Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 30 in Billings, MT earn $41/hr in base wages, or $61.22/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jun 2025.
UA Local 30 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 30 pay scale for 2026 is $41.00 per hour for journeymen in Billings, MT, or about $82,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $61.22 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/13/25.
| Local 30 journeyman hourly wage | $41.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $61.22 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $82,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $18.45–$20.50 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 6/13/25 |
| Classification | Combo |
A Local 30 apprentice in Billings, MT starts at roughly $18.45 an hour — about 45% of the $41.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $30.75 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 30 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $18.45 / hour | $36,900 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $22.55 / hour | $45,100 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $26.65 / hour | $53,300 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $30.75 / hour | $61,500 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $34.85 / hour | $69,700 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $41.00 / hour | $82,000 |
UA Local 30 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 406-252-9371 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 30 represents skilled plumbers, pipefitters, and service technicians across the expansive territory surrounding Billings and Eastern Montana. This local serves as a critical labor source for the region's industrial, commercial, and residential mechanical sectors. As the energy and healthcare infrastructure in the Big Sky Country continues to modernize, Local 30 provides the certified manpower necessary for high-pressure piping systems, medical gas installations, and complex HVACR setups. Since 2014, our observations of this market indicate that the union maintains a rigorous standard for safety and technical proficiency, ensuring that signatory contractors remain competitive in a geography defined by vast distances and specialized industrial demands.
The market for Local 30 is heavily influenced by the presence of significant energy refining operations and regional medical hubs in Yellowstone County. Because the jurisdiction covers a broad geographic area, members often engage in a mix of long-term industrial maintenance and fast-paced commercial new construction. The local's Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) is the primary engine for workforce development, supplying the state with licensed tradespeople who meet Montana's strict plumbing and mechanical codes. For contractors, the local offers a predictable labor cost structure and a deep pool of pre-vetted talent, which is essential for managing the logistical challenges inherent in large-scale projects throughout the eastern half of the state.
Effective June 13, 2025, the journeyman hourly rate for UA Local 30 is established at $41.00, contributing to a total package of $61.22 per hour when including fringe benefits. This $20.22 spread covers essential non-wage compensation including health coverage and retirement security. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically 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. These scheduled increases provide a transparent path to the full rate over a five-year period. Members should verify the specific allocation of the total package with the business office, as fringe distributions are subject to membership votes and actuarial requirements for the various trust funds.
UA Local 30 holds a significant territorial charter centered in Billings, extending across numerous counties in Eastern and Central Montana. The jurisdiction covers work involving the installation, maintenance, and repair of all piping systems, including process piping in refineries, commercial plumbing in high-rise developments, and specialized HVAC systems. Due to the geographic size of the district, travel provisions within the Collective Bargaining Agreement govern how members are dispatched to remote jobsites. The union ensures that all work falling under the United Association's traditional trade lines is performed by qualified members, maintaining a standardized level of quality regardless of the project's distance from the Billings headquarters.
["The signatory contractor base for UA Local 30 is diverse, ranging from large industrial mechanical primes that focus on refinery turnarounds to specialized commercial plumbing firms. We track the landscape of firms operating in the Billings market, which includes regional mechanical contractors who handle complex medical gas and boiler systems for the area's growing healthcare infrastructure. The hiring environment is characterized by a need for versatile fitters and plumbers who can pivot between heavy industrial environments and precise commercial installations. Signatory employers benefit from the local's ability to scale labor forces quickly for shut-downs or major capital projects while maintaining a consistent hourly labor cost."]
As of June 2025, the total package for a journeyman is $61.22 per hour. This includes the $41.00 base wage plus $20.22 in fringe benefits like healthcare and pension. Contractors should account for this full amount, plus any applicable payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance, when budgeting for labor costs in the Billings market.
Yes, as a United Association local, members can typically have their fringe benefits transferred back to their home funds via the ERTS (Electronic Reciprocal Transfer System). This allows travelers working in the Billings jurisdiction to maintain their health and pension credits seamlessly, provided they are in good standing with their home local.
The apprenticeship is a five-year program combining five years of on-the-job training with supplemental night or weekend classroom instruction. Apprentices earn while they learn, receiving a percentage of the journeyman wage that increases as they progress through the curriculum and gain more field experience under the supervision of journeymen.
Members have access to various industry-standard certifications including UA Weld Certifications, Med-Gas, Backflow Prevention, and OSHA safety training. These certifications are often required by signatory contractors for specific project types and are provided as part of the union's commitment to maintaining a highly skilled workforce in Montana.
UA Local 30 is seated in Billings, Montana (MT). We hold published wage sheets for 5 locals across Montana — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Billings and the rest of Montana, including contractors signatory to UA Local 30. 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 30 pay scale for 2026 is $41.00 per hour for journeymen in Billings, MT, or about $82,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $61.22 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 6/13/25.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 30 agreement make $41.00 an hour in base wages, or $61.22 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 6/13/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$41.00 per hour base wage and $61.22 per hour total package for a journeyman in Billings, MT, effective 6/13/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $82,000 before overtime.
A Local 30 apprentice in Billings, MT starts at roughly $18.45 an hour — about 45% of the $41.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $30.75 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 30 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $18.45 an hour, or roughly $36,900 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $41.00 journeyman rate effective 6/13/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $26.65 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $30.75 an hour in the fourth period and $41.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 30 training center.
The current UA Local 30 journeyman rate is $41.00/hour, with a total package of $61.22/hour including fringe benefits, effective 6/13/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $82,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 30 business office before relying on the figure.
The $41.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $61.22/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 30 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 $41.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $18.45–$20.50/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 30 is headquartered in Billings, MT 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 30 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 30 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 30 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 30 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 6/13/25 schedule; check with the Local 30 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 30 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
The UA Local 30 hall is at Po Box 30616 Billings, MT 59107, serving Billings, MT and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 406-252-9371.
UA Local 30 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 406-252-9371 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 30 can be reached at 406-252-9371. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.