Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 80 in Norfolk, VA earn $30.55/hr in base wages, or $44.38/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Oct 2022. This sheet is more than 2 years old, so confirm the current rate with the hall before quoting it.
IBEW Local 80 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 80 pay scale is $30.55 per hour for journeymen in Norfolk, VA, or about $61,100 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $44.38 per hour. That is the last wage sheet we can source for this local — confirm the current rate with the hall.
| Local 80 journeyman hourly wage | $30.55 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $44.38 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $61,100 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $13.75–$15.28 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 10/21/22 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 80 apprentice in Norfolk, VA starts at roughly $13.75 an hour — about 45% of the $30.55 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $22.91 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 80 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $13.75 / hour | $27,495 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $16.80 / hour | $33,605 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $19.86 / hour | $39,715 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $22.91 / hour | $45,825 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $25.97 / hour | $51,935 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $30.55 / hour | $61,100 |
IBEW Local 80 represents the electrical workforce across the Hampton Roads region, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor landscape in this coastal market, where the union provides skilled manpower for a diverse range of commercial, industrial, and maritime-related electrical projects. The local is part of the Fourth District of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and maintains a strong presence in one of the East Coast's most critical infrastructure hubs. Their mission focuses on providing qualified electricians to signatory contractors while ensuring members receive fair compensation, safety training, and retirement security through collective bargaining agreements.
The Norfolk market is unique due to its dense concentration of federal, naval, and port-related infrastructure, which necessitates a highly trained workforce capable of meeting strict security and technical standards. Local 80 serves as the primary pipeline for these specialized skills, operating a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) that adheres to national standards. For contractors, the local offers a scalable labor pool that can meet the demands of large-scale hospital expansions, data centers, and waterfront developments. For the tradesperson, joining this local provides a structured career path in a right-to-work state where the union's negotiated total package remains highly competitive compared to non-organized labor sectors.
As of the October 2022 update, the Journeyman Inside Wireman rate for IBEW Local 80 is set at $30.55 per hour. When factoring in the fringe benefit contributions, the total compensation package reaches $44.38 per hour. Apprentices in the Tidewater Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee program typically start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often beginning around 40-50% and increasing in 5-10% increments as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled raises provide a transparent roadmap for career growth over a five-year period. Members should contact the Local 80 business office directly to verify if any recent cost-of-living adjustments or new allocations have altered these figures since the last reporting period.
The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 80 covers the southeastern corner of Virginia, encompassing the entire Hampton Roads metropolitan area. This territory includes the major cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, along with surrounding counties. The work performed under this jurisdiction includes commercial inside wiring, industrial electrical installations, and specialized port infrastructure. Members dispatched from the Norfolk hall may find themselves working on a variety of project sites, ranging from inland commercial developments to waterfront industrial facilities. The local manages the referral system, ensuring that signatory contractors have access to local talent before looking to outside jurisdictions for traveler support.
The signatory contractor landscape in the Norfolk area is comprised of established regional electrical firms and national primes that specialize in large-scale infrastructure. These contractors rely on Local 80 to supply OSHA-certified, drug-free manpower for complex projects that require high productivity and adherence to the National Electrical Code. Hiring fluctuates based on major project cycles, particularly in the healthcare, education, and municipal sectors. Signatory firms range from small shops focused on tenant fit-outs to massive industrial contractors capable of managing power distribution for the region's heavy industrial and maritime facilities. This variety provides members with opportunities to diversify their skill sets across different niches of the electrical industry.
The hourly wage of $30.55 is the gross amount appearing on an electrician's paycheck before taxes. The total package of $44.38 includes an additional $13.83 per hour paid by the contractor into benefits like health insurance and pensions. These fringes are not deducted from the $30.55, but are paid on top of it, representing the true cost of labor for the contractor and the total value for the worker.
No, the apprenticeship program is designed for individuals with little to no experience. It combines five years of paid on-the-job training with evening or weekend classroom instruction. However, those with significant experience in the non-union sector can undergo a 'test-in' process to determine if they qualify for a higher apprentice classification or full journeyman status through the local's organizing department.
While Virginia is a right-to-work state, IBEW Local 80 maintains its presence by offering a superior value proposition to both workers and contractors. Members benefit from collectively bargained wages and protections, while signatory contractors gain access to a highly trained, reliable workforce. The union remains the exclusive bargaining agent for all workers covered by the agreement, regardless of whether they choose to pay full membership dues.
Beyond the standard IBEW/NECA training, many job sites in the Local 80 jurisdiction—particularly those involving federal or maritime facilities—may require specific security clearances or OSHA certifications. The JATC provides the necessary safety and technical training, but individual members must ensure their state electrical license (issued by DPOR) is kept current to work legally as a journeyman in Virginia.
IBEW Local 80 is seated in Norfolk, Virginia (VA). We hold published wage sheets for 5 locals across Virginia — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Norfolk and the rest of Virginia, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 80. 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 80 pay scale is $30.55 per hour for journeymen in Norfolk, VA, or about $61,100 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $44.38 per hour. That is the last wage sheet we can source for this local — confirm the current rate with the hall.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 80 agreement make $30.55 an hour in base wages, or $44.38 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 10/21/22. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$30.55 per hour base wage and $44.38 per hour total package for a journeyman in Norfolk, VA, effective 10/21/22. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $61,100 before overtime.
A Local 80 apprentice in Norfolk, VA starts at roughly $13.75 an hour — about 45% of the $30.55 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $22.91 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 80 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $13.75 an hour, or roughly $27,495 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $30.55 journeyman rate effective 10/21/22. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $19.86 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $22.91 an hour in the fourth period and $30.55 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 80 training center.
The current IBEW Local 80 journeyman rate is $30.55/hour, with a total package of $44.38/hour including fringe benefits, effective 10/21/22. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $61,100 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 80 business office before relying on the figure.
The $30.55/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $44.38/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 80 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 $30.55/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $13.75–$15.28/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 80 is headquartered in Norfolk, VA 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 80 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 80 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 80 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 80 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 10/21/22 schedule; check with the Local 80 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 80 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.