Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 472 in Topeka, KS earn $33.09/hr in base wages, or $33.09/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.
SMART Local 472 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 472 pay scale is $33.09 per hour for journeymen in Topeka, KS, or about $66,180 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $33.09 per hour. That is the last wage sheet we can source for this local — confirm the current rate with the hall.
| Local 472 journeyman hourly wage | $33.09 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $33.09 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $66,180 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $14.89–$16.55 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 10/21/22 |
A Local 472 apprentice in Topeka, KS starts at roughly $14.89 an hour — about 45% of the $33.09 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $24.82 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 472 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $14.89 / hour | $29,781 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $18.20 / hour | $36,399 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $21.51 / hour | $43,017 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $24.82 / hour | $49,635 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $28.13 / hour | $56,253 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $33.09 / hour | $66,180 |
SMART Local 472 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (913) 208-6913 to confirm dispatch hours, 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 472 represents skilled sheet metal workers across a significant portion of Kansas, with its operations headquartered in Topeka. As a chartered affiliate of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, this local manages the labor supply for critical infrastructure, commercial HVAC installation, and industrial fabrication. The Topeka market serves as a hub for regional construction, where Local 472 members provide specialized expertise in ductwork, architectural sheet metal, and testing and balancing. By maintaining rigorous standards for training and safety, the union ensures that signatory contractors have access to a workforce capable of meeting modern building codes and complex design specifications in a competitive Midwestern landscape.
The jurisdiction of Local 472 is vital to the Kansas economy, covering diverse project environments from state government facilities to educational institutions and large-scale manufacturing plants. The demand for qualified sheet metal professionals in this region is driven by the ongoing need for efficient climate control systems and precision metal fabrication. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor trends in this market, noting how Local 472 balances the requirements of new construction with the long-term maintenance needs of existing facilities. Their role extends beyond simple installation, encompassing the entire lifecycle of air handling systems and metal components, which remains a cornerstone of the regional building trades sector.
Based on data effective October 21, 2022, the journeyman hourly rate for SMART Local 472 is $33.09. The reported total package, which includes both the taxable wage and employer-paid fringe benefits, is also noted at $33.09, though users should contact the business office to verify the specific allocation for health, welfare, and pension funds. Apprentices in the Local 472 program typically start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often ranging from 40% to 50% for first-year trainees. These wages increase in scheduled intervals as the apprentice completes classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the final year of the apprenticeship, the rate approaches the full journeyman scale, reflecting the high level of technical proficiency required for sheet metal work in the Topeka market.
The jurisdiction of SMART Local 472 encompasses Topeka and the surrounding northeast and central Kansas counties. This territory includes work involving the assembly, installation, and maintenance of all HVAC ductwork, as well as specialized architectural metal roofing and siding. Members are dispatched to job sites ranging from urban commercial centers to rural industrial zones. The local's charter ensures that all sheet metal work within these geographic boundaries adheres to the collective bargaining agreement, providing a consistent labor standard for signatory contractors operating throughout the region. Travel requirements and per diem policies are governed by the specific terms of the labor agreement for projects located outside the immediate Topeka metropolitan area.
The contractor landscape for SMART Local 472 consists of a mix of established mechanical primes and specialized sheet metal shops. These signatory employers range from large-scale mechanical firms that handle multi-million dollar institutional projects to smaller, specialized contractors focused on precision fabrication or service and repair. Hiring typically follows the fluctuations of the regional construction cycle, with peaks driven by state-funded projects or industrial expansions. Gulfstream Strategic Placements tracks these trends to assist professionals in navigating the market. Because the union provides a centralized dispatch and training system, signatory contractors can scale their workforces quickly to meet the demands of fast-tracked projects while maintaining a high standard of craftsmanship.
Members of Local 472 are skilled in the fabrication and installation of air handling systems, including ductwork for heating and cooling. They also work on architectural elements like metal roofing, wall panels, and flashing. Some members specialize in industrial applications, such as blow pipe systems and heavy-gauge metal fabrication, as well as precision work in testing and balancing HVAC systems for efficiency.
The apprenticeship program through the Local 472 JATC generally lasts four to five years. During this time, participants receive a combination of paid on-the-job training and mandatory classroom instruction. This structured path ensures that every journeyman has a deep understanding of blueprints, CAD/BIM software, welding, and field installation techniques required by signatory contractors in the Kansas market.
Transfers, or 'travelers,' are generally managed according to the SMART International Constitution. A member in good standing from another local may be able to work in Local 472's jurisdiction if there is a shortage of local labor. Those looking to permanently transfer their membership should contact the Topeka business office to discuss the specific process and any local requirements.
Members have access to various industry-recognized certifications through the JATC, including AWS welding certifications, OSHA safety training, and specialized credentials for HVAC testing and balancing (TABB). These certifications are essential for maintaining the high standards required by signatory mechanical primes and ensure that the workforce remains competitive for complex government and healthcare projects.
SMART Local 472 is seated in Topeka, Kansas (KS). We hold published wage sheets for 6 locals across Kansas — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Topeka and the rest of Kansas, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 472. 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 472 pay scale is $33.09 per hour for journeymen in Topeka, KS, or about $66,180 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $33.09 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 472 agreement make $33.09 an hour in base wages, or $33.09 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.
$33.09 per hour base wage and $33.09 per hour total package for a journeyman in Topeka, KS, effective 10/21/22. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $66,180 before overtime.
A Local 472 apprentice in Topeka, KS starts at roughly $14.89 an hour — about 45% of the $33.09 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $24.82 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 472 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $14.89 an hour, or roughly $29,781 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $33.09 journeyman rate effective 10/21/22. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $21.51 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $24.82 an hour in the fourth period and $33.09 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 472 training center.
The current SMART Local 472 journeyman rate is $33.09/hour, with a total package of $33.09/hour including fringe benefits, effective 10/21/22. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $66,180 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 472 business office before relying on the figure.
The $33.09/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $33.09/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 472 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 $33.09/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $14.89–$16.55/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 472 is headquartered in Topeka, KS 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 472 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 472 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 472 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 472 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 472 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 472 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
The SMART Local 472 hall is at 231 Se Tecumseh Road Tecumseh KS 66542, serving Topeka, KS and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (913) 208-6913.
SMART Local 472 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (913) 208-6913 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 472 can be reached at (913) 208-6913. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.