Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 73 in Spokane, WA earn $49.55/hr in base wages, or $71.29/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jul 2025.
IBEW Local 73 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 73 pay scale for 2026 is $49.55 per hour for journeymen in Spokane, WA, or about $99,100 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $71.29 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/28/25.
| Local 73 journeyman hourly wage | $49.55 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $71.29 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $99,100 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $22.30–$24.78 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 7/28/25 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 73 apprentice in Spokane, WA starts at roughly $22.30 an hour — about 45% of the $49.55 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $37.16 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 73 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $22.30 / hour | $44,595 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $27.25 / hour | $54,505 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $32.21 / hour | $64,415 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $37.16 / hour | $74,325 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $42.12 / hour | $84,235 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $49.55 / hour | $99,100 |
IBEW Local 73 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (509) 326-2182 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.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 73 represents skilled inside wiremen, residential electricians, and telecommunications technicians across Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. Based in Spokane, this local serves as the primary labor source for complex electrical installations in a region defined by rapid healthcare expansion, higher education infrastructure, and manufacturing growth. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the Inland Northwest market, noting that Local 73 members provide the technical expertise required for high-voltage systems, industrial motor controls, and sophisticated building automation. The local ensures that signatory contractors have access to a pool of state-certified journey-level workers who have completed rigorous safety and technical training standards.
The Inland Northwest electrical market is particularly competitive due to the diversity of its project pipeline, ranging from hydroelectric facility maintenance to large-scale commercial developments. Local 73 operates a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) that maintains the supply of labor for the region's largest signatory mechanical and electrical primes. Because the jurisdiction spans two states, the local manages the nuances of both Washington and Idaho licensing requirements. This creates a stable environment for contractors who need to scale their crews quickly for major capital projects while maintaining adherence to the National Electrical Code and local municipal standards. The strength of this local lies in its ability to standardize labor costs and quality across a vast geographic footprint.
As of the July 28, 2025, scheduled increase, the Journeyman Inside Wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 73 is established at $49.55. When accounting for the full fringe benefit load, the total package reaches $71.29 per hour. Apprentices follow a strict step-up progression based on a percentage of the journeyman scale, typically starting at 40-50% for first-year students and increasing annually as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled raises are contingent upon the successful completion of both the JATC curriculum and the accumulation of 2,000 work hours per year. This transparent structure allows both the worker and the signatory contractor to project labor costs and earnings with high accuracy over the duration of a multi-year project cycle.
The chartered jurisdiction for IBEW Local 73 covers a significant portion of the Inland Empire, including the metropolitan Spokane area and extending across the state line into the Idaho Panhandle. The territory includes several counties in Eastern Washington and stretches through Northern Idaho to the Canadian border. This expansive reach requires a coordinated dispatch system to ensure that signatory contractors are staffed for projects in rural utility sectors as well as urban commercial centers. The Inside Wireman agreement covers all electrical work within the property lines of any given site, including power distribution, lighting, and equipment wiring for industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities throughout these designated counties.
The signatory contractor landscape for Local 73 is composed of a mix of national electrical firms and established regional shops that specialize in the Inland Northwest market. These contractors primarily engage in the commercial and industrial sectors, taking on significant roles in the construction of medical centers, data facilities, and public works projects. The relationship between the local and its signatory partners is managed through the a mechanical contractor Association (NECA), ensuring that labor-management relations remain stable. Hiring typically follows the fluctuations of the regional bidding cycle, with peak demand often occurring during major institutional expansions or summer construction windows in the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene corridors.
Inside Wiremen are trained to work on industrial and commercial projects, involving complex conduit systems, high-voltage distribution, and motor controls. Residential Wiremen focus specifically on wood-frame multi-family and single-family housing. The wage scale for Inside Wiremen is higher due to the increased complexity and broader scope of work required under the Inside Wireman Agreement compared to the Residential Agreement.
Yes, as a member of the IBEW, Local 73 participates in the national referral system. Local members are listed on 'Book 1,' while members from other locals looking for work in Spokane are listed on 'Book 2.' Dispatch priority is given to Local 73 members, but during periods of high demand, travelers are often utilized to fill manpower needs on large-scale projects.
Wage increases are determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiated between the union and NECA contractors. Typically, these agreements include scheduled annual or semi-annual bumps to the hourly rate or fringe benefits. The $49.55 journeyman rate is the scheduled figure effective July 28, 2025. Future increases are subject to new contract negotiations upon the current agreement's expiration.
While the local covers counties in both states, members must adhere to state-specific licensing laws. Washington requires an EL01 certificate for general journeyman work, while Idaho has its own journeyman electrician license. Many members in this local hold reciprocal licenses or maintain certifications in both states to maximize their employability across the full geographic jurisdiction of the Spokane-based hall.
IBEW Local 73 is seated in Spokane, Washington (WA). We hold published wage sheets for 11 locals across Washington — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Spokane and the rest of Washington, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 73. 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 73 pay scale for 2026 is $49.55 per hour for journeymen in Spokane, WA, or about $99,100 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $71.29 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/28/25.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 73 agreement make $49.55 an hour in base wages, or $71.29 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 7/28/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$49.55 per hour base wage and $71.29 per hour total package for a journeyman in Spokane, WA, effective 7/28/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $99,100 before overtime.
A Local 73 apprentice in Spokane, WA starts at roughly $22.30 an hour — about 45% of the $49.55 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $37.16 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 73 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $22.30 an hour, or roughly $44,595 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $49.55 journeyman rate effective 7/28/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $32.21 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $37.16 an hour in the fourth period and $49.55 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 73 training center.
The current IBEW Local 73 journeyman rate is $49.55/hour, with a total package of $71.29/hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/28/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $99,100 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 73 business office before relying on the figure.
The $49.55/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $71.29/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 73 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 $49.55/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $22.30–$24.78/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 73 is headquartered in Spokane, WA 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 73 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 73 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 73 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 73 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 7/28/25 schedule; check with the Local 73 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 73 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.
The IBEW Local 73 hall is at 1616 N Washington St, Spokane, WA 99205, serving Spokane, WA and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (509) 326-2182.
IBEW Local 73 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (509) 326-2182 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 73 can be reached at (509) 326-2182. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.