Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 206 in San Diego, CA earn $54.32/hr in base wages, or $86.44/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jan 2026.
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The Local 206 pay scale for 2026 is $54.32 per hour for journeymen in San Diego, CA, or about $108,640 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $86.44 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 2026-01-01.
| Local 206 journeyman hourly wage | $54.32 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $86.44 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $108,640 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $24.44–$27.16 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 2026-01-01 |
| Classification | Journeyman Sheet Metal Worker (Class 1-A) |
Apply now — Gulfstream places sheet metal workers candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 206 apprentice in San Diego, CA starts at roughly $24.44 an hour — about 45% of the $54.32 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $40.74 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 206 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $24.44 / hour | $48,888 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $29.88 / hour | $59,752 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $35.31 / hour | $70,616 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $40.74 / hour | $81,480 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $46.17 / hour | $92,344 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $54.32 / hour | $108,640 |
Active Gulfstream trade listings in the local's state, with San Diego listings first when available. Jobs elsewhere in the state are not necessarily near this hall. Union status is not verified for these jobs; confirm with your recruiter.
SMART Local 206 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.
Official job-call, referral and apprenticeship pages on the hall's own website. Application windows and requirements are set by the hall; check its page for current dates.
Links checked 2026-10-06 on the hall's site.
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Local 206 wages for 2026: $54.32 an hour on the journeyman scale, $86.44 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 2026-01-01. That is the most recent San Diego, CA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 37% of the SMART Local 206 package is employer-paid benefits and fringes rather than wages, which is why the package figure and a take-home hourly rate are not the same number.
Verified from official source: SMART Local 206
Download the SMART Local 206 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective January 1, 2026.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $32.12/hr | Derived: total package minus base wage. This is the employer's combined hourly contribution to the funds, not take-home pay. |
|---|---|---|
| What the contributions fund | Health & welfare, pension, annuity, training and industry funds | Standard fund categories in mechanical and electrical agreements. The exact split between funds is set in the local's agreement — the hall or fund office publishes the schedule. |
| Paid on | Every hour worked | Fringe contributions are made per hour worked, so they scale with dispatched hours and are paid to the funds rather than to the member. |
The rates above are the SMART Local 206 scale used across the San Diego, CA area. Members dispatched out of this hall work commercial HVAC sheet metal, duct fabrication and installation, architectural sheet metal and test and balance for signatory contractors throughout the San Diego metro, so a sheet metal wage quoted locally is normally this scale plus the fringe package shown in the table.
Gulfstream recruits sheet metal talent for commercial mechanical, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around San Diego. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 206 rates. For current San Diego scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
SMART Local 206 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (619) 265-0501 to confirm dispatch procedure, 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 206 represents highly skilled sheet metal workers, air balance technicians, and architectural metal specialists across the San Diego region. As a charter of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, this local manages the labor supply for major commercial and industrial projects in the Southwestern United States. The membership performs specialized work including HVAC duct installation, precision fabrication, testing and balancing (TAB), and stainless steel kitchen work. Because San Diego is a hub for biotechnology, military infrastructure, and high-density residential development, Local 206 maintains strict training standards to meet the technical demands of these specialized sectors.
The market for sheet metal in San Diego is heavily influenced by energy efficiency mandates and the massive presence of naval and medical facilities. Signatory contractors within Local 206's jurisdiction rely on a steady pipeline of journey-level talent to execute large-scale mechanical contracts. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has tracked the movement of sheet metal professionals through this market, observing how the local's apprenticeship and continuing education programs support the evolving needs of regional contractors. For the individual tradesperson, Local 206 provides a framework for consistent wage growth, portable benefits, and the collective bargaining power necessary to maintain a middle-class career in a high-cost coastal environment.
As of October 21, 2022, the journeyman hourly rate for SMART Local 206 is set at $45.66, with a total taxable and fringe package reaching $73.51. This spread reflects the significant investment in the health, welfare, and retirement security of the membership. 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 approximately 80% to 90% of the scale. This tiered structure ensures that labor costs for signatory contractors remain competitive while providing a clear, merit-based path for new entrants to reach full prevailing wage status in the San Diego market.
The chartered jurisdiction for SMART Local 206 covers the entirety of San Diego County and extends to the international border. This territory includes major urban centers, military installations, and inland suburban developments where large-scale mechanical projects are concentrated. Members dispatched through the hall are expected to provide their own transportation to job sites within this geographic footprint. The work covered under the Local 206 agreement includes the fabrication, assembly, and installation of all sheet metal work, as well as specialized tasks like architectural copper roofing, siding, and the installation of complex air handling systems. Dispatch priority is managed via the local's out-of-work list, ensuring fair distribution of opportunities among qualified journey-level members.
The contractor landscape for SMART Local 206 consists of a diverse mix of large-scale mechanical primes, specialized architectural metal firms, and industrial fabrication shops. These signatory contractors range from national mechanical entities to locally owned plumbing and HVAC firms that maintain sheet metal divisions. The hiring environment is characterized by a need for technicians who can handle complex BIM coordination and pre-fabrication workflows. Most hiring occurs through the local referral hall, though contractors often maintain core crews for long-term service and maintenance contracts. This mix provides members with opportunities in both new construction and the high-demand service and retrofit market for existing San Diego commercial office space.
The journeyman wage of $45.66 is the gross hourly pay appearing on your paycheck before taxes. The total package of $73.51 includes that wage plus an additional $27.85 per hour paid by the contractor into your benefits. These benefits cover your health insurance, two separate pension funds, and training, which are not deducted from your hourly pay but are paid on top of it.
No prior experience is required to apply for the apprenticeship, as the program is designed to train you from the ground up. However, having a background in construction, shop classes, or mechanical drafting can be beneficial during the interview process. The JATC provides all the technical instruction and facilitates the on-the-job training hours required to become a journeyman sheet metal worker.
Yes, members in good standing from other SMART locals can typically transfer via a travel card or by following the specific reciprocity rules in the SMART Constitution. You must first contact the Local 206 business manager to inquire about the current work outlook and the specific requirements for depositing your card in the San Diego jurisdiction.
Per the collective bargaining agreement, journeymen and apprentices are usually required to provide a basic set of hand tools, such as snips, hammers, and measuring tapes. The signatory contractor is responsible for providing all power tools, ladders, and specialized heavy equipment. A specific tool list is provided to new apprentices when they are dispatched to their first job site.
SMART Local 206 is seated in San Diego, California (CA). We hold published wage sheets for 50 locals across California — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits mechanical construction and service staff for contractors across San Diego, CA, including shops signatory to SMART Local 206. See the roles we fill there, how the search runs and what it costs: San Diego mechanical recruiter. Post a role.
We are a commercial mechanical construction recruiting firm serving San Diego and the rest of California, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 206. 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 206 pay scale for 2026 is $54.32 per hour for journeymen in San Diego, CA, or about $108,640 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $86.44 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 2026-01-01.
SMART Local 206 wages for 2026: journeyman Sheet Metal Workers rate of $54.32 per hour in San Diego, CA, with a total package of $86.44 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 2026-01-01. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 2026-01-01 with the SMART Local 206 business office.
The SMART Local 206 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $54.32 per hour ($86.44 per hour total package), effective 2026-01-01, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the SMART Local 206 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 2026-01-01 with the hall.
Local 206 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $54.32 per hour journeyman rate — typically starting near 40–50% ($24.44–$27.16 per hour) in the first period and stepping up each period to 100% at turnout. The exact percentage schedule is set by the SMART Local 206 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman sheet metal workers under the SMART Local 206 agreement make $54.32 an hour in base wages, or $86.44 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 2026-01-01. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$54.32 per hour base wage and $86.44 per hour total package for a journeyman in San Diego, CA, effective 2026-01-01. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $108,640 before overtime.
A Local 206 apprentice in San Diego, CA starts at roughly $24.44 an hour — about 45% of the $54.32 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $40.74 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 206 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $24.44 an hour, or roughly $48,888 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $54.32 journeyman rate effective 2026-01-01. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $35.31 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $40.74 an hour in the fourth period and $54.32 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 206 training center.
Local 206 wages for 2026: $54.32 an hour on the journeyman scale, $86.44 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 2026-01-01. That is the most recent San Diego, CA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Yes — a one-page printable SMART Local 206 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/smart-local-206-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $54.32 hourly scale, the $86.44 total package and the 2026-01-01 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current SMART Local 206 journeyman rate is $54.32/hour, with a total package of $86.44/hour including fringe benefits, effective 2026-01-01. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $108,640 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 206 business office before relying on the figure.
The $54.32/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $86.44/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 206 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 $54.32/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $24.44–$27.16/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 206 is headquartered in San Diego, 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 206 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 206 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 206 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 206 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 2026-01-01 schedule; check with the Local 206 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 206 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
Yes — the openings section on this page lists current sheet metal workers roles near San Diego, CA, and you can apply directly through the apply form on this page. These are direct-hire positions with mechanical contractors that Gulfstream recruits for, not union dispatch or hall referrals. For the hall's out-of-work list, contact the Local 206 business office.
The SMART Local 206 hall is at 4594 Mission Gorge Place San Diego CA 92120, serving San Diego, CA and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (619) 265-0501.
SMART Local 206 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (619) 265-0501 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 206 can be reached at (619) 265-0501. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
Apply through the local's joint apprenticeship training committee (JATC). Most programs open applications on a set schedule and require an aptitude test and interview. For SMART Local 206's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at (619) 265-0501.
Each Sheet Metal Workers local sets its own intake process, and it varies. The common paths: apprenticeship through the JATC; organizing in as an experienced worker, since journeymen and technicians already working in the trade can usually apply directly to the hall for membership; or transferring from another local of the same international with a transfer card from your current hall. For fees and requirements, contact the hall at (619) 265-0501.
SMART Local 206's published sources state: Local working dues deducted from hourly wages. Source: SMART Local 206's published materials; figures can change, so confirm with the hall.
SMART Local 206's published sources list: Health insurance with life, dental and eye care; Two defined benefit pensions; 401(a) retirement plan; Personal HRA. Source: SMART Local 206's published materials; figures can change, so confirm with the hall.
SMART Local 206's sourced journeyman sheet metal worker (class 1-a) union rate is $54.32/hr in base wages and $86.44/hr for the total package, effective January 1, 2026. The rate applies to the listed classification and source area; apprentice, foreman and specialty classifications may differ.
$54.32/hr in base wages for journeyman sheet metal worker (class 1-a), or $86.44/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective January 1, 2026 per the SMART Local 206 wage determination.
January 1, 2026. Read directly from the primary source (SMART Local 206) and cross-checked at build time. Highest confidence for offer benchmarking.
No — the $54.32/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $32.12/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $86.44/hr package.
No. Gulfstream Strategic Placements is a private mechanical construction recruiting firm. We are not affiliated with the local, we do not run dispatch, and we do not set or negotiate union rates. We publish the local's own sourced figures as a reference for members and contractors.
High confidence — last cross-checked against the source on Oct 5, 2026 (14 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.