Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 3 in Aurora, CO earn $47.23/hr in base wages, or $68.91/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2025.
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The Local 3 pay scale for 2026 is $47.23 per hour for journeymen in Aurora, CO, or about $94,460 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $68.91 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 06/01/2025.
| Local 3 journeyman hourly wage | $47.23 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $68.91 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $94,460 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $21.25–$23.62 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 06/01/2025 |
| Classification | PLUMBER (EXCLUDES HVAC DUCT, PIPE AND UNIT INSTALLATION) |
Apply now — Gulfstream places plumbers & pipefitters candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 3 apprentice in Aurora, CO starts at roughly $21.25 an hour — about 45% of the $47.23 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $35.42 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 3 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $21.25 / hour | $42,507 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $25.98 / hour | $51,953 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $30.70 / hour | $61,399 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $35.42 / hour | $70,845 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $40.15 / hour | $80,291 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $47.23 / hour | $94,460 |
Active Gulfstream trade listings in the local's state, with Aurora listings first when available. Jobs elsewhere in the state are not necessarily near this hall. Union status is not verified for these jobs; confirm with your recruiter.
UA Local 3 runs its own dispatch and out-of-work list — hall hours above are from the local's official site; call the hall to confirm dispatch procedure, books and what to bring. Gulfstream is a private recruiter and does not control hall referral.
UA Local 3 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.
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Local 3 wages for 2025: $47.23 an hour on the journeyman scale, $68.91 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 06/01/2025. That is the most recent Aurora, CO sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 31% of the UA Local 3 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.
Verified from official source: U.S. DOL Davis-Bacon Wage Determination (SAM.gov)
Download the UA Local 3 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective June 1, 2025.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $21.68/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 3 scale used across the Aurora, CO 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 Aurora 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 Aurora. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 3 rates. For current Aurora scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
UA Local 3 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 303-739-9300 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.
UA Local 3 represents professional plumbers and pipefitters across the Denver metropolitan area and central Colorado. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored this market as one of the most significant hubs for mechanical construction in the Mountain West. The local is responsible for providing the skilled labor force required for the region's high-density residential developments, healthcare facilities, and mission-critical infrastructure. By setting rigorous standards for training and safety, Local 3 ensures that signatory contractors have access to a reliable workforce capable of executing complex piping systems and mechanical installs in a rapidly expanding urban corridor.
The Denver market is characterized by diverse project demands ranging from high-rise commercial builds to industrial process piping. Local 3 members operate under a collective bargaining agreement that standardizes labor costs and working conditions, creating a predictable environment for both tradespeople and project owners. As Colorado continues to experience population growth and investment in sustainable building technologies, the role of the local in maintaining water quality and HVAC efficiency becomes increasingly vital. The jurisdiction encompasses several key counties around the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area, making it the primary labor source for many of the region's most prominent mechanical prime contractors.
The wage structure for UA Local 3 is dictated by the Master Labor Agreement, ensuring consistent pay across all signatory job sites. As of the October 21, 2022 update, the Journeyman hourly rate is established at $49.08. Because the supplied data lists the total package at $49.08, readers should contact the business office to verify the specific allocation of fringe benefits—such as health and welfare, pension, and training funds—which are typically paid on top of the base taxable wage. Apprentices in Local 3 follow a structured five-year progression, typically starting at a percentage of the journeyman rate and receiving incremental raises every six to twelve months as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. This tiered system ensures that labor costs remain proportional to the skill level provided.
The jurisdiction of UA Local 3 covers a significant portion of central Colorado, centered on the Denver metropolitan area. Members are dispatched to projects across Denver County and surrounding municipalities where signatory contractors hold permits. The work scope includes the installation, maintenance, and repair of all piping systems, including potable water, sanitary waste, natural gas, and hydronic heating. Whether the project is a public municipal facility or a private commercial development, the local's charter ensures that all work performed by its members meets the high-pressure and safety standards required by Colorado state code and the United Association's national guidelines.
The signatory landscape for UA Local 3 is composed of approximately 31 active contractors tracked on this page, representing a mix of national mechanical firms and localized plumbing specialists. These employers range from large-scale mechanical primes focused on massive commercial developments to service-oriented contractors handling complex tenant improvements and facility maintenance. The diversity of the contractor base provides members with varied work opportunities and ensures that the local can meet the specialized needs of different market sectors. For contractors, being signatory provides a streamlined path to scaling their workforce quickly for large-contract awards without the overhead of independent recruiting for high-skill piping roles.
While Local 3 represents both trades, plumbers generally focus on water, gas, and waste systems in commercial and residential settings. Pipefitters typically handle high-pressure systems, industrial process piping, and HVAC equipment in larger facilities. The training through the JATC ensures that members are proficient in the specific codes and welding certifications required for their chosen path.
Yes, the local provides advanced certifications in specialized areas such as medical gas, backflow prevention, and advanced welding techniques. These programs allow journeymen to stay current with evolving building codes and new technologies, ensuring they remain highly marketable to signatory contractors who frequently require specific certifications for large-scale municipal or healthcare projects.
Travelers and members looking to transfer must contact the Local 3 business manager. The process typically involves presenting a valid travel card and verifying current standing with their home local. Transfer acceptance depends on the current work volume in the Denver market and the specific skill sets needed by local signatory contractors at the time of the request.
Standard work weeks typically consist of 40 hours, with specific overtime premiums defined in the Master Labor Agreement for hours worked beyond the standard shift or on weekends and holidays. These rules ensure fair compensation for tradespeople while providing contractors with a clear framework for estimating labor costs on projects that require accelerated schedules or emergency service work.
UA Local 3 is seated in Aurora, Colorado (CO). We hold published wage sheets for 8 locals across Colorado — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits mechanical construction and service staff for contractors across Colorado, including shops signatory to UA Local 3. See the roles we fill there, how the search runs and what it costs: Denver mechanical recruiter. Post a role.
We are a commercial mechanical construction recruiting firm serving Aurora and the rest of Colorado, including contractors signatory to UA Local 3. 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 3 pay scale for 2026 is $47.23 per hour for journeymen in Aurora, CO, or about $94,460 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $68.91 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 06/01/2025.
UA Local 3 wages for 2026: journeyman Plumbers & Pipefitters rate of $47.23 per hour in Aurora, CO, with a total package of $68.91 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 06/01/2025. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 06/01/2025 with the UA Local 3 business office.
The UA Local 3 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $47.23 per hour ($68.91 per hour total package), effective 06/01/2025, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the UA Local 3 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 06/01/2025 with the hall.
Local 3 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $47.23 per hour journeyman rate — typically starting near 40–50% ($21.25–$23.62 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 3 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 3 agreement make $47.23 an hour in base wages, or $68.91 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 06/01/2025. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$47.23 per hour base wage and $68.91 per hour total package for a journeyman in Aurora, CO, effective 06/01/2025. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $94,460 before overtime.
A Local 3 apprentice in Aurora, CO starts at roughly $21.25 an hour — about 45% of the $47.23 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $35.42 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 3 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $21.25 an hour, or roughly $42,507 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $47.23 journeyman rate effective 06/01/2025. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $30.70 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $35.42 an hour in the fourth period and $47.23 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 3 training center.
Local 3 wages for 2025: $47.23 an hour on the journeyman scale, $68.91 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 06/01/2025. That is the most recent Aurora, CO sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published UA Local 3 journeyman rate is $47.23 an hour ($68.91 total package), effective 06/01/2025 — roughly $94,460 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. It is the rate in force for 2025 unless the local has since ratified a new agreement.
Yes — a one-page printable UA Local 3 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ua-local-3-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $47.23 hourly scale, the $68.91 total package and the 06/01/2025 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current UA Local 3 journeyman rate is $47.23/hour, with a total package of $68.91/hour including fringe benefits, effective 06/01/2025. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $94,460 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 3 business office before relying on the figure.
The $47.23/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $68.91/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 3 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 $47.23/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $21.25–$23.62/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 3 is headquartered in Aurora, CO 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 3 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 3 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 3 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 3 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 06/01/2025 schedule; check with the Local 3 business office for any increase that has taken effect since.
We track 29 signatory contractors working under the UA Local 3 agreement, listed on this page with their websites and LinkedIn pages. Signatory shops are the employers legally able to hire Local 3 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 3 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
Yes — the openings section on this page lists current plumbers & pipefitters roles near Aurora, CO, 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 3 business office.
The UA Local 3 hall is at 17100 E 32nd Pl Aurora, CO 80011, serving Aurora, CO and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 303-739-9300. The hall office is open Monday–Friday, 7:00am–4:00pm (per the local's official site).
The UA Local 3 hall office is open Monday–Friday, 7:00am–4:00pm, as published on the local's official website. Dispatch and out-of-work list procedures can differ from office hours — call 303-739-9300 to confirm before traveling in.
UA Local 3 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 303-739-9300 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 3 can be reached at 303-739-9300. The hall office is open Monday–Friday, 7:00am–4:00pm, per the local's official site.
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 3's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at 303-739-9300.
Each Plumbers & Pipefitters 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 303-739-9300.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 3's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at 303-739-9300.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 3's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at 303-739-9300.
UA Local 3's sourced plumber (excludes hvac duct, pipe and unit installation) union rate is $47.23/hr in base wages and $68.91/hr for the total package, effective June 1, 2025. The rate applies to the listed classification and source area; apprentice, foreman and specialty classifications may differ.
$47.23/hr in base wages for plumber (excludes hvac duct, pipe and unit installation), or $68.91/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective June 1, 2025 per the U.S. DOL Davis-Bacon Wage Determination (SAM.gov) wage determination.
June 1, 2025. Read directly from the primary source (U.S. DOL Davis-Bacon Wage Determination (SAM.gov)) and cross-checked at build time. Highest confidence for offer benchmarking.
No — the $47.23/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $21.68/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $68.91/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 Oct 5, 2026 (20 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.