Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 51 in East Providence, RI earn $54.34/hr in base wages, or $88.84/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Aug 2025.
The Local 51 pay scale for 2026 is $54.34 per hour for journeymen in East Providence, RI, or about $108,680 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $88.84 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 08/25/2025.
| Local 51 journeyman hourly wage | $54.34 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $88.84 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $108,680 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45 to 50% of scale) | $24.45 to $27.17 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 08/25/2025 |
| Classification | Plumbers and pipefitters |
Apply now | Gulfstream places plumbers, pipefitters & hvac candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 51 apprentice in East Providence, RI starts at roughly $24.45 an hour, about 45% of the $54.34 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $40.76 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 51 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $24.45 / hour | $48,906 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $29.89 / hour | $59,774 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $35.32 / hour | $70,642 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $40.76 / hour | $81,510 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $46.19 / hour | $92,378 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $54.34 / hour | $108,680 |
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UA Local 51 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 51 pay rates and union rules
UA Local 51 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 51 wages for 2025: $54.34 an hour on the journeyman scale, $88.84 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 08/25/2025. That is the most recent East Providence, RI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 39% of the UA Local 51 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 determination RI20260001, rev. 5
Download the UA Local 51 pay scale (PDF), one-page printable rate sheet, effective August 25, 2025.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $34.50/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 51 scale used across the East Providence, RI 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 East Providence 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, electrical, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around East Providence. We are a private recruiting firm, we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 51 rates. For current East Providence scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
UA Local 51 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall, call 401-943-3033 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.
United Association Local 51 represents approximately 1,200 skilled plumbers, pipefitters, and refrigeration technicians serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Established through the merger of several legacy locals, this organization provides a centralized labor pool for the region's most complex mechanical infrastructure. The membership is instrumental in maintaining the industrial backbone of the Providence metropolitan area, ranging from healthcare facilities and university campuses to power generation plants and naval manufacturing sites. Since 2014, our firm has tracked the labor demand within this jurisdiction, noting that Local 51 remains the primary source for high-precision welding and certified plumbing for the state's largest capital improvements.
The market for Local 51 labor is characterized by a high concentration of institutional and industrial work. As the primary UA affiliate for the smallest state in the union, the local maintains a significant influence over the regional construction economy. Signatory contractors rely on this workforce for its rigorous training standards and ability to scale quickly for large-scale shutdowns or new builds. With a heavy emphasis on both plumbing and mechanical piping, the local ensures that the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors have access to licensed professionals who adhere to stringent safety and building codes. This regional dominance makes understanding their wage and fringe structure essential for both tradespeople and estimating teams.
As of the October 20, 2025 adjustment, the journeyman hourly rate for UA Local 51 is set at $54.39. This base rate is one component of a comprehensive total package that includes significant employer contributions toward health, retirement, and training funds. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40-45% and receiving incremental raises every six to twelve months based on successful completion of classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the fifth year, senior apprentices earn upwards of 80% of the full scale. These structured increases provide a transparent path to middle-class earnings while ensuring that labor costs remain predictable for the 73 signatory contractors operating under the collective bargaining agreement in the Providence market.
The contractor landscape for Local 51 includes a mix of 73 signatory firms ranging from massive multi-state mechanical primes to specialized local plumbing shops. These contractors are frequently engaged in long-term maintenance contracts at the region's major hospitals and universities. There is also a strong presence of industrial piping contractors who specialize in the maritime and defense sectors prevalent in the Narragansett Bay area. Hiring activity is generally stable, with periodic surges driven by state-funded infrastructure projects and private commercial developments in the Providence downtown corridor. Since 2014, the volume of signatory work has remained a reliable benchmark for the overall health of the Rhode Island construction industry.
While the journeyman hourly rate is $54.39 as of October 2025, the total package includes additional hourly contributions for health insurance, pension, and training. To calculate the full cost of labor or total compensation, you must add these fringe benefits to the base rate. Contact the Local 51 financial secretary for the specific breakdown of the current fringe schedule.
Yes, Local 51 has a significant jurisdictional presence in Southeastern Massachusetts, including Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties. This allows members residing in these areas to work locally while maintaining their Rhode Island-based benefits. It also allows signatory contractors in Providence to bid on work across the state line without changing their labor agreement.
Experienced tradespeople with a valid Rhode Island or Massachusetts plumbing or pipefitting license may inquire about 'organized' status or a travel card. These transfers are typically subject to a skills assessment and the current volume of work in the jurisdiction. Since 2014, the local has occasionally opened its doors to skilled journeymen to meet high labor demand.
The Local 51 JATC emphasizes UA welding certifications, Med-Gas installation, and OSHA safety standards. Because of the industrial nature of the Providence market, specialized certifications in orbital welding and high-pressure steam are also highly valued. Members have access to ongoing training to maintain these credentials, ensuring the signatory workforce stays ahead of industry code changes.
UA Local 51 is seated in East Providence, Rhode Island (RI). We hold published wage sheets for 2 locals across Rhode Island, compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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We are a commercial MEP recruiting firm serving East Providence and the rest of Rhode Island, including contractors signatory to UA Local 51. Our office is in South Corona, California and we place 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 51 pay scale for 2026 is $54.34 per hour for journeymen in East Providence, RI, or about $108,680 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $88.84 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 08/25/2025.
UA Local 51 wages for 2026: journeyman Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVAC rate of $54.34 per hour in East Providence, RI, with a total package of $88.84 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 08/25/2025. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 08/25/2025 with the UA Local 51 business office.
The UA Local 51 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $54.34 per hour ($88.84 per hour total package), effective 08/25/2025, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the UA Local 51 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 08/25/2025 with the hall.
Local 51 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $54.34 per hour journeyman rate, typically starting near 40 to 50% ($24.45 to $27.17 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 51 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 51 agreement make $54.34 an hour in base wages, or $88.84 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 08/25/2025. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$54.34 per hour base wage and $88.84 per hour total package for a journeyman in East Providence, RI, effective 08/25/2025. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $108,680 before overtime.
A Local 51 apprentice in East Providence, RI starts at roughly $24.45 an hour, about 45% of the $54.34 journeyman scale, and steps up each period, reaching around $40.76 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 51 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $24.45 an hour, or roughly $48,906 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $54.34 journeyman rate effective 08/25/2025. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $35.32 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $40.76 an hour in the fourth period and $54.34 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 51 training center.
Local 51 wages for 2025: $54.34 an hour on the journeyman scale, $88.84 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 08/25/2025. That is the most recent East Providence, RI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published UA Local 51 journeyman rate is $54.34 an hour ($88.84 total package), effective 08/25/2025, roughly $108,680 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 51 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ua-local-51-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $54.34 hourly scale, the $88.84 total package and the 08/25/2025 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download, no sign-up needed.
The current UA Local 51 journeyman rate is $54.34/hour, with a total package of $88.84/hour including fringe benefits, effective 08/25/2025. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $108,680 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle, confirm with the Local 51 business office before relying on the figure.
The $54.34/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $88.84/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 labor costs across locals.
Apprentices under the UA Local 51 agreement are paid a graduated percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting near 40 to 50% in the first period and stepping up each six-month or annual period until reaching 100% at turnout. Against the current $54.34/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $24.45 to $27.17/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 51 is headquartered in East Providence, RI and dispatches plumbers, pipefitters & hvac 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 work. Some Local 51 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 51 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 51 training center directly.
Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVAC apprenticeships generally run four to five years, roughly 8,000 to 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 51 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 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 08/25/2025 schedule; check with the Local 51 business office for any increase that has taken effect since.
We track 69 signatory contractors working under the UA Local 51 agreement, listed on this page with their websites and LinkedIn pages. Signatory shops are the employers legally able to hire Local 51 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 51 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers, pipefitters & hvac markets.
Yes, the openings section on this page lists current plumbers, pipefitters & hvac roles near East Providence, RI, 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 51 business office.
The UA Local 51 hall is at 11 Hemingway Dr East Providence, Ri 2915, serving East Providence, RI and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 401-943-3033. The hall office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm (per the local's official site).
The UA Local 51 hall office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, as published on the local's official website. Dispatch and out-of-work list procedures can differ from office hours, call 401-943-3033 to confirm before traveling in.
UA Local 51 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 401-943-3033 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 51 can be reached at 401-943-3033. The hall office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, 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 51's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at 401-943-3033.
Each Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVAC 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 401-943-3033.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 51's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at 401-943-3033.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 51's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at 401-943-3033.
UA Local 51's sourced plumbers and pipefitters union rate is $54.34/hr in base wages and $88.84/hr for the total package, effective August 25, 2025. The rate applies to the listed classification and source area; apprentice, foreman and specialty classifications may differ.
$54.34/hr in base wages for plumbers and pipefitters, or $88.84/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective August 25, 2025 per the U.S. DOL Davis-Bacon determination RI20260001, rev. 5 wage determination.
August 25, 2025. Read directly from the primary source (U.S. DOL Davis-Bacon determination RI20260001, rev. 5) and cross-checked at build time. Highest confidence for offer benchmarking.
No, the $54.34/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $34.50/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $88.84/hr package.
No. Gulfstream Strategic Placements is a private MEP 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 (1 month ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.
Coverage unverified, contact the hall. No reviewed published boundary is held for this local; office location does not establish jurisdiction.
Coverage map and city lookup · Hall contact
Plumbers and pipefitters · Effective 08/25/2025 · Base wage $54.34/hr · Published package $88.84/hr
U.S. DOL Davis-Bacon determination RI20260001, rev. 5
Confirm the current agreement, classification, zone and effective schedule with the hall; a package is not take-home pay.
Membership fees, dues and admission rules are not verified in our held official records. Confirm directly with the hall.
Rates and sources · Membership and apprenticeship · Official hall contact · Send a recruiting inquiry to Gulfstream · Compare Rates
Recruiting inquiries go to Gulfstream, not UA Local 51. Membership, dispatch and apprenticeship applications must go directly to the hall. Gulfstream is union-independent and recruits for commercial mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors.
We fill union-covered and salaried roles for union and merit-shop mechanical contractors: project managers, superintendents, estimators and service staff. Hall dispatch stays with the local.