Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 268 in Southern, IL earn $42.03/hr in base wages, or $68.68/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jul 2024.
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SMART Local 268 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 268 pay scale is $42.03 per hour for journeymen in Southern, IL, or about $84,060 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $68.68 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 7/1/24.
| Local 268 journeyman hourly wage | $42.03 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $68.68 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $84,060 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $18.91–$21.02 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 7/1/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Sheet Metal Worker — historical 2024 breakdown |
A Local 268 apprentice in Southern, IL starts at roughly $18.91 an hour — about 45% of the $42.03 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.52 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 268 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $18.91 / hour | $37,827 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $23.12 / hour | $46,233 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $27.32 / hour | $54,639 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $31.52 / hour | $63,045 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $35.73 / hour | $71,451 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $42.03 / hour | $84,060 |
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Local 268 wages: $42.03 an hour on the journeyman scale, $68.68 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 7/1/24. That is the most recent Southern, IL sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 39% of the SMART Local 268 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 268 wage and fringe sheet: 2024 base/package; later package totals do not specify base allocation
Download the SMART Local 268 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective July 1, 2024.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $26.65/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 268 scale used across the Southern, IL 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 Southern 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 Southern. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 268 rates. For current Southern scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
SMART Local 268 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (618) 397-1443 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 268 represents skilled sheet metal workers across a broad territory in Southern Illinois, maintaining a central presence in the Metro East region and surrounding rural counties. As an affiliate of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, this local manages the labor supply for architectural sheet metal, HVAC installation, and industrial fabrication. The membership is composed of journeypersons and apprentices who support the region's diverse infrastructure, from commercial retail developments to heavy industrial facilities located along the Mississippi River corridor. Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this specific labor market since 2014 to assist tradespeople and contractors in navigating the local's specialized workforce dynamics.
The Southern Illinois market served by Local 268 is unique due to its mix of high-density logistics hubs and specialized manufacturing plants. Because the jurisdiction borders major metropolitan centers, the local plays a critical role in ensuring that regional signatory contractors have access to a pool of workers trained in the latest safety protocols and technical standards. Members focus on the fabrication and installation of complex ductwork systems, roofing components, and specialty metal systems. For contractors, partnering with Local 268 provides a structured framework for labor costs and quality control, while members benefit from collective bargaining power that secures comprehensive healthcare and retirement protections through multi-employer trust funds.
Journeyman wages for SMART Local 268 are established through collective bargaining agreements and vary based on the specific classification of work performed. Because specific current rates were not provided for this summary, individuals should contact the Local 268 business office in Caseyville to obtain the most recent wage and fringe benefit schedule. Apprentices typically start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often beginning 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. The total package includes the hourly base rate plus significant employer contributions toward fringe benefits, creating a total compensation figure that exceeds the taxable hourly wage.
The territorial jurisdiction for Local 268 covers a significant portion of Southern Illinois, encompassing counties such as St. Clair, Madison, and Monroe. This area requires members to be mobile, as job sites may range from suburban commercial projects to remote industrial maintenance sites. The local's charter governs all sheet metal work within these boundaries, including the shop fabrication of materials and the subsequent field installation. Dispatching is handled through the local's hiring hall, ensuring that signatory contractors receive workers with the specific certifications required for their projects. Travel pay or zone rates may apply depending on the distance from the jurisdictional hubs, as defined in the standing labor agreement.
The contractor landscape for SMART Local 268 consists of a diverse mix of signatory employers ranging from small architectural metal shops to large-scale mechanical primes. These firms handle a variety of work, including large institutional projects like hospitals and schools, as well as essential maintenance for the region's industrial sector. Hiring typically follows the ebbs and flows of the regional construction cycle, with peaks often driven by large-scale infrastructure investments or refinery outages. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has observed that the strength of this market relies on the collaborative relationship between the union and its signatory partners to maintain high productivity standards.
Members are trained in the fabrication, installation, and maintenance of all types of sheet metal products. This includes HVAC ductwork, commercial roofing, siding, and gutters, as well as specialized industrial components like kitchen equipment and hospital air filtration systems. They work with various materials including galvanized steel, copper, and stainless steel, utilizing both manual tools and advanced CNC machinery.
The apprenticeship program generally spans five years, combining thousands of hours of paid on-the-job training with structured classroom instruction. Apprentices learn drafting, layout, welding, and safety protocols while working alongside experienced journeypersons. This comprehensive path ensures that by the time an individual reaches journeyman status, they are fully proficient in all aspects of the sheet metal trade.
Transfers and travelers are managed according to the SMART International Constitution and the specific terms of the Local 268 bylaws. Members from other locals looking to work in Southern Illinois must typically check in with the business manager and provide a travel letter. Permanent transfers usually require a period of residency and approval by the local's membership or executive board.
Yes, the training center provides certifications for specialized skills such as TAB (Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing), Fire Life Safety, and various welding certifications (AWS). These credentials allow members to work on highly regulated projects and help signatory contractors meet specific project specifications required by developers and government entities in the Southern Illinois market.
SMART Local 268 is seated in Southern, Illinois (IL). We hold published wage sheets for 32 locals across Illinois — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Southern and the rest of Illinois, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 268. Our office is in South Corona, California and we place union-scale tradespeople and field leadership nationwide.
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Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle — confirm with the hall.
The Local 268 pay scale is $42.03 per hour for journeymen in Southern, IL, or about $84,060 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $68.68 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 7/1/24.
Journeyman sheet metal workers under the SMART Local 268 agreement make $42.03 an hour in base wages, or $68.68 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 7/1/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$42.03 per hour base wage and $68.68 per hour total package for a journeyman in Southern, IL, effective 7/1/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $84,060 before overtime.
A Local 268 apprentice in Southern, IL starts at roughly $18.91 an hour — about 45% of the $42.03 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.52 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 268 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $18.91 an hour, or roughly $37,827 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $42.03 journeyman rate effective 7/1/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $27.32 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $31.52 an hour in the fourth period and $42.03 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 268 training center.
Local 268 wages: $42.03 an hour on the journeyman scale, $68.68 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 7/1/24. That is the most recent Southern, IL sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Yes — a one-page printable SMART Local 268 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/smart-local-268-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $42.03 hourly scale, the $68.68 total package and the 7/1/24 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current SMART Local 268 journeyman rate is $42.03/hour, with a total package of $68.68/hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/1/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $84,060 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 268 business office before relying on the figure.
The $42.03/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $68.68/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 268 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 $42.03/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $18.91–$21.02/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 268 is headquartered in Southern, 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 268 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 268 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 268 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 268 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 7/1/24 schedule; check with the Local 268 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 268 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
The SMART Local 268 hall is at 2727 North 89th Street Caseyville IL 62232, serving Southern, IL and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (618) 397-1443.
SMART Local 268 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (618) 397-1443 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 268 can be reached at (618) 397-1443. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
$42.03/hr in base wages for journeyman sheet metal worker — historical 2024 breakdown, or $68.68/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective July 1, 2024 per the SMART Local 268 wage and fringe sheet: 2024 base/package; later package totals do not specify base allocation wage determination.
July 1, 2024. The negotiated rate on this primary source (SMART Local 268 wage and fringe sheet: 2024 base/package; later package totals do not specify base allocation) is dated more than 18 months back, so a mid-term raise may already be in effect. Confirm the current step with the local's business office before extending an offer.
No — the $42.03/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $26.65/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $68.68/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.
Moderate confidence — last cross-checked against the source on Sep 18, 2026 (12 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.