Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 85 in Atlanta, GA earn $38.29/hr in base wages, or $53.01/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Aug 2025.
The Local 85 pay scale for 2026 is $38.29 per hour for journeymen in Atlanta, GA, or about $76,580 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $53.01 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 8/3/25.
| Local 85 journeyman hourly wage | $38.29 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $53.01 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $76,580 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45 to 50% of scale) | $17.23 to $19.15 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 8/3/25 |
Apply now | Gulfstream places sheet metal workers candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 85 apprentice in Atlanta, GA starts at roughly $17.23 an hour, about 45% of the $38.29 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $28.72 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 85 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $17.23 / hour | $34,461 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $21.06 / hour | $42,119 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $24.89 / hour | $49,777 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $28.72 / hour | $57,435 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $32.55 / hour | $65,093 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $38.29 / hour | $76,580 |
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SMART Local 85 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 85 pay rates and union rules
SMART Local 85 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 85 wages: $38.29 an hour on the journeyman scale, $53.01 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 8/3/25. That is the most recent Atlanta, GA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
SMART Local 85 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 Atlanta, GA area, and local scale in the Atlanta 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 Atlanta. We are a private recruiting firm, we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 85 rates. For current Atlanta scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
SMART Local 85 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall, call (404) 758-2689 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 85 represents professional sheet metal workers across the state of Georgia, with its primary base of operations centered in the Atlanta metropolitan area. As part of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, this local provides a skilled labor force for specialized architectural and mechanical projects. Members are trained in the fabrication, installation, and maintenance of HVAC systems, industrial ductwork, and architectural metal components. The Atlanta market is a critical hub for high-density commercial development and industrial manufacturing, where Local 85 members ensure that complex air handling and ventilation systems meet rigorous safety and efficiency standards for large-scale facilities and high-rise structures.
The organization manages a comprehensive Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) program to prepare the next generation of tradespeople for technical challenges including CAD detailing and advanced welding. Because Georgia is an open-shop environment, the value proposition of Local 85 rests on the superior productivity and safety records of its journeymen. For signatory mechanical primes and specialized sheet metal fabricators, partnering with Local 85 provides access to a scalable, certified workforce that can handle the tight schedules and technical demands of major regional infrastructure and commercial projects.
The wage structure for SMART Local 85 is defined by a clear distinction between the hourly take-home pay and the total package. Effective August 3, 2025, the Journeyman hourly rate is established at $38.29, which forms the basis for all overtime and premium pay calculations. When including the fringe benefit contributions—which cover health insurance, retirement funds, and training—the total package reaches $53.01 per hour. Apprentices typically begin their careers at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often starting around 40% to 50%. As they complete specific milestones in their classroom instruction and reach required on-the-job training hours, these percentages increase incrementally over a five-year period. This step-up system ensures that pay scales directly reflect the increasing skill set and responsibility of the worker until they achieve full journeyman status.
The contractor landscape for Local 85 consists of a diverse mix of signatory mechanical primes and specialized sheet metal subcontractors. These firms range from large-scale regional mechanical contractors capable of handling multi-million dollar hospital and data center builds to smaller, boutique architectural metal shops. Hiring typically follows the ebbs and flows of the Atlanta construction cycle, with significant demand currently driven by the expansion of data centers, healthcare facilities, and logistics hubs. Signatory contractors rely on the union to provide pre-screened, drug-tested, and highly trained personnel, allowing them to scale their workforce rapidly for large projects without the long-term overhead of recruiting unproven labor in a tight market.
The hourly wage of $38.29 is the gross amount paid directly to the worker before taxes. The total package of $53.01 includes an additional $14.72 per hour in employer-paid benefits like pension, healthcare, and training funds. These benefits are paid on top of the wage and are not deducted from the $38.29 rate.
No prior experience is required to apply for the apprenticeship. The program is designed to take individuals with zero trade knowledge and train them through a mix of classroom instruction and paid on-the-job training. However, having a background in high school math or shop classes can be beneficial during the aptitude test and interview process.
Yes, SMART members in good standing can typically request a transfer or work as a traveler in Local 85's jurisdiction. This process requires a travel letter from your home local and approval from the Local 85 Business Manager, depending on current work volume and the local's ability to man the projects.
Yes, members can pursue specialized certifications in areas such as AWS-certified welding, Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB), and Fire Life Safety. These certifications often make a member more marketable to signatory contractors and can lead to foreman or specialized technician roles on major job sites.
SMART Local 85 is seated in Atlanta, Georgia (GA). We hold published wage sheets for 10 locals across Georgia, compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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We are a commercial MEP recruiting firm serving Atlanta and the rest of Georgia, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 85. 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 85 pay scale for 2026 is $38.29 per hour for journeymen in Atlanta, GA, or about $76,580 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $53.01 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 8/3/25.
SMART Local 85 wages for 2026: journeyman Sheet Metal Workers rate of $38.29 per hour in Atlanta, GA, with a total package of $53.01 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 8/3/25. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 8/3/25 with the SMART Local 85 business office.
The SMART Local 85 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $38.29 per hour ($53.01 per hour total package), effective 8/3/25, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the SMART Local 85 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 8/3/25 with the hall.
Local 85 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $38.29 per hour journeyman rate, typically starting near 40 to 50% ($17.23 to $19.15 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 85 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman sheet metal workers under the SMART Local 85 agreement make $38.29 an hour in base wages, or $53.01 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 8/3/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$38.29 per hour base wage and $53.01 per hour total package for a journeyman in Atlanta, GA, effective 8/3/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $76,580 before overtime.
A Local 85 apprentice in Atlanta, GA starts at roughly $17.23 an hour, about 45% of the $38.29 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $28.72 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 85 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $17.23 an hour, or roughly $34,461 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $38.29 journeyman rate effective 8/3/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $24.89 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $28.72 an hour in the fourth period and $38.29 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 85 training center.
Local 85 wages: $38.29 an hour on the journeyman scale, $53.01 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 8/3/25. That is the most recent Atlanta, GA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published SMART Local 85 journeyman rate is $38.29 an hour ($53.01 total package), effective 8/3/25, roughly $76,580 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes, a one-page printable SMART Local 85 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/smart-local-85-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $38.29 hourly scale, the $53.01 total package and the 8/3/25 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download, no sign-up needed.
The current SMART Local 85 journeyman rate is $38.29/hour, with a total package of $53.01/hour including fringe benefits, effective 8/3/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $76,580 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle, confirm with the Local 85 business office before relying on the figure.
The $38.29/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $53.01/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 85 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 $38.29/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $17.23 to $19.15/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 85 is headquartered in Atlanta, GA 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 85 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 85 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 85 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 85 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 8/3/25 schedule; check with the Local 85 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 85 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
Yes, the openings section on this page lists current sheet metal workers roles near Atlanta, GA, 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 85 business office.
The SMART Local 85 hall is at 4830 Mendel Ct Sw, Atlanta, GA 30336, serving Atlanta, GA and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (404) 758-2689.
SMART Local 85 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (404) 758-2689 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 85 can be reached at (404) 758-2689. 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 85's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at (404) 758-2689.
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 (404) 758-2689.
We haven't found an official source for SMART Local 85's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at (404) 758-2689.
We haven't found an official source for SMART Local 85's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at (404) 758-2689.
SMART sheet-metal directory territorial statement, edition September 2, 2026, page 56, Partial published coverage. Checked 2026-10-27.
Local Jurisdiction: (Including Entire State of Georgia (with the exception of Camden, Catoosa, Clay, Dade, Early, Miller, Seminole and Walker Cos., GA); Barbour, Lee and Russell Cos., AL)
Unmapped partial, restricted or ambiguous clause: Entire State of Georgia (with the exception of Camden, Catoosa, Clay, Dade, Early, Miller, Seminole and Walker Cos., GA)
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 85. 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.