Journeyman sprinkler fitters under UA Local 183 in Milwaukee, WI earn $52/hr in base wages, or $82.85/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Apr 2025.
The Local 183 pay scale for 2026 is $52.00 per hour for journeymen in Milwaukee, WI, or about $104,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $82.85 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 4/19/25.
| Local 183 journeyman hourly wage | $52.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $82.85 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $104,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45 to 50% of scale) | $23.40 to $26.00 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 4/19/25 |
Apply now | Gulfstream places fire sprinkler fitters candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 183 apprentice in Milwaukee, WI starts at roughly $23.40 an hour, about 45% of the $52.00 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $39.00 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 183 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $23.40 / hour | $46,800 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $28.60 / hour | $57,200 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $33.80 / hour | $67,600 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $39.00 / hour | $78,000 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $44.20 / hour | $88,400 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $52.00 / hour | $104,000 |
No matching active fire sprinkler fitters roles in WI right now. Get alerts for new openings.
UA Local 183 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.
UA Local 183 pay rates and union rules
UA Local 183 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.
We'll email you when the UA Local 183 rate is updated, plus union-shop fire sprinkler fitters openings near Milwaukee, WI. Sign up for rate updates. Free alerts from Gulfstream Strategic Placements. We are not affiliated with UA Local 183.
Local 183 wages: $52.00 an hour on the journeyman scale, $82.85 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 4/19/25. That is the most recent Milwaukee, WI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
UA Local 183 has not published a current wage sheet to the public rate sources we track, so the figure above is the reporting-wide sprinkler fitters average, not this hall's own scale. Members dispatched out of this hall work fire sprinkler installation, fire protection service and retrofit and inspection work for signatory contractors throughout the Milwaukee, WI area, and local scale in the Milwaukee market is normally set by the hall's current collective bargaining agreement, confirm it with the business office before quoting.
Gulfstream recruits sprinkler fitters talent for commercial mechanical, electrical, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around Milwaukee. We are a private recruiting firm, we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 183 rates. For current Milwaukee scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
UA Local 183 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall, call 262-252-0183 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.
United Association Local 183 serves as a primary labor organization for plumbers and pipefitters across the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has tracked the movement of skilled tradespeople within this jurisdiction, which remains a critical hub for industrial manufacturing and healthcare facility expansion in Wisconsin. The local provides a standardized workforce for signatory contractors who execute high-precision piping projects, including medical gas systems, hydronic heating, and complex domestic water infrastructure. As a cornerstone of the regional construction economy, Local 183 ensures that technical standards are maintained through a robust collective bargaining agreement that stabilizes labor costs for major mechanical primes and specialty subcontractors.
The Milwaukee market is characterized by a mix of historic urban redevelopment and modern industrial growth. Local 183 members work on diverse environments ranging from large-scale commercial developments to heavy industrial process piping installations. Because the local maintains a rigorous Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) program, the pool of labor available to signatory employers is highly skilled in both traditional manual welding and modern computerized fabrication techniques. This technical proficiency is essential for the region's prominent food and beverage processing plants and pharmaceutical facilities, which require strict adherence to sanitary piping codes and municipal safety regulations. The union's presence facilitates a predictable pipeline of talent for the area's most demanding mechanical builds.
Effective April 19, 2025, the Journeyman hourly rate for UA Local 183 is set at $52.00, contributing to a comprehensive total package of $82.85 per hour. This $30.85 difference covers critical fringe benefits including health insurance and pension contributions. Apprentices entering the program typically begin at a percentage of the Journeyman rate, often starting around 45% to 50% and increasing in 5% to 10% increments as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled pay raises occur annually or semi-annually, ensuring that as a worker's competency in plumbing and pipefitting increases, their compensation reflects their value to the signatory contractor. All members should verify their specific classification and current step with the Local 183 business office to ensure accurate payroll accounting.
The signatory contractor landscape for Local 183 is comprised of diverse entities ranging from large-scale mechanical primes to specialized plumbing service providers. These firms handle the bulk of the region's heavy commercial and industrial work, including stadium renovations, hospital expansions, and public utility upgrades. Hiring is typically managed through the union's dispatch system, though many contractors maintain core crews of foremen and lead journeymen for long-term projects. The stability of the signatory relationship allows these employers to bid on complex, multi-year projects with confidence in their labor overhead. This ecosystem supports both the traditional building trades and the specialized service and maintenance sectors necessary for Milwaukee's existing infrastructure.
The $52.00 Journeyman rate is the gross hourly wage paid on a paycheck before taxes. The $82.85 total package includes this wage plus an additional $30.85 in benefits like healthcare, pension, and training funds. These fringes are paid by the employer and are not deducted from your hourly base pay.
Yes, UA Local 183 represents both plumbers and pipefitters/steamfitters. While they share the same local, the specific certifications, apprenticeship tracks, and day-to-day work tasks differ. Plumbers often focus on potable water and waste systems, while steamfitters handle high-pressure process piping and HVAC systems in industrial and commercial settings.
Travelers and members looking to transfer should first contact their home local's Business Manager. A travel letter or transfer request must be coordinated with the Local 183 Business Manager in Milwaukee. Acceptance of transfers often depends on current local manning levels and the specific skills or certifications the member brings to the jurisdiction.
Many signatory contractors in the Milwaukee market require UA-certified welders for industrial and steam work. The JATC provides training for various weld procedures (SMAW, TIG, etc.) Maintaining current UA weld certifications is highly recommended for members looking to maximize their dispatch opportunities on high-specification industrial projects in the region.
UA Local 183 is seated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (WI). We hold published wage sheets for 16 locals across Wisconsin, compare nearby scales before you take a call.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits mechanical, electrical and plumbing staff for contractors nationwide, union and open shop. These are markets where we run the most searches: Houston mechanical recruiter · Phoenix mechanical recruiter · Bay Area mechanical recruiter · Las Vegas mechanical recruiter. Post a role.
We are a commercial MEP recruiting firm serving Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin, including contractors signatory to UA Local 183. Our office is in South Corona, California and we place 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 to Friday, 7:00 AM to 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 183 pay scale for 2026 is $52.00 per hour for journeymen in Milwaukee, WI, or about $104,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $82.85 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 4/19/25.
UA Local 183 wages for 2026: journeyman Fire Sprinkler Fitters rate of $52.00 per hour in Milwaukee, WI, with a total package of $82.85 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 4/19/25. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 4/19/25 with the UA Local 183 business office.
The UA Local 183 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $52.00 per hour ($82.85 per hour total package), effective 4/19/25, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the UA Local 183 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 4/19/25 with the hall.
Local 183 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $52.00 per hour journeyman rate, typically starting near 40 to 50% ($23.40 to $26.00 per hour) in the first period and stepping up each period to 100% at turnout. The exact percentage schedule is set by the UA Local 183 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman sprinkler fitters under the UA Local 183 agreement make $52.00 an hour in base wages, or $82.85 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 4/19/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$52.00 per hour base wage and $82.85 per hour total package for a journeyman in Milwaukee, WI, effective 4/19/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $104,000 before overtime.
A Local 183 apprentice in Milwaukee, WI starts at roughly $23.40 an hour, about 45% of the $52.00 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $39.00 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 183 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $23.40 an hour, or roughly $46,800 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $52.00 journeyman rate effective 4/19/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $33.80 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $39.00 an hour in the fourth period and $52.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 183 training center.
Local 183 wages: $52.00 an hour on the journeyman scale, $82.85 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 4/19/25. That is the most recent Milwaukee, WI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published UA Local 183 journeyman rate is $52.00 an hour ($82.85 total package), effective 4/19/25, roughly $104,000 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes, a one-page printable UA Local 183 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ua-local-183-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $52.00 hourly scale, the $82.85 total package and the 4/19/25 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download, no sign-up needed.
The current UA Local 183 journeyman rate is $52.00/hour, with a total package of $82.85/hour including fringe benefits, effective 4/19/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $104,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle, confirm with the Local 183 business office before relying on the figure.
The $52.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $82.85/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 fire sprinkler fitters labor costs across locals.
Apprentices under the UA Local 183 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 $52.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $23.40 to $26.00/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 183 is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI and dispatches fire sprinkler fitters 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 fire sprinkler fitters work. Some Local 183 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 183 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 183 training center directly.
Fire Sprinkler Fitters 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 UA Local 183 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 fire sprinkler fitters 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 4/19/25 schedule; check with the Local 183 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 183 against neighboring jurisdictions and other fire sprinkler fitters markets.
Yes, the openings section on this page lists current fire sprinkler fitters roles near Milwaukee, WI, 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 183 business office.
The UA Local 183 hall is at W175 N5700 Technology Dr Menomonee Falls, WI 53051, serving Milwaukee, WI and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 262-252-0183.
UA Local 183 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 262-252-0183 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 183 can be reached at 262-252-0183. 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 UA Local 183's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at 262-252-0183.
Each Fire Sprinkler Fitters 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 262-252-0183.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 183's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at 262-252-0183.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 183's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at 262-252-0183.
Coverage unverified, contact the hall. No reviewed published boundary is held for this local; office location does not establish jurisdiction.
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 UA Local 183. 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.