Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 1 in Peoria, IL earn $36/hr in base wages, or $64.90/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.
SMART Local 1 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 1 pay scale is $36.00 per hour for journeymen in Peoria, IL, or about $72,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $64.90 per hour. That is the last wage sheet we can source for this local — confirm the current rate with the hall.
| Local 1 journeyman hourly wage | $36.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $64.90 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $72,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $16.20–$18.00 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 10/21/22 |
A Local 1 apprentice in Peoria, IL starts at roughly $16.20 an hour — about 45% of the $36.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $27.00 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 1 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $16.20 / hour | $32,400 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $19.80 / hour | $39,600 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $23.40 / hour | $46,800 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $27.00 / hour | $54,000 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $30.60 / hour | $61,200 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $36.00 / hour | $72,000 |
SMART Local 1 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (309) 682-5677 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.
SMART Local 1 represents the sheet metal professionals of the Peoria, Illinois, region, covering a wide array of skilled trades including HVAC installation, architectural sheet metal, and industrial fabrication. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has tracked the specialized labor markets of Central Illinois, where Local 1 serves as the primary labor source for commercial and industrial mechanical projects. The local is headquartered in Peoria and maintains a rigorous focus on technical training to ensure members can execute complex air handling systems, precision welding, and intricate metal roofing for the diverse infrastructure of the Illinois River valley.
The Peoria market is a vital hub for heavy machinery manufacturing, healthcare, and higher education, all of which require the high-level mechanical contracting supported by Local 1. Members work across various sectors, from food processing facilities to retail developments and government buildings. By providing a stable pool of drug-tested and OSHA-certified craftspeople, Local 1 allows signatory contractors to scale their workforce for large-scale industrial shutdowns or new commercial construction. This stability is essential for maintaining the mechanical integrity of the region's largest facilities while ensuring safety and code compliance remain at the forefront of every project.
Based on the rates effective October 21, 2022, the Journeyman hourly wage for SMART Local 1 is $36.00. When factoring in the fringe benefit package, the total compensation reaches $64.90 per hour. This total package includes employer contributions to health insurance, pension funds, and training programs. For those entering the trade through the apprenticeship program, wages are structured as a percentage of the journeyman rate. Progression typically begins at approximately 45% to 50% for first-year apprentices and increases annually as the individual completes required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled increases provide a clear path toward the full journeyman scale over a five-year period, rewarding the accumulation of technical expertise and job site experience.
The jurisdiction of SMART Local 1 is centered in Peoria and extends across several counties in Central Illinois. This territory encompasses the urban core of Peoria and East Peoria, stretching into the surrounding agricultural and industrial zones. Members are dispatched to job sites within this defined footprint, which covers work involving the fabrication, assembly, and installation of all sheet metal products. The agreement governs work on HVAC ductwork, commercial kitchen equipment, industrial blowpipe systems, and architectural metal cladding. Contractors operating within this jurisdiction must adhere to the local CBA terms, ensuring that labor standards are uniform across the multi-county area, which facilitates seamless travel for members living throughout the Central Illinois region.
The contractor landscape for SMART Local 1 consists of a mix of large-scale mechanical primes and specialized architectural sheet metal firms. These signatory contractors range from national mechanical entities with a regional presence to locally owned shops that have served the Peoria area for decades. Hiring typically follows the ebbs and flows of the regional construction cycle, with significant demand often driven by hospital expansions and industrial maintenance projects. Because Local 1 maintains a centralized dispatch system, signatory contractors can quickly mobilize skilled labor for specialized tasks such as stainless steel fabrication or complex ventilation retrofits, ensuring that project deadlines in the competitive Central Illinois market are met with precision.
A journeyman has completed the five-year JATC program and possesses the full skill set required to work independently on any sheet metal project. Apprentices are in-training members who work under the supervision of journeymen while attending night or weekend classes. Journeymen receive the full hourly rate of $36.00, while apprentices earn a tiered percentage of that wage as they progress through their education and gain field proficiency.
Yes, through the JATC, members have access to various certifications including AWS welding certs, OSHA 10/30 safety training, and specialized rigging or hoisting licenses. These certifications are vital for working on industrial sites in the Peoria area, where safety protocols are stringent. Staying current with these credentials often makes members more eligible for specialized dispatch opportunities at high-security or complex industrial facilities.
Transferring into Local 1, often referred to as 'traveling,' is governed by the SMART International Constitution. A member in good standing from another local must typically contact the Local 1 Business Manager to inquire about the current work outlook. If the 'out of work' list is clear and there is a demand for labor, a traveler may be permitted to work in the jurisdiction under a travel card.
The work is highly varied, ranging from the installation of large-scale ductwork in healthcare facilities to architectural metal panels on modern office buildings. In the Peoria market, industrial sheet metal work is also prevalent, involving heavy-gauge metal fabrication for manufacturing plants. This includes dust collection systems, blowpipe installation, and specialty stainless steel work required for the region's food processing and agricultural sectors.
SMART Local 1 is seated in Peoria, Illinois (IL). We hold published wage sheets for 26 locals across Illinois — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Peoria and the rest of Illinois, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 1. 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 1 pay scale is $36.00 per hour for journeymen in Peoria, IL, or about $72,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $64.90 per hour. That is the last wage sheet we can source for this local — confirm the current rate with the hall.
Journeyman sheet metal workers under the SMART Local 1 agreement make $36.00 an hour in base wages, or $64.90 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.
$36.00 per hour base wage and $64.90 per hour total package for a journeyman in Peoria, IL, effective 10/21/22. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $72,000 before overtime.
A Local 1 apprentice in Peoria, IL starts at roughly $16.20 an hour — about 45% of the $36.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $27.00 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 1 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $16.20 an hour, or roughly $32,400 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $36.00 journeyman rate effective 10/21/22. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $23.40 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $27.00 an hour in the fourth period and $36.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 1 training center.
The current SMART Local 1 journeyman rate is $36.00/hour, with a total package of $64.90/hour including fringe benefits, effective 10/21/22. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $72,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 1 business office before relying on the figure.
The $36.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $64.90/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 sheet metal workers labor costs across locals.
Apprentices under the SMART Local 1 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 $36.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $16.20–$18.00/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 1 is headquartered in Peoria, IL and dispatches sheet metal workers 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 sheet metal workers work. Some Local 1 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 SMART Local 1 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 1 training center directly.
Sheet Metal Workers 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 SMART Local 1 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 sheet metal workers 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 1 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 1 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
The SMART Local 1 hall is at 840 W Birchwood St. Morton IL 61550, serving Peoria, IL and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (309) 682-5677.
SMART Local 1 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (309) 682-5677 to confirm dispatch hours, required documents (union card, certifications, ID) and current list standing before traveling in — Gulfstream does not control hall dispatch.
SMART Local 1 can be reached at (309) 682-5677. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.