Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 105 in Los Angeles, CA earn $59.40/hr in base wages, or $87.77/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jan 2025.
SMART Local 105 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 105 pay scale for 2026 is $59.40 per hour for journeymen in Los Angeles, CA, or about $118,800 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $87.77 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 1/23/25.
| Local 105 journeyman hourly wage | $59.40 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $87.77 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $118,800 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $26.73–$29.70 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 1/23/25 |
A Local 105 apprentice in Los Angeles, CA starts at roughly $26.73 an hour — about 45% of the $59.40 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $44.55 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 105 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $26.73 / hour | $53,460 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $32.67 / hour | $65,340 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $38.61 / hour | $77,220 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $44.55 / hour | $89,100 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $50.49 / hour | $100,980 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $59.40 / hour | $118,800 |
SMART Local 105 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (909) 305-2800 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 105 represents highly skilled sheet metal workers across Los Angeles and the surrounding Southern California region. As one of the largest locals within the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, its members are essential to the massive commercial and industrial infrastructure of the Southland. The local oversees the fabrication, installation, and maintenance of HVAC systems, architectural sheet metal, and industrial ductwork. With a focus on rigorous training and safety, Local 105 provides the skilled workforce necessary for high-density residential developments, entertainment venues, and public infrastructure projects that define the Los Angeles skyline. Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this specific labor market since 2014 to assist tradespeople and contractors in navigating the complex regulatory and economic landscape of the California construction industry.
The Los Angeles market is characterized by stringent Title 24 energy efficiency requirements and a high demand for sustainable building practices. Local 105 signatory contractors utilize specialized fabrication shops and field crews to meet these standards, ensuring that complex air handling systems are balanced and optimized for performance. Because the Southern California climate demands robust cooling infrastructure, the workload for sheet metal specialists remains consistent across new construction and retrofits. The union's influence extends beyond traditional HVAC to include specialized sectors like stainless steel kitchen equipment, metal roofing, and advanced testing and balancing (TAB). For contractors, engaging with this local provides access to a pre-vetted labor pool that has undergone standardized apprenticeship training, which is critical for maintaining project timelines in a region known for its competitive bidding environment and strict labor compliance mandates.
As of January 23, 2025, the journeyman hourly rate for SMART Local 105 is established at $59.40, with a total package reaching $87.77 when fringes are included. This substantial total package covers health insurance, pension contributions, and specialized training funds. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting near 40% to 50% and receiving incremental raises every six to twelve months as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled increases reflect the apprentice's growing proficiency in drafting, layout, and welding. By the final year of the five-year program, an apprentice's compensation closely mirrors the full journeyman scale. All members should verify their specific classification and current tax withholdings with the Local 105 business office to ensure accurate payroll accounting.
The chartered jurisdiction of SMART Local 105 is centered in Los Angeles County, extending into various adjacent territories in Southern California to cover a vast metropolitan footprint. This territory includes high-traffic zones from the Port of Los Angeles to the northern reaches of the San Fernando Valley. Members are dispatched to a variety of job sites ranging from aerospace manufacturing facilities to high-rise mixed-use buildings. The jurisdiction covers all aspects of the sheet metal trade, including fabrication in signatory shops and final installation at the project site. Travel requirements and zone pay may apply depending on the distance from the union hall or the specific location of the project within the Greater Los Angeles area, as defined in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The signatory contractor landscape for Local 105 is diverse, ranging from boutique architectural metal shops to massive mechanical primes that handle multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects. These contractors operate some of the most advanced fabrication facilities in the country, utilizing CNC plasma cutters and automated duct lines to meet the high-volume needs of the Los Angeles market. Hiring activity is often driven by large-scale public works, healthcare expansions, and the ongoing development of sports and entertainment districts. Contractors benefit from a standardized labor cost, allowing for more predictable bidding, while members gain access to steady work across various sectors, including institutional, industrial, and high-end commercial projects throughout the Southern California basin.
Shop hands focus on the fabrication of components using shears, brakes, and welding equipment within a controlled facility. Field installers handle the onsite assembly and installation of those components, often working at heights or in coordination with other trades. While their environments differ, both fall under the Local 105 agreement and require specific technical proficiencies developed through the apprenticeship.
Yes, through the JATC, members can pursue certifications in welding (AWS), fire life safety, and Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing (TABB). These certifications are increasingly required by Southern California building codes and help members stay competitive for specialized roles on complex commercial projects, often leading to foreman or lead-hand opportunities within signatory companies.
The take-home pay is based on the $59.40 hourly rate minus taxes and voluntary deductions. The remaining $28.37 of the $87.77 total package is paid by the employer into fringe benefit funds on the member's behalf. This ensures that healthcare and retirement are funded without reducing the gross hourly wage, providing a higher total value than non-union roles.
Transfers, or 'traveling,' are governed by the SMART Constitution. A member in good standing from another local may work in Local 105's jurisdiction if there is a demand for labor and they follow proper check-in procedures. Permanent transfers usually require the approval of the business manager and may depend on current local unemployment levels and specific skill set needs.
SMART Local 105 is seated in Los Angeles, California (CA). We hold published wage sheets for 46 locals across California — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle — confirm with the hall.
The Local 105 pay scale for 2026 is $59.40 per hour for journeymen in Los Angeles, CA, or about $118,800 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $87.77 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 1/23/25.
Journeyman sheet metal workers under the SMART Local 105 agreement make $59.40 an hour in base wages, or $87.77 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 1/23/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$59.40 per hour base wage and $87.77 per hour total package for a journeyman in Los Angeles, CA, effective 1/23/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $118,800 before overtime.
A Local 105 apprentice in Los Angeles, CA starts at roughly $26.73 an hour — about 45% of the $59.40 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $44.55 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 105 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $26.73 an hour, or roughly $53,460 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $59.40 journeyman rate effective 1/23/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $38.61 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $44.55 an hour in the fourth period and $59.40 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 105 training center.
The current SMART Local 105 journeyman rate is $59.40/hour, with a total package of $87.77/hour including fringe benefits, effective 1/23/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $118,800 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 105 business office before relying on the figure.
The $59.40/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $87.77/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 105 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 $59.40/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $26.73–$29.70/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 105 is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA 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 105 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 105 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 105 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 105 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 1/23/25 schedule; check with the Local 105 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 105 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
The SMART Local 105 hall is at 2120 Auto Centre Drive Glendora CA 91740, serving Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (909) 305-2800.
SMART Local 105 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (909) 305-2800 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 105 can be reached at (909) 305-2800. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.