Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 533 in Kansas City, MO earn $59.09/hr in base wages, or $81.44/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jul 2026.
UA Local 533 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 533 pay scale for 2026 is $59.09 per hour for journeymen in Kansas City, MO, or about $118,180 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $81.44 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/26/26.
| Local 533 journeyman hourly wage | $59.09 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $81.44 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $118,180 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $26.59–$29.55 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 7/26/26 |
| Classification | Pipefitters |
A Local 533 apprentice in Kansas City, MO starts at roughly $26.59 an hour — about 45% of the $59.09 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $44.32 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 533 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $26.59 / hour | $53,181 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $32.50 / hour | $64,999 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $38.41 / hour | $76,817 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $44.32 / hour | $88,635 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $50.23 / hour | $100,453 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $59.09 / hour | $118,180 |
UA Local 533 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 816-523-1533 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 533 represents pipefitters and steamfitters throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area and surrounding Missouri counties. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has tracked the impact of this local on the regional mechanical construction market, where Local 533 members specialize in the installation and maintenance of high-pressure piping systems, heating, cooling, and industrial process systems. The local maintains a significant presence in Kansas City's heavy industrial and commercial sectors, providing a highly skilled workforce for critical infrastructure projects and large-scale mechanical installations that require precise welding and system integration. This labor pool is central to the area's HVAC and mechanical contracting landscape.
The Kansas City market is a hub for industrial manufacturing, data centers, and healthcare facilities, all of which rely on the specialized skills of Local 533 pipefitters. By operating under a collective bargaining agreement with signatory mechanical contractors, the union ensures standardized safety protocols, rigorous training through its Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, and a consistent supply of qualified labor. For contractors, partnering with Local 533 provides access to a scalable workforce capable of meeting the technical demands of complex mechanical blueprints. For the tradesperson, the local serves as a central hub for career development, certifying professionals in specialized welding procedures and advanced HVACR technologies.
The UA Local 533 pay scale is determined by the collective bargaining agreement between the union and the Mechanical Contractors Association of Kansas City. While specific dollar amounts for journeyman wages are not published publicly to prevent unauthorized benchmarking, the total package consists of a base hourly rate plus employer-paid fringe benefits. Apprentices begin their five-year 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. To obtain the most current wage and benefit schedule, including the exact pipefitters local 533 pay scale, applicants or contractors must contact the union's financial secretary or business manager directly.
The jurisdiction for UA Local 533 covers a multi-county region centered in Kansas City, Missouri, extending into the surrounding western Missouri counties. The charter covers all pipefitting, steamfitting, and HVACR service work within this territory, including industrial plants, commercial office buildings, and public works projects. Members are dispatched from the Kansas City headquarters to various job sites, ensuring that mechanical contractors across the region have access to labor that adheres to the specific territorial rules regarding travel pay and subsistence if applicable. The work scope includes everything from hydronic piping and medical gas systems to heavy industrial process piping in the region's manufacturing facilities.
The contractor landscape for UA Local 533 is comprised of a diverse mix of large mechanical primes and specialized service contractors. These signatory firms handle the bulk of the region's heavy commercial and industrial piping work, ranging from new hospital construction to refinery maintenance. Hiring typically follows the fluctuations of the regional construction cycle, with significant demand often driven by municipal infrastructure upgrades and the expansion of the area's industrial corridor. Contractors benefit from a predictable cost structure through the CBA, while the union provides a dispatch system that allows firms to scale their manpower up or down based on specific project requirements.
The journeyman wages for the KC pipefitters union are set by the Master Labor Agreement. While Gulfstream Strategic Placements does not publish internal union wage sheets, these rates are competitive with other skilled building trades in the Kansas City market. The total compensation package includes the hourly check rate plus significant contributions toward retirement and healthcare, which are paid by the contractor over and above the hourly wage.
Contractors looking to benchmark labor costs or tradespeople inquiring about Local 533 pay scale details should contact the Local 533 Business Manager. The union provides a 'Wage and Benefit' schedule that breaks down the hourly rate, fringe benefits, and total package costs. This document is the only authoritative source for current financial data and is updated annually following negotiated increases.
Members of UA Local 533 specialize in the installation and maintenance of piping systems that carry water, steam, chemicals, and gases. This includes working on high-pressure steam boilers, chilled water systems for large buildings, and process piping for industrial manufacturing. They are experts in various welding techniques, blueprint reading, and system layout, distinguishing them from general plumbing by their focus on industrial and mechanical systems.
No, while both are part of the United Association (UA), Local 533 specifically represents Pipefitters and Steamfitters. In the Kansas City market, Plumbers are typically represented by a separate UA local. Local 533 focuses on the mechanical and industrial side of the trade, including HVACR service and high-pressure piping, whereas the plumbers local focuses on potable water, sanitary systems, and drainage.
UA Local 533 is seated in Kansas City, Missouri (MO). We hold published wage sheets for 13 locals across Missouri — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Kansas City and the rest of Missouri, including contractors signatory to UA Local 533. 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 533 pay scale for 2026 is $59.09 per hour for journeymen in Kansas City, MO, or about $118,180 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $81.44 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/26/26.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 533 agreement make $59.09 an hour in base wages, or $81.44 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 7/26/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$59.09 per hour base wage and $81.44 per hour total package for a journeyman in Kansas City, MO, effective 7/26/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $118,180 before overtime.
A Local 533 apprentice in Kansas City, MO starts at roughly $26.59 an hour — about 45% of the $59.09 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $44.32 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 533 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $26.59 an hour, or roughly $53,181 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $59.09 journeyman rate effective 7/26/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $38.41 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $44.32 an hour in the fourth period and $59.09 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 533 training center.
The current UA Local 533 journeyman rate is $59.09/hour, with a total package of $81.44/hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/26/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $118,180 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 533 business office before relying on the figure.
The $59.09/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $81.44/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 533 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 $59.09/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $26.59–$29.55/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 533 is headquartered in Kansas City, MO 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 533 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 533 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 533 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 533 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 7/26/26 schedule; check with the Local 533 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 533 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
The UA Local 533 hall is at 8600 Hillcrest Rd Kansas City, MO 64138, serving Kansas City, MO and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 816-523-1533.
UA Local 533 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 816-523-1533 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 533 can be reached at 816-523-1533. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.