Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 45 in Des Moines, IA earn $39.38/hr in base wages, or $65.01/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2024.
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SMART Local 45 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 45 pay scale is $39.38 per hour for journeymen in Des Moines, IA, or about $78,760 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $65.01 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 6/1/24.
| Local 45 journeyman hourly wage | $39.38 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $65.01 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $78,760 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $17.72–$19.69 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 6/1/24 |
| Classification | Journeyman Sheet Metal Worker — Central Iowa (Des Moines) agreement, Article 22 |
A Local 45 apprentice in Des Moines, IA starts at roughly $17.72 an hour — about 45% of the $39.38 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $29.54 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 45 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $17.72 / hour | $35,442 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $21.66 / hour | $43,318 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $25.60 / hour | $51,194 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $29.54 / hour | $59,070 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $33.47 / hour | $66,946 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $39.38 / hour | $78,760 |
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Local 45 wages: $39.38 an hour on the journeyman scale, $65.01 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 6/1/24. That is the most recent Des Moines, IA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 39% of the SMART Local 45 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 45 / Sheet Metal Contractors Labor Relations Council of Iowa agreement (expires 2027)
Download the SMART Local 45 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective June 1, 2024.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $25.63/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 45 scale used across the Des Moines, IA 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 Des Moines 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 Des Moines. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 45 rates. For current Des Moines scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
SMART Local 45 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (515) 262-7421 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 45 represents highly skilled sheet metal workers across Central and Western Iowa, maintaining a charter that covers residential, commercial, and industrial HVAC applications. Based in Des Moines, this local provides the specialized labor force required for the region’s growing healthcare facilities, data centers, and educational campuses. The organization focuses on technical proficiency in air handling, architectural metal, and testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) services. Because the Des Moines market serves as a critical hub for insurance and financial services, the demand for high-efficiency indoor air quality systems remains a primary driver for signatory work and apprentice recruitment.
The local ensures that members receive standardized training through a state-of-the-art Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) facility. This commitment to education supports a reliable pipeline of journey-level talent for signatory contractors operating throughout the state. Beyond traditional ductwork, Local 45 members are trained in precision fabrication, welding, and specialty metal installation, making them essential to the structural and mechanical integrity of Iowa's built environment. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the regional labor market, noting that this local’s jurisdiction is central to large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects that define the Des Moines metropolitan landscape.
Compensation for SMART Local 45 members is determined through collective bargaining between the union and signatory contractor associations. While specific hourly rates are not publicly disclosed without a verified member login or contractor credentials, the package typically includes a base hourly wage supplemented by a comprehensive fringe benefit contribution. Apprentices begin at a fixed percentage of the journeyman rate, usually starting between 40% and 50%, with scheduled increases occurring as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These step-up raises reflect the increasing technical competency of the trainee. To obtain the current taxable wage and total package breakdown for the Des Moines market, interested parties should contact the Local 45 business office directly for the latest wage schedule.
The jurisdiction of SMART Local 45 encompasses a broad geographic area centered in Des Moines and extending through several surrounding counties in Central and Western Iowa. The chartered territory covers all aspects of the sheet metal trade, including shop fabrication, field installation of HVAC systems, and architectural cladding. Members are dispatched to job sites ranging from high-rise commercial developments in the downtown core to industrial food processing plants and power facilities in outlying areas. The agreement ensures that work performed within these boundaries adheres to specific safety and quality standards, providing a level playing field for signatory contractors while protecting the labor rights of the craftsmen on site.
The signatory contractor landscape for SMART Local 45 is diverse, consisting of major mechanical primes and specialized sheet metal fabrication shops. These entities range from large multi-trade firms that manage massive commercial HVAC projects to boutique architectural metal contractors. The market is characterized by long-term stability due to the presence of significant institutional owners, including state government entities and major healthcare networks. Hiring typically fluctuates based on large-scale project cycles, with contractors utilizing the union hiring hall to scale their workforce according to seasonal demands and specific contract requirements. This model allows for high-quality labor deployment without the overhead of permanent staffing during off-peak periods.
Work includes the fabrication, assembly, and installation of all ductwork for heating, venting, and air conditioning. It also covers architectural components like metal roofing and siding, industrial blowpipe systems, and specialized kitchen equipment. Members are also involved in the maintenance and service of these systems to ensure peak energy efficiency.
While the roles overlap, sheet metal workers focus heavily on the fabrication and installation of the delivery systems (ductwork and housings), whereas service technicians may focus more on the mechanical components and refrigerants. Local 45 provides training pathways that can cover both installation and specialized service work depending on the contractor's needs.
Transfers, or 'traveling,' are governed by the SMART International Constitution. A member in good standing from another local must typically contact the Local 45 Business Manager to inquire about work availability and local requirements before soliciting work or depositing a travel card within the Des Moines jurisdiction.
The apprenticeship is generally a five-year program. It combines thousands of hours of paid on-the-job training with evening or block-week classroom instruction. This ensures that by the time a worker reaches journeyman status, they have mastered both the manual dexterity and the complex geometry required for advanced layout and fabrication.
SMART Local 45 is seated in Des Moines, Iowa (IA). We hold published wage sheets for 10 locals across Iowa — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Des Moines and the rest of Iowa, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 45. 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 45 pay scale is $39.38 per hour for journeymen in Des Moines, IA, or about $78,760 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $65.01 per hour. That is the rate in force, effective 6/1/24.
Journeyman sheet metal workers under the SMART Local 45 agreement make $39.38 an hour in base wages, or $65.01 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 6/1/24. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$39.38 per hour base wage and $65.01 per hour total package for a journeyman in Des Moines, IA, effective 6/1/24. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $78,760 before overtime.
A Local 45 apprentice in Des Moines, IA starts at roughly $17.72 an hour — about 45% of the $39.38 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $29.54 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 45 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $17.72 an hour, or roughly $35,442 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $39.38 journeyman rate effective 6/1/24. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $25.60 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $29.54 an hour in the fourth period and $39.38 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 45 training center.
Local 45 wages: $39.38 an hour on the journeyman scale, $65.01 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 6/1/24. That is the most recent Des Moines, IA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Yes — a one-page printable SMART Local 45 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/smart-local-45-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $39.38 hourly scale, the $65.01 total package and the 6/1/24 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current SMART Local 45 journeyman rate is $39.38/hour, with a total package of $65.01/hour including fringe benefits, effective 6/1/24. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $78,760 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 45 business office before relying on the figure.
The $39.38/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $65.01/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 45 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 $39.38/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $17.72–$19.69/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 45 is headquartered in Des Moines, IA 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 45 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 45 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 45 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 45 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 6/1/24 schedule; check with the Local 45 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 45 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
The SMART Local 45 hall is at 4534 Nw 6th Drive Des Moines IA 50313, serving Des Moines, IA and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (515) 262-7421.
SMART Local 45 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (515) 262-7421 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 45 can be reached at (515) 262-7421. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
$39.38/hr in base wages for journeyman sheet metal worker — central iowa (des moines) agreement, article 22, or $65.01/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective June 1, 2024 per the SMART Local 45 / Sheet Metal Contractors Labor Relations Council of Iowa agreement (expires 2027) wage determination.
June 1, 2024. The negotiated rate on this primary source (SMART Local 45 / Sheet Metal Contractors Labor Relations Council of Iowa agreement (expires 2027)) 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 $39.38/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $25.63/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $65.01/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 17, 2026 (13 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.