Journeyman sheet metal workers under SMART Local 91 in Rock Island, IL earn $44.15/hr in base wages, or $66.62/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Nov 2025.
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SMART Local 91 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 91 pay scale for 2026 is $44.15 per hour for journeymen in Rock Island, IL, or about $88,300 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $66.62 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 11/3/25.
| Local 91 journeyman hourly wage | $44.15 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $66.62 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $88,300 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $19.87–$22.08 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 11/3/25 |
A Local 91 apprentice in Rock Island, IL starts at roughly $19.87 an hour — about 45% of the $44.15 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $33.11 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 91 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $19.87 / hour | $39,735 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $24.28 / hour | $48,565 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $28.70 / hour | $57,395 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $33.11 / hour | $66,225 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $37.53 / hour | $75,055 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $44.15 / hour | $88,300 |
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Local 91 wages: $44.15 an hour on the journeyman scale, $66.62 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 11/3/25. That is the most recent Rock Island, IL sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 34% of the SMART Local 91 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.
Unverified: crowd-sourced figure (unionpayscales.com), not confirmed against the local's own wage sheet
Download the SMART Local 91 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective November 3, 2025.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $22.47/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 91 scale used across the Rock Island, IL 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 Rock Island 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 Rock Island. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 91 rates. For current Rock Island scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
SMART Local 91 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call (309) 787-0695 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 91 represents skilled sheet metal workers across a multi-state jurisdiction centered in the Quad Cities region. Based in Rock Island, Illinois, this local provides the specialized labor force required for complex architectural metalwork, industrial ventilation, and commercial HVAC systems. The regional economy relies on Local 91 members to maintain the infrastructure of major manufacturing hubs and healthcare facilities. Because the jurisdiction bridges the Mississippi River, the local maintains a critical presence in both Illinois and Iowa markets, ensuring standardized safety and quality benchmarks for sheet metal fabrication and installation across state lines.
The market for Local 91 is defined by a blend of heavy industrial fabrication and high-density commercial development. As the primary labor source for signatory contractors in the Rock Island area, the union oversees the training and dispatch of journeypersons proficient in CAD detailing, testing and balancing, and precision welding. For contractors, partnering with this local provides access to a pre-vetted workforce capable of meeting strict project timelines. For tradespeople, the union serves as the primary mechanism for collective bargaining, ensuring that wages and benefits remain competitive with regional cost-of-living adjustments and industrial demand.
Effective November 3, 2025, the Journeyman hourly rate for SMART Local 91 is set at $44.15, contributing to a total compensation package of $66.62 per hour. This total package includes all fringe benefits such as health insurance and pension contributions. Apprentices in the Local 91 program follow a graduated pay scale, typically starting at approximately 40% to 50% of the Journeyman rate. These wages increase in predictable steps as the apprentice completes required classroom hours and documented on-the-job training milestones. By the final year of the five-year apprenticeship, workers earn a high percentage of the full scale, reflecting their increased proficiency in specialized sheet metal tasks. All rates are subject to the specific terms of the current collective bargaining agreement and should be verified with the Rock Island business office.
The jurisdiction for SMART Local 91 encompasses a significant territory in Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa, centered on the Rock Island and Moline metropolitan areas. The charter covers all aspects of the sheet metal trade, including the fabrication, assembly, and installation of ductwork, architectural metal roofing, and industrial exhaust systems. Members are dispatched to job sites ranging from municipal buildings and schools to large-scale industrial plants. The agreement ensures that work performed within these geographic boundaries adheres to uniform labor standards, preventing wage suppression and ensuring that all signatory contractors operate on a level playing field regarding labor costs and specialized craftsmanship requirements.
The contractor landscape for SMART Local 91 is comprised of diverse signatory firms ranging from large-scale mechanical primes to specialized architectural sheet metal shops. These contractors handle the bulk of the public works and heavy industrial projects in the Quad Cities region. Hiring activity is generally driven by capital improvement projects at regional hospitals and the ongoing maintenance needs of the area's manufacturing sector. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the movement of skilled labor between these firms, noting that the local's ability to provide certified welders and HVAC technicians remains a primary draw for contractors bidding on complex, high-stakes infrastructure projects.
Members have access to the JATC training facility where they can earn American Welding Society (AWS) certifications. Training typically covers G-MAW, T-MAW, and S-MAW processes specifically tailored for light-gauge sheet metal and heavy industrial plate work. These certifications are critical for industrial projects in the Quad Cities and increase a member's employability across different signatory contractor types.
The take-home pay, or taxable wage, is the $44.15 hourly rate effective in late 2025. The total package of $66.62 includes the additional $22.47 per hour that contractors pay directly into your fringe benefits. These benefits, such as health insurance and retirement, are not deducted from your hourly wage but are paid in addition to it, providing a higher total value.
Travelers and members looking to transfer into Local 91 must follow the procedures outlined in the SMART Constitution. Typically, this involves notifying your home local's Financial Secretary-Treasurer and reporting to the Local 91 business office in Rock Island. Acceptance of transfers depends on current local work volume and the specific skills or certifications the member brings to the market.
Standard shifts consist of eight hours per day, Monday through Friday. Overtime is generally paid at time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond the standard shift and on Saturdays, while Sundays and holidays typically command double-time pay. These rules are strictly governed by the collective bargaining agreement to ensure fair compensation during peak construction periods or emergency industrial shutdowns.
SMART Local 91 is seated in Rock Island, Illinois (IL). We hold published wage sheets for 32 locals across Illinois — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Rock Island and the rest of Illinois, including contractors signatory to SMART Local 91. 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 91 pay scale for 2026 is $44.15 per hour for journeymen in Rock Island, IL, or about $88,300 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $66.62 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 11/3/25.
Journeyman sheet metal workers under the SMART Local 91 agreement make $44.15 an hour in base wages, or $66.62 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 11/3/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$44.15 per hour base wage and $66.62 per hour total package for a journeyman in Rock Island, IL, effective 11/3/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $88,300 before overtime.
A Local 91 apprentice in Rock Island, IL starts at roughly $19.87 an hour — about 45% of the $44.15 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $33.11 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 91 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $19.87 an hour, or roughly $39,735 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $44.15 journeyman rate effective 11/3/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $28.70 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $33.11 an hour in the fourth period and $44.15 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 91 training center.
Local 91 wages: $44.15 an hour on the journeyman scale, $66.62 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 11/3/25. That is the most recent Rock Island, IL sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published SMART Local 91 journeyman rate is $44.15 an hour ($66.62 total package), effective 11/3/25 — roughly $88,300 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable SMART Local 91 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/smart-local-91-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $44.15 hourly scale, the $66.62 total package and the 11/3/25 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current SMART Local 91 journeyman rate is $44.15/hour, with a total package of $66.62/hour including fringe benefits, effective 11/3/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $88,300 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 91 business office before relying on the figure.
The $44.15/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $66.62/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 91 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 $44.15/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $19.87–$22.08/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
SMART Local 91 is headquartered in Rock Island, IL 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 91 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 91 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 91 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 91 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 11/3/25 schedule; check with the Local 91 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 91 against neighboring jurisdictions and other sheet metal workers markets.
The SMART Local 91 hall is at 8124 42nd St., W. Rock Island IL 61201, serving Rock Island, IL and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: (309) 787-0695.
SMART Local 91 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at (309) 787-0695 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 91 can be reached at (309) 787-0695. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
$44.15/hr in base wages for journeyman, or $66.62/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective November 3, 2025 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
November 3, 2025. Pulled from the local's current published CBA wage sheet on unionpayscales.com and cross-checked at build time. High confidence for offer benchmarking.
No — the $44.15/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $22.47/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $66.62/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.
High confidence — last cross-checked against the source on Sep 23, 2026 (7 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.