Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 246 in Fresno, CA earn $52.40/hr in base wages, or $93.34/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2025.
UA Local 246 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 246 pay scale for 2026 is $52.40 per hour for journeymen in Fresno, CA, or about $104,800 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $93.34 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/18/25.
| Local 246 journeyman hourly wage | $52.40 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $93.34 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $104,800 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $23.58–$26.20 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 6/18/25 |
| Classification | Combo |
A Local 246 apprentice in Fresno, CA starts at roughly $23.58 an hour — about 45% of the $52.40 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $39.30 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 246 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $23.58 / hour | $47,160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $28.82 / hour | $57,640 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $34.06 / hour | $68,120 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $39.30 / hour | $78,600 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $44.54 / hour | $89,080 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $52.40 / hour | $104,800 |
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Local 246 wages: $52.40 an hour on the journeyman scale, $93.34 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 6/18/25. That is the most recent Fresno, CA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 44% of the UA Local 246 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.
Download the UA Local 246 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective June 18, 2025.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $40.94/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 UA Local 246 scale used across the Fresno, CA area. Members dispatched out of this hall work commercial mechanical and process piping, chiller and boiler work, HVAC piping and hydronics and service, retrofit and shutdown work for signatory contractors throughout the Fresno metro, so a pipefitters wage quoted locally is normally this scale plus the fringe package shown in the table.
Gulfstream recruits pipefitters talent for commercial mechanical, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around Fresno. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 246 rates. For current Fresno scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
UA Local 246 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 559-252-7246 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 246 represents plumbers and pipefitters across the San Joaquin Valley, centered in the Fresno metropolitan area. As the primary labor source for mechanical construction in this region, the local provides highly skilled manpower for critical infrastructure, agricultural processing, and large-scale commercial developments. The market is defined by a unique mix of public works, healthcare facilities, and heavy industrial applications that require specific certifications in medical gas, orbital welding, and backflow prevention. For tradespeople, Local 246 offers a stable career path supported by one of the strongest collective bargaining agreements in the Central Valley, ensuring that local labor remains competitive with neighboring coastal markets.
Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor dynamics within this jurisdiction, noting the importance of the local's training facility in maintaining a modern workforce. The jurisdiction covers a vast geographic area, requiring contractors to have a firm grasp of travel provisions and zone pay within the Master Labor Agreement. With the growth of the high-speed rail and expanded healthcare campuses, the demand for signatory labor remains consistent. The union operates as a central hub for dispatching qualified journey-level workers to signatory mechanical primes, ensuring that projects are staffed with individuals who have completed rigorous Department of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) certified training programs.
The current Journeyman hourly rate for UA Local 246 is $52.40, effective June 18, 2025. When accounting for the full fringe benefit package, the total hourly compensation reaches $93.34. This total package includes employer contributions toward health insurance, multiple retirement vehicles, and industry training funds. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the Journeyman rate, typically starting around 45% to 50% for first-period beginners. These rates increase in predetermined steps—usually every six to twelve months—as the apprentice completes required classroom hours and verified on-the-job training milestones. By the fifth year, senior apprentices earn a significant majority of the full scale, reflecting their increased proficiency in layout, piping systems, and code compliance before passing their turn-out examination.
UA Local 246 holds a broad geographic charter covering several counties in the heart of California. The jurisdiction is anchored in Fresno but extends to serve the surrounding agricultural and industrial corridors. Work under this agreement includes all phases of plumbing, pipefitting, and steamfitting, ranging from residential high-rise builds to complex process piping in food manufacturing plants. Members are dispatched from the Fresno headquarters to job sites across the valley. Contractors must adhere to specific dispatch rules, including provisions for foremen call-outs and the ratio of local residents to travelers, which are designed to prioritize the local workforce while allowing for specialized talent when necessary.
The signatory landscape for Local 246 consists of approximately 21 tracked contractors ranging from regional mechanical primes to specialized service providers. These firms handle diverse portfolios, including large-scale institutional work for school districts and universities, as well as complex mechanical systems for the region's massive agricultural cold-storage facilities. The market is characterized by long-term relationships between signatory contractors and public entities, ensuring a steady pipeline of prevailing wage work. Hiring typically follows the fluctuations of large commercial permits, with significant manpower spikes occurring during major hospital expansions or industrial facility shutdowns. Contractors benefit from a centralized hiring hall that mitigates the risk of labor shortages during peak construction cycles.
The hourly wage of $52.40 is the gross amount paid on your paycheck before taxes. The total package of $93.34 includes an additional $40.94 in employer-paid benefits. These benefits cover your health insurance, pension, and annuity, meaning these costs are not deducted from your hourly base pay, providing a higher net value to the worker.
Yes, the local provides ongoing training for certifications that are highly valued in the Fresno market. These include Medical Gas installer certifications for hospital work, various AWS welding certifications for industrial piping, and backflow prevention tester licenses. Maintaining these certifications often makes a journeyman more marketable to signatory mechanical primes during competitive hiring phases.
Travelers and those seeking a permanent transfer must follow the UA Constitution rules. This generally involves checking in with the Business Manager, proving current membership in good standing, and potentially working on a travel letter before a permanent book transfer is considered. Transfer approval is typically dependent on local work volume and the current unemployment list in Fresno.
The market is driven by a combination of public infrastructure, such as the High-Speed Rail project, and private sector industrial work. Fresno is a hub for food processing and agriculture, which requires extensive stainless steel piping and refrigeration work. Additionally, the constant renovation and expansion of regional medical centers provide a steady baseline for plumbing and HVAC piping.
UA Local 246 is seated in Fresno, California (CA). We hold published wage sheets for 46 locals across California — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits mechanical construction and service staff for contractors across California, including shops signatory to UA Local 246. Pick the market closest to your work: Sacramento mechanical recruiter · Orange County mechanical recruiter · Los Angeles mechanical recruiter · San Diego mechanical recruiter · Inland Empire mechanical recruiter · Bay Area mechanical recruiter.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Fresno and the rest of California, including contractors signatory to UA Local 246. 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 246 pay scale for 2026 is $52.40 per hour for journeymen in Fresno, CA, or about $104,800 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $93.34 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/18/25.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 246 agreement make $52.40 an hour in base wages, or $93.34 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 6/18/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$52.40 per hour base wage and $93.34 per hour total package for a journeyman in Fresno, CA, effective 6/18/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $104,800 before overtime.
A Local 246 apprentice in Fresno, CA starts at roughly $23.58 an hour — about 45% of the $52.40 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $39.30 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 246 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $23.58 an hour, or roughly $47,160 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $52.40 journeyman rate effective 6/18/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $34.06 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $39.30 an hour in the fourth period and $52.40 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 246 training center.
Local 246 wages: $52.40 an hour on the journeyman scale, $93.34 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 6/18/25. That is the most recent Fresno, CA sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published UA Local 246 journeyman rate is $52.40 an hour ($93.34 total package), effective 6/18/25 — roughly $104,800 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable UA Local 246 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ua-local-246-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $52.40 hourly scale, the $93.34 total package and the 6/18/25 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current UA Local 246 journeyman rate is $52.40/hour, with a total package of $93.34/hour including fringe benefits, effective 6/18/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $104,800 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 246 business office before relying on the figure.
The $52.40/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $93.34/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 & hvac/r labor costs across locals.
Apprentices under the UA Local 246 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 $52.40/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $23.58–$26.20/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 246 is headquartered in Fresno, CA and dispatches plumbers, pipefitters & hvac/r 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 & hvac/r work. Some Local 246 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 246 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 246 training center directly.
Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVAC/R 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 246 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 & hvac/r 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 6/18/25 schedule; check with the Local 246 business office for any increase that has taken effect since.
We track 21 signatory contractors working under the UA Local 246 agreement, listed on this page with their websites and LinkedIn pages. Signatory shops are the employers legally able to hire Local 246 members and pay the negotiated scale.
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 246 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers, pipefitters & hvac/r markets.
The UA Local 246 hall is at 1303 N Rabe Ave #101 Fresno, CA 93727, serving Fresno, CA and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 559-252-7246.
UA Local 246 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 559-252-7246 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 246 can be reached at 559-252-7246. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
$52.40/hr in base wages for combo, or $93.34/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective June 18, 2025 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
June 18, 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 $52.40/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $40.94/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $93.34/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 1, 2026 (13 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.