Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 292 in Detroit, MI earn $38.53/hr in base wages, or $69.38/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.
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SMART Local 292 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 292 pay scale is $38.53 per hour for journeymen in Detroit, MI, or about $77,060 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $69.38 per hour. That is the last wage sheet we can source for this local — confirm the current rate with the hall.
| Local 292 journeyman hourly wage | $38.53 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $69.38 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $77,060 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $17.34–$19.27 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 10/21/22 |
A Local 292 apprentice in Detroit, MI starts at roughly $17.34 an hour — about 45% of the $38.53 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.90 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 292 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $17.34 / hour | $34,677 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $21.19 / hour | $42,383 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $25.04 / hour | $50,089 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $28.90 / hour | $57,795 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $32.75 / hour | $65,501 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $38.53 / hour | $77,060 |
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Local 292 wages: $38.53 an hour on the journeyman scale, $69.38 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 10/21/22. That is the most recent Detroit, MI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 44% of the SMART Local 292 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.
Unverified: crowd-sourced figure (unionpayscales.com), not confirmed against the local's own wage sheet
Download the SMART Local 292 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective October 21, 2022.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $30.85/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 292 scale used across the Detroit, MI 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 Detroit 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 Detroit. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 292 rates. For current Detroit scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
SMART Local 292 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (248) 589-2502 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 292 represents skilled sheet metal workers throughout the Detroit metropolitan area, providing a specialized workforce for the region's diverse industrial and commercial sectors. This local is central to the manufacturing heritage of Southeast Michigan, supplying labor for complex ductwork, architectural sheet metal, and industrial ventilation projects. As an affiliate of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, Local 292 ensures that its members are trained to the highest safety and technical standards. The union serves as a critical link between qualified craftspersons and the large-scale mechanical contractors that drive the construction economy in and around Detroit.
The market for sheet metal work in Detroit is heavily influenced by the presence of major industrial facilities and a steady demand for commercial infrastructure modernization. Local 292 members operate in fabrication shops and on jobsites, executing everything from precision metal forming to the installation of high-efficiency HVAC systems. Because the region serves as a hub for both the automotive industry and healthcare expansion, the jurisdiction requires a workforce capable of navigating stringent technical specifications. Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this labor market since 2014, observing how the signatory landscape evolves to meet the rigorous demands of Michigan's heavy commercial and industrial development cycles.
The current journeyman rate for SMART Local 292 is established at $38.53 per hour as of the October 2022 schedule. When accounting for the full suite of benefits including healthcare and retirement contributions, the total compensation package reaches $69.38 per hour. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40-50% and receiving incremental raises every six to twelve months as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job milestones. These scheduled increases reflect the apprentice's growing proficiency in welding, blueprint reading, and layout. By the final year of the five-year program, an apprentice typically earns near 80-90% of the full scale before graduating to journeyman status and becoming eligible for the full prevailing wage.
The jurisdiction of SMART Local 292 is centered in Detroit and extends across the primary counties of Southeast Michigan. This territory includes high-density commercial zones and sprawling industrial corridors where sheet metal expertise is vital for environmental control and exhaust systems. The local manages dispatch for all signatory work involving the shearing, forming, and installation of metal products within these boundaries. Members may be required to travel to various jobsites throughout the metro area, from downtown high-rises to suburban manufacturing plants. The collective bargaining agreement covers all traditional sheet metal work, including HVAC duct installation, architectural roofing, and industrial blowpipe systems within the chartered regional map.
The signatory landscape for Local 292 consists of a robust mix of large-scale mechanical primes and specialized fabrication shops. These contractors often manage multi-million dollar contracts for regional hospital systems, university campus expansions, and automotive assembly plant retrofits. Hiring typically fluctuates based on major project awards, with contractors drawing from the hall's out-of-work list to scale their crews. The relationship between the union and these employers is governed by a collective bargaining agreement that standardizes labor costs and safety protocols, providing a level playing field for bidding. Most hiring for journeymen occurs through direct dispatch or by building a reputation with the region's primary sheet metal employers.
The hourly wage of $38.53 is the gross amount paid directly on your paycheck before taxes. The total package of $69.38 includes that wage plus an additional $30.85 per hour in employer-paid benefits like health insurance and pension. These fringes are paid by the contractor on top of your wage and do not come out of your hourly take-home pay.
Yes, through the JATC, members can access advanced training in TAB (Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing), Fire Life Safety, and specialized welding certifications. These credentials are often required for work on high-spec industrial sites and can make a member more marketable to signatory contractors who handle complex mechanical systems in the Detroit market.
Wage increases are negotiated as part of the multi-year collective bargaining agreement. Typically, these agreements include annual scheduled increases that are split between the taxable wage and the fringe benefit funds based on a membership vote. You should check with the business manager for the most recent wage circular to see future scheduled bumps.
Travelers and transferees are generally permitted if they are in good standing with their home local, but work must be available. If you are looking to permanently relocate to Detroit, you must follow the specific transfer procedures outlined in the SMART Constitution, which usually involves obtaining a travel card and reporting to the Local 292 business agent.
SMART Local 292 is seated in Detroit, Michigan (MI). We hold published wage sheets for 22 locals across Michigan — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Detroit and the rest of Michigan, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 292. 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 292 pay scale is $38.53 per hour for journeymen in Detroit, MI, or about $77,060 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $69.38 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 292 agreement make $38.53 an hour in base wages, or $69.38 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.
$38.53 per hour base wage and $69.38 per hour total package for a journeyman in Detroit, MI, effective 10/21/22. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $77,060 before overtime.
A Local 292 apprentice in Detroit, MI starts at roughly $17.34 an hour — about 45% of the $38.53 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $28.90 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 292 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $17.34 an hour, or roughly $34,677 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $38.53 journeyman rate effective 10/21/22. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $25.04 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $28.90 an hour in the fourth period and $38.53 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 292 training center.
Local 292 wages: $38.53 an hour on the journeyman scale, $69.38 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 10/21/22. That is the most recent Detroit, MI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Yes — a one-page printable SMART Local 292 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/smart-local-292-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $38.53 hourly scale, the $69.38 total package and the 10/21/22 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current SMART Local 292 journeyman rate is $38.53/hour, with a total package of $69.38/hour including fringe benefits, effective 10/21/22. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $77,060 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 292 business office before relying on the figure.
The $38.53/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $69.38/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 292 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 $38.53/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $17.34–$19.27/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 292 is headquartered in Detroit, MI 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 292 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 292 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 292 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 292 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 292 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 292 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
The SMART Local 292 hall is at 64 Park Street Suite 200 Troy MI 48083, serving Detroit, MI and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (248) 589-2502.
SMART Local 292 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (248) 589-2502 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 292 can be reached at (248) 589-2502. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
$38.53/hr in base wages for journeyman, or $69.38/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective October 21, 2022 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
October 21, 2022. Source wage sheet is over three years old and a new CBA cycle is likely in force. Use only as a historical baseline — pull current rates directly from the local before quoting.
No — the $38.53/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $30.85/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $69.38/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.
Stale — verify — last cross-checked against the source on Sep 23, 2026 (7 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.