Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 322 in Southern New Jersey, NJ earn $46.23/hr in base wages, or $74.54/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Mar 2026.
UA Local 322 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 322 pay scale for 2026 is $46.23 per hour for journeymen in Southern New Jersey, NJ, or about $92,460 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $74.54 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/1/26.
| Local 322 journeyman hourly wage | $46.23 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $74.54 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $92,460 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $20.80–$23.12 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 3/1/26 |
| Classification | HVAC Service Tech |
A Local 322 apprentice in Southern New Jersey, NJ starts at roughly $20.80 an hour — about 45% of the $46.23 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $34.67 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 322 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $20.80 / hour | $41,607 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $25.43 / hour | $50,853 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $30.05 / hour | $60,099 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $34.67 / hour | $69,345 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $39.30 / hour | $78,591 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $46.23 / hour | $92,460 |
UA Local 322 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 609-567-3322 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.
UA Local 322 represents the skilled plumbers, pipefitters, and HVACR service technicians across the southern region of New Jersey. Based in Winslow, this local is a vital component of the state's construction infrastructure, providing the specialized labor required for complex mechanical systems in both heavy industrial and high-density commercial environments. Since 2014, the organization has maintained rigorous standards for training and safety, ensuring that signatory contractors have access to a workforce capable of executing high-pressure piping, medical gas installations, and sophisticated climate control systems. The market is characterized by its proximity to major transit corridors and industrial hubs, making Local 322 a central figure in regional economic development.
The Southern New Jersey market demands a high level of technical proficiency due to the diversity of its project landscape, ranging from pharmaceutical manufacturing plants to coastal hospitality developments. UA Local 322 members work under a collective bargaining agreement that standardizes quality and productivity across these varied sectors. By centralizing the recruitment and training of the pipe trades, the local provides a stable pipeline of talent for mechanical primes and specialty piping contractors. This structure allows for consistent project delivery while maintaining high labor standards. For the tradesperson, the local offers a clear path toward middle-class stability through negotiated wage scales and a comprehensive fringe benefit package that protects the member and their family.
Based on the schedule effective March 1, 2026, the journeyman hourly rate for UA Local 322 is set at $46.23, contributing to a total package of $74.54 when including fringe benefits. This $28.31 difference covers essential employer-paid contributions to pension and healthcare funds. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% to 45% for first-year students and receiving annual increments as they complete their classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the fifth year, an apprentice generally earns 80% or more of the full scale. These scheduled increases are contingent upon the successful mastery of trade-specific competencies and consistent attendance at the JATC training facility, ensuring that pay raises reflect the increasing value the worker brings to the job site.
The jurisdiction of UA Local 322 covers several counties in Southern New Jersey, stretching from the Delaware River to the Atlantic coast. This territory includes major industrial zones, suburban commercial corridors, and the highly regulated environments of the region's healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Members are dispatched to job sites within these boundaries to perform work on potable water systems, sanitary drainage, process piping, and hydronic heating systems. The geographical reach requires a mobile workforce capable of commuting to various project locations throughout South Jersey. Work performed under this jurisdiction is subject to the terms of the local collective bargaining agreement, which dictates travel rules, shift differentials, and jurisdictional boundaries with neighboring locals in Northern New Jersey and Philadelphia.
The contractor landscape for UA Local 322 consists of a mix of large-scale mechanical primes, specialized a mechanical contractor firms, and regional plumbing and HVAC service contractors. These signatory employers range from firms focused on multi-million dollar infrastructure projects to smaller shops handling commercial service and maintenance contracts. Hiring typically follows the fluctuations of the regional construction cycle, with significant demand often driven by institutional upgrades in healthcare and education. Because Local 322 provides a unified labor pool, contractors can scale their workforces up or down based on project needs while maintaining a consistent level of craftsmanship. This stability is particularly important for high-stakes environments like chemical plants or refineries where precision and safety are non-negotiable.
Yes, members have access to certifications through the JATC for high-demand skills including orbital welding, medical gas installation, and backflow prevention. These certifications are often required for work in the pharmaceutical and healthcare facilities prevalent in the Southern New Jersey region and are maintained through the union's training resources.
The hourly rate of $46.23 is the gross amount paid directly on the paycheck. The total package of $74.54 includes an additional $28.31 in employer-paid benefits. These benefits cover health insurance and retirement funds, meaning they are not deducted from your hourly wage but are paid by the contractor in addition to it.
Transferring, or 'depositing your card,' is subject to the UA Constitution and the local's current bylaws. Generally, you must be a member in good standing and there must be sufficient work in the jurisdiction to support the existing membership before transfers are accepted. You should contact the Business Manager for specific guidance.
While outdoor construction can be affected by New Jersey winters, much of Local 322’s work is in industrial maintenance, indoor commercial fit-outs, and service sectors which remain active year-round. However, labor demand is ultimately tied to the broader economic cycle and the specific schedules of major regional projects.
UA Local 322 is seated in Southern New Jersey, New Jersey (NJ). We hold published wage sheets for 12 locals across New Jersey — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Southern New Jersey and the rest of New Jersey, including contractors signatory to UA Local 322. 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 322 pay scale for 2026 is $46.23 per hour for journeymen in Southern New Jersey, NJ, or about $92,460 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $74.54 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 3/1/26.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 322 agreement make $46.23 an hour in base wages, or $74.54 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 3/1/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$46.23 per hour base wage and $74.54 per hour total package for a journeyman in Southern New Jersey, NJ, effective 3/1/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $92,460 before overtime.
A Local 322 apprentice in Southern New Jersey, NJ starts at roughly $20.80 an hour — about 45% of the $46.23 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $34.67 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 322 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $20.80 an hour, or roughly $41,607 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $46.23 journeyman rate effective 3/1/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $30.05 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $34.67 an hour in the fourth period and $46.23 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 322 training center.
The current UA Local 322 journeyman rate is $46.23/hour, with a total package of $74.54/hour including fringe benefits, effective 3/1/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $92,460 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 322 business office before relying on the figure.
The $46.23/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $74.54/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 322 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 $46.23/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $20.80–$23.12/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 322 is headquartered in Southern New Jersey, NJ 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 322 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 322 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 322 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 322 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 3/1/26 schedule; check with the Local 322 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 322 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
The UA Local 322 hall is at Po Box 73 Winslow, Nj 8095, serving Southern New Jersey, NJ and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 609-567-3322.
UA Local 322 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 609-567-3322 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 322 can be reached at 609-567-3322. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.