireman Agreement, which establishes the standards for safety, training, and compensation in a right-to-work environment. The local operates in close coordination with the a mechanical contractor Association (NECA) to maintain a pipeline of qualified talent through the Houston Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. For contractors, the local offers a scalable workforce capable of meeting the compressed schedules common in large-scale refinery turnarounds and high-rise commercial developments. This stability makes the jurisdiction a critical benchmark for electrical labor costs in Southeast Texas.
Based on the figures effective September 7, 2025, the Journeyman Wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 716 is set at $38.50. When including the fringe benefit contributions, the total compensation package reaches $48.82 per hour. Apprentices in the Houston JATC program earn a progressive percentage of this journeyman rate, typically starting around 40-50% for first-year students and increasing annually as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled increases ensure that labor costs remain predictable for signatory contractors while providing a clear career trajectory for workers. All members should verify their specific classification and any recent cost-of-living adjustments directly with the Local 716 business office or through the current NECA-IBEW collective bargaining agreement documentation.
IBEW Local 716 holds jurisdiction over the electrical construction market in Houston and several surrounding counties, including a mechanical contractor, Montgomery, and Brazoria. The territory covers a diverse landscape of residential, commercial, and heavy industrial zones. Members are dispatched to job sites ranging from downtown corporate headquarters to suburban school districts and industrial facilities along the Houston Ship Channel. The jurisdiction requires a mix of maintenance, new construction, and retrofit work. Travel within the jurisdiction is standard, and the local maintains strict standards for work performed under their charter to ensure consistency across the diverse geographic footprint of Southeast Texas.
The signatory landscape for Local 716 includes a mix of large-scale mechanical-electrical primes and specialized electrical subcontractors. These firms handle the bulk of the high-complexity work in Houston’s energy sector and institutional markets. Hiring typically fluctuates based on major capital projects in the Texas Medical Center and industrial expansions in the ship channel area. Signatory contractors benefit from a referral system that allows them to scale their workforce quickly without the overhead of permanent recruitment. This ecosystem supports both massive commercial builds and smaller service-oriented contracts, providing a stable environment for both union members and participating employers since 2014.
The hourly rate of $38.50 is the gross pay appearing on a member's paycheck before taxes. The total package of $48.82 includes an additional $10.32 per hour paid by the contractor into fringe benefits like health insurance, pensions, and training funds. These benefits are paid on top of the wage and are not deducted from the journeyman's hourly pay.
Yes, all journeymen working in the jurisdiction must hold a valid Texas Journeyman Electrician License issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The local and the JATC provide resources to help apprentices prepare for the state exam, but maintaining the license is a requirement for legal employment on site.
Wage increases are determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiated between Local 716 and the Southeast Texas Chapter of NECA. These increases are usually scheduled annually or bi-annually. The current $38.50 rate is effective as of September 2025, and future adjustments will depend on the next contract negotiation cycle.
Travelers from other locals may work in Local 716's jurisdiction by signing the 'Book 2' referral list. Work availability for travelers depends on the local manning requirements; if local members (Book 1) are all employed, the hall will dispatch qualified travelers. A valid Texas state electrical license is still required for most inside wireman positions.
IBEW Local 716 is seated in Houston, Texas (TX). We hold published wage sheets for 20 locals across Texas — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Houston and the rest of Texas, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 716. Our office is in South Corona, California and we place union-scale tradespeople and field leadership nationwide.
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Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle — confirm with the hall.
The Local 716 pay scale for 2026 is $38.50 per hour for journeymen in Houston, TX, or about $77,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $48.82 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 9/7/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 716 agreement make $38.50 an hour in base wages, or $48.82 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 9/7/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$38.50 per hour base wage and $48.82 per hour total package for a journeyman in Houston, TX, effective 9/7/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $77,000 before overtime.
A Local 716 apprentice in Houston, TX starts at roughly $17.33 an hour — about 45% of the $38.50 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.88 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 716 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $17.33 an hour, or roughly $34,650 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $38.50 journeyman rate effective 9/7/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $25.03 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $28.88 an hour in the fourth period and $38.50 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 716 training center.
The current IBEW Local 716 journeyman rate is $38.50/hour, with a total package of $48.82/hour including fringe benefits, effective 9/7/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $77,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 716 business office before relying on the figure.
The $38.50/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $48.82/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 716 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 $38.50/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $17.33–$19.25/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 716 is headquartered in Houston, TX 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 716 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 716 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 716 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 716 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 9/7/25 schedule; check with the Local 716 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 716 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
The IBEW Local 716 hall is at 1475 N Loop W, Houston, TX 77008, serving Houston, TX and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (713) 869-8900.
IBEW Local 716 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (713) 869-8900 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 716 can be reached at (713) 869-8900. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.