Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 55 in Spokane Valley, WA earn $47.83/hr in base wages, or $47.83/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Mar 2026.
SMART Local 55 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
The Local 55 pay scale for 2026 is $47.83 per hour for journeymen in Spokane Valley, WA, or about $95,660 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $47.83 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/29/26.
| Local 55 journeyman hourly wage | $47.83 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $47.83 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $95,660 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $21.52–$23.92 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 3/29/26 |
| Classification | Sheet Metal Journeyman |
A Local 55 apprentice in Spokane Valley, WA starts at roughly $21.52 an hour — about 45% of the $47.83 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $35.87 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 55 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $21.52 / hour | $43,047 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $26.31 / hour | $52,613 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $31.09 / hour | $62,179 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $35.87 / hour | $71,745 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $40.66 / hour | $81,311 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $47.83 / hour | $95,660 |
SMART Local 55 represents sheet metal workers across Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, serving as a critical labor partner for the Spokane Valley and Inland Empire construction markets. Since 2014, our recruitment team has tracked the development of this skilled workforce as they support essential infrastructure in healthcare, higher education, and regional manufacturing. The local specializes in the fabrication and installation of HVAC ductwork, architectural sheet metal, and industrial ventilation systems. By maintaining a centralized pool of certified professionals, Local 55 ensures that signatory contractors have access to journey-level expertise capable of meeting stringent ASHRAE and SMACNA standards for indoor air quality and structural integrity.
The regional market for sheet metal work is driven by a mix of public works projects and private commercial expansion throughout the Spokane metropolitan area. As building codes increasingly prioritize energy efficiency and high-a mechanical contractor systems, the role of Local 55 members has become more technical, requiring proficiency in advanced building automation and air balancing. Signatory partners rely on this local to staff projects ranging from high-rise commercial developments to complex laboratory environments. For tradespeople, the union provides a structured career path that combines classroom theory with hands-on field experience, ensuring the Inland Northwest remains competitive in attracting large-scale industrial investments requiring sophisticated metal fabrication.
Based on the schedule effective March 29, 2026, the journeyman hourly rate for SMART Local 55 is $47.83. It is important to note that the supplied total package matches the hourly rate at $47.83, suggesting the base wage may include or be supplemented by employer-paid fringes that must be verified through the business office. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting between 40% and 50% for first-year trainees. As apprentices complete required work hours and biannual classroom modules, their pay scales incrementally increase toward the full journey-level rate. This progression ensures that labor costs for contractors scale appropriately with the skill level and productivity of the workforce on site. All members should confirm the specific breakdown of taxable wages versus benefit contributions with their current dispatch or the JATC office.
SMART Local 55 maintains a wide geographic jurisdiction covering the eastern third of Washington State and the northern panhandle of Idaho. The territory is anchored by the Spokane Valley headquarters and extends through agricultural centers and mountainous regions, requiring members to be mobile for projects in outlying areas. The scope of work under this agreement includes the shop fabrication of HVAC components, field installation of air handling systems, stainless steel kitchen equipment, and specialized architectural metal roofing. Dispatch procedures are governed by the local's out-of-work list, prioritizing members based on their specific certifications and residency within the chartered zones of the Inland Northwest.
The contractor landscape for Local 55 is comprised of diverse signatory entities, ranging from small architectural metal shops to large-scale mechanical prime contractors. These firms handle the bulk of the public school, municipal, and healthcare work in the Spokane region, where prevailing wage requirements and project complexity favor union labor. There is a strong presence of mechanical contractors that operate integrated shops, allowing for seamless transition between off-site fabrication and on-site installation. Hiring typically fluctuates based on major capital projects at regional universities and hospitals, with service and maintenance agreements providing steady work for members specializing in HVAC testing, adjusting, and balancing.
Members often pursue certifications in AWS welding (GMAW/GTAW), Fire Life Safety (FLS) for damper inspections, and TABB certification for air balancing. These credentials allow sheet metal workers to handle specialized inspections and high-purity piping or ductwork requirements in industrial and medical facilities throughout Eastern Washington.
Because Local 55 covers both Washington and Idaho, members must ensure they comply with the specific state licensing and reciprocity rules for mechanical work. While the union contract remains consistent, contractors operating across state lines will verify that workers hold the necessary state-level registrations for the specific job site location.
While the bulk of the membership works in commercial and industrial sectors, there are signatory contractors focused on residential HVAC and architectural metal. These roles may operate under a different wage scale or addendum specifically tailored to the residential market, which is common in the SMART organization to maintain competitiveness.
Yes, given the large geographic footprint covering the Inland Northwest, members may be dispatched to projects in Pullman, Coeur d'Alene, or Lewiston. Depending on the distance from the Spokane Valley dispatch point and the specific contract language, travel pay or subsistence may be applicable for remote project sites.
SMART Local 55 is seated in Spokane Valley, Washington (WA). We hold published wage sheets for 11 locals across Washington — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Spokane Valley and the rest of Washington, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 55. 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 55 pay scale for 2026 is $47.83 per hour for journeymen in Spokane Valley, WA, or about $95,660 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $47.83 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/29/26.
Journeyman sheet metal workers under the SMART Local 55 agreement make $47.83 an hour in base wages, or $47.83 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 3/29/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$47.83 per hour base wage and $47.83 per hour total package for a journeyman in Spokane Valley, WA, effective 3/29/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $95,660 before overtime.
A Local 55 apprentice in Spokane Valley, WA starts at roughly $21.52 an hour — about 45% of the $47.83 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $35.87 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 55 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $21.52 an hour, or roughly $43,047 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $47.83 journeyman rate effective 3/29/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $31.09 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $35.87 an hour in the fourth period and $47.83 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 55 training center.
The current SMART Local 55 journeyman rate is $47.83/hour, with a total package of $47.83/hour including fringe benefits, effective 3/29/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $95,660 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 55 business office before relying on the figure.
The $47.83/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $47.83/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 55 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 $47.83/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $21.52–$23.92/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 55 is headquartered in Spokane Valley, WA 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 55 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 55 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 55 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 55 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 3/29/26 schedule; check with the Local 55 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 55 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.