Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 816 in Paducah, KY earn $34.94/hr in base wages, or $52.03/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jan 2024.
IBEW Local 816 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 816 pay scale is $34.94 per hour for journeymen in Paducah, KY, or about $69,880 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $52.03 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 1/20/24.
| Local 816 journeyman hourly wage | $34.94 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $52.03 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $69,880 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $15.72–$17.47 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 1/20/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 816 apprentice in Paducah, KY starts at roughly $15.72 an hour — about 45% of the $34.94 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $26.21 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 816 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $15.72 / hour | $31,446 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $19.22 / hour | $38,434 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $22.71 / hour | $45,422 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $26.21 / hour | $52,410 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $29.70 / hour | $59,398 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $34.94 / hour | $69,880 |
IBEW Local 816 serves as the primary labor organization for electrical workers across Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois, and Northwest Tennessee. Headquartered in Paducah, Kentucky, this local represents a diverse membership of inside wiremen, outside linemen, and telecommunications technicians. The regional economy relies heavily on the industrial infrastructure surrounding the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, where Local 816 members provide critical electrical installation and maintenance. By maintaining a highly skilled workforce, the local ensures that regional power generation, chemical processing, and manufacturing facilities operate with maximum reliability and safety while upholding rigorous National Electrical Code standards.
The market for electrical labor in the Paducah region is defined by a mix of heavy industrial projects, commercial development, and essential utility work. Local 816 provides a structured environment for both apprentices and journeymen to advance their careers through the Paducah Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. For contractors, the local offers a scalable pool of pre-vetted, drug-tested professionals capable of meeting the demands of large-scale infrastructure builds. As the electrical industry evolves toward advanced automation and renewable energy integration, Local 816 continues to modernize its curriculum to ensure that signatory contractors remain competitive in a shifting energy landscape.
As of January 20, 2024, the Journeyman Wireman hourly rate for IBEW Local 816 is established at $34.94. When factoring in fringe benefits such as health insurance and retirement contributions, the total compensation package reaches $52.03 per hour. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% to 50% and receiving incremental raises every six to twelve months as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the final year of the five-year apprenticeship, workers earn significantly closer to the full scale. This progression ensures that labor costs for signatory contractors remain predictable while providing a clear path to middle-class earnings for residents of the Paducah trade area.
The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 816 covers a multi-state region centered on Paducah, extending through Western Kentucky and into portions of Illinois and Tennessee. The local manages the dispatch of labor for all inside electrical work, including new construction, renovations, and systems maintenance within its chartered boundaries. Members are expected to travel to job sites throughout this territory, which includes major industrial hubs and rural utility cooperatives. The agreement covers various work classifications, ensuring that whether a project involves high-voltage industrial switchgear or commercial lighting systems, the labor is governed by the specific safety and productivity standards negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement.
The signatory contractor landscape in the Local 816 region is characterized by a stable group of established electrical firms that handle both public works and private industrial contracts. These include large regional mechanical-electrical primes that manage multi-million dollar plant outages and infrastructure upgrades. There is also a significant presence of smaller, specialized service contractors who focus on commercial build-outs and local municipal maintenance. Because the Paducah market is a hub for river-related industry and energy production, the signatory pool is well-versed in the specific safety protocols required for hazardous environments and heavy industrial settings, providing a distinct advantage over non-union labor.
The hourly wage of $34.94 is the gross amount paid directly on the member's paycheck before taxes. The total package of $52.03 includes an additional $17.09 per hour in employer-paid benefits, such as health insurance and retirement funds. These benefits are paid by the contractor in addition to the wage and are not deducted from the employee's hourly pay.
Yes, IBEW Local 816 participates in the ERTS (Electronic Reciprocity Transfer System). This allows members from other locals to work in the Paducah jurisdiction and have their fringe benefits, particularly pension and health contributions, directed back to their home funds, ensuring no lapse in coverage or retirement credit while traveling for work.
The region is home to significant chemical processing, uranium enrichment legacy sites, and power generation facilities. Members often work on large-scale motor controls, instrumentation, and heavy-duty conduit runs. The presence of the Ohio River also creates opportunities for electrical work related to maritime infrastructure and grain loading facilities, requiring specialized industrial skills.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and possess a valid driver’s license. Since 2014, the recruitment process has emphasized the importance of the aptitude test. Those who pass the test and interview are placed on an eligibility list. Once a contractor requests an apprentice, the individual is dispatched and begins their dual track of paid work and night or block-week schooling.
IBEW Local 816 is seated in Paducah, Kentucky (KY). We hold published wage sheets for 6 locals across Kentucky — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Paducah and the rest of Kentucky, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 816. 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 816 pay scale is $34.94 per hour for journeymen in Paducah, KY, or about $69,880 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $52.03 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 1/20/24.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 816 agreement make $34.94 an hour in base wages, or $52.03 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 1/20/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$34.94 per hour base wage and $52.03 per hour total package for a journeyman in Paducah, KY, effective 1/20/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $69,880 before overtime.
A Local 816 apprentice in Paducah, KY starts at roughly $15.72 an hour — about 45% of the $34.94 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $26.21 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 816 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $15.72 an hour, or roughly $31,446 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $34.94 journeyman rate effective 1/20/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $22.71 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $26.21 an hour in the fourth period and $34.94 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 816 training center.
The current IBEW Local 816 journeyman rate is $34.94/hour, with a total package of $52.03/hour including fringe benefits, effective 1/20/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $69,880 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 816 business office before relying on the figure.
The $34.94/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $52.03/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 816 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 $34.94/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $15.72–$17.47/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 816 is headquartered in Paducah, KY 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 816 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 816 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 816 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 816 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 1/20/24 schedule; check with the Local 816 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 816 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.