Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 120 in Cleveland, OH earn $47.07/hr in base wages, or $72.52/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Apr 2025.
UA Local 120 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 120 pay scale for 2026 is $47.07 per hour for journeymen in Cleveland, OH, or about $94,140 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $72.52 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 4/15/25.
| Local 120 journeyman hourly wage | $47.07 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $72.52 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $94,140 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $21.18–$23.54 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 4/15/25 |
A Local 120 apprentice in Cleveland, OH starts at roughly $21.18 an hour — about 45% of the $47.07 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $35.30 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 120 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $21.18 / hour | $42,363 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $25.89 / hour | $51,777 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $30.60 / hour | $61,191 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $35.30 / hour | $70,605 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $40.01 / hour | $80,019 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $47.07 / hour | $94,140 |
UA Local 120 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 216-447-3408 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.
United Association Local 120 represents a specialized workforce of pipefitters, plumbers, and HVAC service technicians across the greater Cleveland metropolitan area and Northeast Ohio. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor dynamics of this region, where Local 120 members provide essential skilled labor for the city's heavy industrial base, healthcare facilities, and commercial infrastructure. The local maintains a robust presence in the market, ensuring that large-scale mechanical installations and complex process piping systems meet rigorous safety and quality standards. This workforce is central to the regional economy, supporting both new construction and the long-term maintenance of the area's extensive manufacturing and institutional assets.
The jurisdiction is defined by a high concentration of institutional work, particularly within the world-class medical centers and university systems that anchor the Cleveland skyline. Local 120's training center produces journey-level craftsmen capable of handling high-pressure steam, medical gas, and industrial refrigeration systems. For contractors, the local provides a scalable labor pool that facilitates the execution of multi-million dollar mechanical contracts. For the individual tradesperson, membership offers a clear pathway to middle-class stability through collective bargaining, which secures competitive hourly rates and comprehensive benefits that are standardized across all signatory employers in the territory, regardless of the specific project site or sector.
As of April 15, 2025, the Journeyman hourly rate for UA Local 120 is established at $47.07, contributing to a total compensation package of $72.52 per hour when including fringe benefits. Apprentices typically enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often starting around 45% to 50% and receiving incremental raises every six to twelve months as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the fifth year of the apprenticeship, the rate nears the full journeyman scale. This structured progression ensures that labor costs remain predictable for signatory mechanical primes while providing a transparent career ladder for new entrants. The $25.45 difference between the check rate and the total package covers essential employer-paid contributions to retirement and healthcare funds.
The chartered jurisdiction for UA Local 120 is centered in Cleveland and extends across several key counties in Northeast Ohio. This territory encompasses a diverse range of work sites, from Lake Erie's industrial waterfront to the suburban commercial corridors. The local's dispatch handles manning for building trades projects, including stadiums, refineries, and high-rise residential developments. Members are expected to travel within this regional footprint to reach assigned jobsites, though the majority of the man-hours are concentrated within the immediate Cleveland metro area. The agreement covers all piping installations, including heating, cooling, power piping, and specialized process systems required for the region's diverse manufacturing and chemical processing plants.
The signatory landscape for UA Local 120 is comprised of a mix of large national mechanical primes and specialized local firms. These contractors handle the bulk of the region's heavy industrial piping, commercial HVAC installations, and large-scale plumbing projects. Hiring typically follows the fluctuations of the regional construction cycle, with significant spikes during hospital expansions or industrial refinery shutdowns. Because the local provides a standardized skill set, contractors can bid on complex projects with confidence in their labor costs. The market is highly competitive, and signatory firms often focus on high-barrier-to-entry work such as cleanroom piping, sophisticated building automation, and mission-critical infrastructure maintenance.
The hourly rate of $47.07 is the gross amount paid directly on the member's paycheck. The total package of $72.52 includes an additional $25.45 in fringe benefits such as pension, healthcare, and training funds. These benefits are paid by the employer on top of the hourly wage and are not deducted from the $47.07 check rate.
Yes, through the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, members have access to advanced certifications in orbital welding, medical gas installation, and UA Safe2Work programs. These certifications are vital for maintaining eligibility for specialized projects in Cleveland's healthcare and industrial sectors, ensuring that the workforce stays ahead of evolving industry standards and local building codes.
Local 120 operates a referral hall system. When signatory contractors need labor, they contact the hall, and members are dispatched based on their position on the out-of-work list and their specific qualifications. This system ensures fair distribution of work opportunities and allows contractors to scale their manpower quickly to meet the demands of large-scale mechanical projects.
Transfers, or 'traveling,' are governed by the United Association's constitution. A member from another UA local may work in Local 120's jurisdiction if there is a demand for labor that cannot be met by local members. For a permanent transfer, the individual must typically establish residency and receive approval from the Local 120 executive board.
UA Local 120 is seated in Cleveland, Ohio (OH). We hold published wage sheets for 30 locals across Ohio — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Cleveland and the rest of Ohio, including contractors signatory to UA Local 120. 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 120 pay scale for 2026 is $47.07 per hour for journeymen in Cleveland, OH, or about $94,140 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $72.52 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 4/15/25.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 120 agreement make $47.07 an hour in base wages, or $72.52 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 4/15/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$47.07 per hour base wage and $72.52 per hour total package for a journeyman in Cleveland, OH, effective 4/15/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $94,140 before overtime.
A Local 120 apprentice in Cleveland, OH starts at roughly $21.18 an hour — about 45% of the $47.07 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $35.30 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 120 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $21.18 an hour, or roughly $42,363 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $47.07 journeyman rate effective 4/15/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $30.60 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $35.30 an hour in the fourth period and $47.07 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 120 training center.
The current UA Local 120 journeyman rate is $47.07/hour, with a total package of $72.52/hour including fringe benefits, effective 4/15/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $94,140 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 120 business office before relying on the figure.
The $47.07/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $72.52/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 plumbers & pipefitters labor costs across locals.
Apprentices under the UA Local 120 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 $47.07/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $21.18–$23.54/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 120 is headquartered in Cleveland, OH and dispatches plumbers & pipefitters 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 plumbers & pipefitters work. Some Local 120 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 UA Local 120 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 120 training center directly.
Plumbers & Pipefitters 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 UA Local 120 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 plumbers & pipefitters 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 4/15/25 schedule; check with the Local 120 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 120 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
The UA Local 120 hall is at 6305 Halle Dr Cleveland, OH 44125, serving Cleveland, OH and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 216-447-3408.
UA Local 120 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 216-447-3408 to confirm dispatch hours, required documents (union card, certifications, ID) and current list standing before traveling in — Gulfstream does not control hall dispatch.
UA Local 120 can be reached at 216-447-3408. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.