Journeyman electrician under IBEW Local 968 in Parkersburg, WV earn $37.41/hr in base wages, or $65.94/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Sep 2024.
IBEW Local 968 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 968 pay scale is $37.41 per hour for journeymen in Parkersburg, WV, or about $74,820 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $65.94 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 9/5/24.
| Local 968 journeyman hourly wage | $37.41 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $65.94 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $74,820 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $16.83–$18.71 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 9/5/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Inside Wireman |
A Local 968 apprentice in Parkersburg, WV starts at roughly $16.83 an hour — about 45% of the $37.41 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.06 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 968 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $16.83 / hour | $33,669 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $20.58 / hour | $41,151 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $24.32 / hour | $48,633 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $28.06 / hour | $56,115 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $31.80 / hour | $63,597 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $37.41 / hour | $74,820 |
IBEW Local 968 represents skilled inside wiremen and electrical professionals throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley, headquartered in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor dynamics of this region, which serves as a critical industrial and energy corridor. The local provides the qualified workforce necessary for high-voltage installations, complex control systems, and traditional commercial electrical infrastructure. Membership ensures that contractors have access to a pool of labor trained through the rigorous standards of the a mechanical contractor Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers joint initiatives. This specific market is defined by its mix of heavy industrial processing and regional commercial development along the Ohio River.
The electrical trade in the Parkersburg market requires a high degree of technical proficiency due to the concentration of chemical plants and manufacturing facilities. IBEW Local 968 maintains a robust apprenticeship program through the Parkersburg Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, ensuring that new entrants are prepared for the hazards and complexities of industrial electrical work. For contractors, being signatory to Local 968 means tapping into a standardized wage and fringe benefit structure that stabilizes labor costs while guaranteeing a baseline of safety and productivity. The local's influence extends across several counties in West Virginia and Ohio, making it the central authority for electrical labor standards in this specific geographic territory.
As of the September 5, 2024 update, the Journeyman Inside Wireman hourly rate for Local 968 is $37.41. When accounting for the full fringe benefit package, the total compensation reaches $65.94 per hour. Apprenticeship progression is structured as a percentage of this journeyman scale, typically starting around 40% to 50% for first-year students. As apprentices complete required classroom hours and hit on-the-job training milestones, their pay increases incrementally—often in 5% or 10% steps—until they reach 100% of the scale upon passing their journeyman exam. These scheduled raises provide a clear financial roadmap for new entrants while allowing signatory contractors to accurately forecast labor expenditures over the duration of long-term industrial projects.
The jurisdiction of IBEW Local 968 covers a multi-county region centered around Parkersburg, West Virginia, and extending across the river into specific portions of Ohio. This territory encompasses diverse work environments, from downtown commercial builds to isolated industrial sites. The collective bargaining agreement covers all inside electrical work, including power distribution, lighting, signal systems, and equipment wiring within the chartered boundaries. Members are dispatched through the Parkersburg hall based on a referral system that prioritizes experience and residency. Contractors operating within this jurisdiction must adhere to the local's work rules, which govern overtime, shift differentials, and travel pay for projects located outside the immediate metro area.
The signatory contractor landscape for Local 968 is a blend of specialized industrial electrical firms and mid-sized commercial contractors. Many of these firms focus on the heavy industrial sector, providing maintenance and capital improvement services to the chemical and energy facilities that line the Ohio River. There are also several regional shops that handle municipal projects, healthcare facilities, and retail developments. Because the market is specialized, hiring often fluctuates with major industrial outages or large-scale infrastructure investments. Signatory primes in this region rely on the local's ability to scale manpower quickly for short-term projects that require hundreds of qualified wiremen simultaneously.
The hourly rate of $37.41 is the gross amount paid directly to the worker's paycheck before taxes. The total package of $65.94 includes that wage plus an additional $28.53 per hour in employer-paid benefits such as healthcare and retirement. These fringes are paid on top of the wage and do not come out of the journeyman's base pay.
Yes, Local 968 typically participates in the ERTS (Electronic Reciprocal Transfer System), allowing travelers from other IBEW locals to have their pension and health contributions sent back to their home funds. This ensures continuity of benefits for electricians working away from their home jurisdiction on large industrial projects in the Parkersburg area.
While the apprenticeship provides general training, much of the work in the Mid-Ohio Valley requires specialized safety certifications like OSHA 10/30 and MSHA, depending on the site. Signatory contractors often require specific site-entry testing for chemical plants, which the local helps facilitate through its training and dispatch protocols.
Wage adjustments are determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated between the IBEW and the local NECA chapter. These usually occur annually on a set date, such as September or June. These increases are often split between the base wage and various fringe funds based on a membership vote.
IBEW Local 968 is seated in Parkersburg, West Virginia (WV). We hold published wage sheets for 8 locals across West Virginia — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Parkersburg and the rest of West Virginia, including contractors signatory to IBEW Local 968. 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 968 pay scale is $37.41 per hour for journeymen in Parkersburg, WV, or about $74,820 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $65.94 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 9/5/24.
Journeyman electrician under the IBEW Local 968 agreement make $37.41 an hour in base wages, or $65.94 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 9/5/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$37.41 per hour base wage and $65.94 per hour total package for a journeyman in Parkersburg, WV, effective 9/5/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $74,820 before overtime.
A Local 968 apprentice in Parkersburg, WV starts at roughly $16.83 an hour — about 45% of the $37.41 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.06 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 968 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $16.83 an hour, or roughly $33,669 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $37.41 journeyman rate effective 9/5/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $24.32 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $28.06 an hour in the fourth period and $37.41 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 968 training center.
The current IBEW Local 968 journeyman rate is $37.41/hour, with a total package of $65.94/hour including fringe benefits, effective 9/5/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $74,820 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 968 business office before relying on the figure.
The $37.41/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $65.94/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 968 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 $37.41/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $16.83–$18.71/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
IBEW Local 968 is headquartered in Parkersburg, WV 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 968 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 968 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 968 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 968 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 9/5/24 schedule; check with the Local 968 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 968 against neighboring jurisdictions and other electricians markets.