Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 3 in Omaha, NE earn $46.11/hr in base wages, or $67.72/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jul 2026.
The Local 3 pay scale for 2026 is $46.11 per hour for journeymen in Omaha, NE, or about $92,220 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $67.72 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/3/26.
| Local 3 journeyman hourly wage | $46.11 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $67.72 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $92,220 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45 to 50% of scale) | $20.75 to $23.06 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 7/3/26 |
Apply now | Gulfstream places sheet metal workers candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 3 apprentice in Omaha, NE starts at roughly $20.75 an hour, about 45% of the $46.11 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $34.58 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 3 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $20.75 / hour | $41,499 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $25.36 / hour | $50,721 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $29.97 / hour | $59,943 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $34.58 / hour | $69,165 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $39.19 / hour | $78,387 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $46.11 / hour | $92,220 |
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SMART Local 3 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.
SMART Local 3 pay rates and union rules
SMART Local 3 does not post an online application we could verify; contact the hall by phone for dispatch or apprenticeship. To be considered for direct-hire roles with mechanical, electrical and sheet metal contractors in this area, apply to Gulfstream. This is not an application to the union.
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Local 3 wages: $46.11 an hour on the journeyman scale, $67.72 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 7/3/26. That is the most recent Omaha, NE sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
SMART Local 3 has not published a current wage sheet to the public rate sources we track, so the figure above is the reporting-wide sheet metal average, not this hall's own scale. 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 Omaha, NE area, and local scale in the Omaha market is normally set by the hall's current collective bargaining agreement, confirm it with the business office before quoting.
Gulfstream recruits sheet metal talent for commercial mechanical, electrical, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around Omaha. We are a private recruiting firm, we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 3 rates. For current Omaha scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
SMART Local 3 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall, call (402) 330-3383 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 3 represents skilled sheet metal workers across Nebraska and parts of the surrounding region, with its primary base of operations in Omaha. Since 2014, our recruitment team has tracked the evolution of this local as it supports the massive industrial and commercial expansion in the Missouri River Valley. Members are trained in the full scope of the trade, including HVAC ductwork fabrication, architectural sheet metal, and specialized industrial ventilation. The local operates a robust Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) facility that ensures a steady pipeline of journey-level talent capable of meeting the rigorous standards of Nebraska's heavy commercial and infrastructure sectors.
The Omaha market is a critical hub for high-density data centers, healthcare facilities, and food processing plants, all of which require the precise air handling and filtration systems provided by Local 3 signatories. Because these projects often involve complex cleanroom environments or heavy-gauge industrial exhaust, the demand for Union-trained sheet metal workers remains high. For contractors, partnering with Local 3 offers access to a workforce that has completed a five-year apprenticeship and holds necessary certifications in welding, rigging, and safety. This specialized skill set is essential for maintaining the mechanical integrity of the region's most sensitive and high-value commercial buildings.
The current journeyman hourly rate for SMART Local 3 is $46.11, with a total package of $67.72 effective July 3, 2026. This hourly wage represents the take-home pay before taxes, while the additional $21.61 per hour covers the fringe benefit package. Apprentices start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically beginning around 40% to 50% and increasing in 5% to 10% increments every six to twelve months. These advancements are contingent upon the successful completion of both on-the-job training hours and classroom instruction at the JATC. By the fifth year, senior apprentices earn near-journeyman wages as they prepare for their final certification exams. This structured progression ensures that labor costs for contractors remain proportional to the skill level and productivity of the workforce on site.
The contractor landscape for Local 3 is comprised of a mix of large-scale mechanical primes and specialized architectural sheet metal firms. These signatories handle the bulk of the region's major construction work, particularly in the growing tech and medical corridors of Douglas and Sarpy counties. Hiring trends often mirror the cycles of large industrial builds and data center campus expansions. While some contractors focus exclusively on shop-based precision fabrication using CNC plasma and laser technology, others specialize in field installation for massive air-handling units and exterior metal cladding systems. This diversity provides members with varied work opportunities across both residential-commercial and heavy industrial sectors.
The hourly wage of $46.11 is the base rate paid directly to the member on their paycheck. The total package of $67.72 includes an additional $21.61 per hour in employer-paid benefits such as health insurance, pension contributions, and training funds. These benefits are paid by the contractor in addition to the hourly wage and are not deducted from the journeyman's base pay.
Yes, as a part of the SMART international union, Local 3 participates in reciprocal agreements. This allows members from other sheet metal locals to work in the Omaha jurisdiction while having their fringe benefits, such as pension and health welfare, sent back to their home local's funds. Travelers must report to the Omaha hall to sign the out-of-work list and verify their status.
The Local 3 training program offers certifications in AWS/CWB welding, Fire Life Safety (FLS) for damper inspections, and TAB (Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing). Members can also receive OSHA-30 safety training and specialized rigging certifications. These credentials allow members to work on high-spec projects like hospitals and industrial plants where certified labor is a contractual requirement.
While the majority of Local 3's man-hours are generated in the commercial and industrial sectors, some signatory contractors do perform high-end residential HVAC and custom architectural work. However, the CBA primarily focuses on building trades and industrial standards. Workers interested in residential service should inquire with the local regarding specific residential addendums or service-specific classifications within the agreement.
SMART Local 3 is seated in Omaha, Nebraska (NE). We hold published wage sheets for 5 locals across Nebraska, compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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We are a commercial MEP recruiting firm serving Omaha and the rest of Nebraska, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 3. Our office is in South Corona, California and we place 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 3 pay scale for 2026 is $46.11 per hour for journeymen in Omaha, NE, or about $92,220 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $67.72 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/3/26.
SMART Local 3 wages for 2026: journeyman Sheet Metal Workers rate of $46.11 per hour in Omaha, NE, with a total package of $67.72 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/3/26. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 7/3/26 with the SMART Local 3 business office.
The SMART Local 3 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $46.11 per hour ($67.72 per hour total package), effective 7/3/26, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the SMART Local 3 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 7/3/26 with the hall.
Local 3 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $46.11 per hour journeyman rate, typically starting near 40 to 50% ($20.75 to $23.06 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 3 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman sheet metal workers under the SMART Local 3 agreement make $46.11 an hour in base wages, or $67.72 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 7/3/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$46.11 per hour base wage and $67.72 per hour total package for a journeyman in Omaha, NE, effective 7/3/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $92,220 before overtime.
A Local 3 apprentice in Omaha, NE starts at roughly $20.75 an hour, about 45% of the $46.11 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $34.58 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 3 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $20.75 an hour, or roughly $41,499 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $46.11 journeyman rate effective 7/3/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $29.97 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $34.58 an hour in the fourth period and $46.11 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 3 training center.
Local 3 wages: $46.11 an hour on the journeyman scale, $67.72 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 7/3/26. That is the most recent Omaha, NE sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published SMART Local 3 journeyman rate is $46.11 an hour ($67.72 total package), effective 7/3/26, roughly $92,220 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes, a one-page printable SMART Local 3 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/smart-local-3-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $46.11 hourly scale, the $67.72 total package and the 7/3/26 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download, no sign-up needed.
The current SMART Local 3 journeyman rate is $46.11/hour, with a total package of $67.72/hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/3/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $92,220 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle, confirm with the Local 3 business office before relying on the figure.
The $46.11/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $67.72/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 3 agreement are paid a graduated percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting near 40 to 50% in the first period and stepping up each six-month or annual period until reaching 100% at turnout. Against the current $46.11/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $20.75 to $23.06/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 3 is headquartered in Omaha, NE 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 3 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 3 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 3 training center directly.
Sheet Metal Workers apprenticeships generally run four to five years, roughly 8,000 to 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 3 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 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 7/3/26 schedule; check with the Local 3 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 3 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
Yes, the openings section on this page lists current sheet metal workers roles near Omaha, NE, 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 3 business office.
The SMART Local 3 hall is at 3333 South 24th Street Omaha NE 68108, serving Omaha, NE and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (402) 330-3383.
SMART Local 3 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (402) 330-3383 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 3 can be reached at (402) 330-3383. 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 3's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at (402) 330-3383.
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 (402) 330-3383.
We haven't found an official source for SMART Local 3's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at (402) 330-3383.
We haven't found an official source for SMART Local 3's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at (402) 330-3383.
SMART sheet-metal directory territorial statement, edition September 2, 2026, page 3, Partial published coverage. Checked 2026-10-27.
Local Jurisdiction: (Including Antelope, Blaine, Boone, Boyd, Brown, Burt, Butler, Cass, Cedar, Cherry, Colfax, Cuming, Custer, Dakota, Dixon, Dodge, Douglas, Garfield, Greeley, Holt, Hooker, Howard, Keya Paha, Knox, Logan, Loup, Madison, McPherson, Merrick, Nance, Otoe, Pierce, Platte, Polk, Rock, Sarpy, Saunders, Sherman, Stanton, Thomas, Thurston, Valley, Washington, Wayne and Wheeler Cos., NE; Adams, Audubon, Buena Vista, Carroll, Cass, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dickin son, Emmet, Fremont, Harrison, Ida, Lyon, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, O'Brien, Osceola, Page, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Pottawattamie, Sac, Shelby, Sioux, Taylor and Woodbury Cos., IA)
Unresolved source-listed area: Dickin son, IA. Not mapped.
Coverage map and city lookup · Hall contact
No comparable official rate held. No trade average or another hall’s rate is substituted.
Confirm the current agreement, classification, zone and effective schedule with the hall; a package is not take-home pay.
Membership fees, dues and admission rules are not verified in our held official records. Confirm directly with the hall.
Rates and sources · Membership and apprenticeship · Official hall contact · Send a recruiting inquiry to Gulfstream · Compare Rates
Recruiting inquiries go to Gulfstream, not SMART Local 3. Membership, dispatch and apprenticeship applications must go directly to the hall. Gulfstream is union-independent and recruits for commercial mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors.
We fill union-covered and salaried roles for union and merit-shop mechanical contractors: project managers, superintendents, estimators and service staff. Hall dispatch stays with the local.