Journeyman pipefitters 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.
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.
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 (≈45–50% of scale) | $23.40–$26.00 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 4/19/25 |
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 |
UA Local 183 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 262-252-0183 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 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.
UA Local 183 holds jurisdiction over mechanical piping work throughout Milwaukee and several adjacent counties in Southeastern Wisconsin. This territory encompasses the dense urban core of Milwaukee and extends into surrounding suburban and industrial zones where signatory mechanical primes operate. The jurisdiction covers the installation, maintenance, and repair of all piping systems, including HVAC refrigeration, high-pressure steam, and process piping. Members dispatched through the hall are expected to travel within this designated region to various job sites, ensuring that signatory contractors have access to a mobile and qualified workforce. The geographic reach allows the union to maintain a consistent market share across both municipal public works and private sector industrial developments.
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.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction 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 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 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.
Journeyman pipefitters 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.
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 plumbers & pipefitters labor costs across locals.
Apprentices under the UA Local 183 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 $52.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $23.40–$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 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 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.
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 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 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 4/19/25 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 plumbers & pipefitters markets.
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.