Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 538 in Johnson City, TN earn $33/hr in base wages, or $44.59/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Oct 2022. This sheet is more than 2 years old, so confirm the current rate with the hall before quoting it.
UA Local 538 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 538 pay scale is $33.00 per hour for journeymen in Johnson City, TN, or about $66,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $44.59 per hour. That is the last wage sheet we can source for this local — confirm the current rate with the hall.
| Local 538 journeyman hourly wage | $33.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $44.59 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $66,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $14.85–$16.50 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 10/21/22 |
| Classification | Combo |
A Local 538 apprentice in Johnson City, TN starts at roughly $14.85 an hour — about 45% of the $33.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $24.75 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 538 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $14.85 / hour | $29,700 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $18.15 / hour | $36,300 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $21.45 / hour | $42,900 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $24.75 / hour | $49,500 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $28.05 / hour | $56,100 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $33.00 / hour | $66,000 |
UA Local 538 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 423-928-5751 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 538 represents skilled plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters serving the Tri-Cities region and surrounding areas of Northeast Tennessee. Headquartered in Johnson City, this local is central to the industrial and commercial infrastructure of the Appalachian Highlands. The membership provides specialized labor for a variety of critical environments, including healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and manufacturing plants. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor trends in this region, noting that Local 538 maintains a disciplined approach to workforce development to meet the specific technical demands of both heavy a mechanical contractor and complex commercial plumbing systems.
The market surrounding Johnson City is characterized by a mix of steady institutional growth and a robust industrial base. Local 538 members are instrumental in maintaining the mechanical systems that power the region's economy, from high-pressure steam systems to medical gas installations. The local operates a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) to ensure that every journeyworker meets rigorous national standards. This commitment to training makes the local a primary labor source for signatory mechanical primes who require a high degree of precision and safety compliance. For contractors, partnering with this local provides access to a scalable, drug-free workforce capable of executing large-scale capital projects or long-term facility maintenance.
Based on the figures effective October 20, 2022, the journeyman hourly rate for UA Local 538 is $33.00. When including the fringe benefit package, the total hourly compensation reaches $44.59. Apprentices in the five-year program typically start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often beginning around 50% and increasing annually or semi-annually as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. These scheduled increases provide a clear path to the full $33.00 hourly scale. Journeyworkers and apprentices should verify current rates with the union hall, as these figures represent the base building trades scale and may differ for specialized service or residential agreements. The $11.59 difference between the check and the package covers critical health, retirement, and training investments.
The chartered jurisdiction of UA Local 538 encompasses several counties in the northeastern corner of Tennessee, centered around the Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol metropolitan areas. This territory includes a diverse range of work sites, from municipal water treatment facilities to regional medical centers. Members are dispatched to projects across these counties, ensuring that signatory contractors have consistent coverage throughout the Appalachian region. The jurisdiction involves the installation, maintenance, and repair of all piping systems, including HVAC, process piping, and sanitation. Travel requirements are generally localized within the Tri-Cities footprint, though larger industrial outages may occasionally require coordination with neighboring locals for additional manpower support.
The contractor landscape for UA Local 538 is comprised of several long-standing signatory mechanical primes and specialized a mechanical contractor firms. These contractors typically handle the region's largest mechanical contracts, ranging from university expansions to chemical processing plant maintenance. There is also a strong presence of HVAC service contractors who utilize the local's trained technicians for sophisticated climate control and refrigeration work. Hiring activity often follows the cycle of institutional budgets and industrial shutdowns. For tradespeople, this provides a mix of stable, long-term project work and high-intensity short-term industrial assignments. Contractors benefit from a centralized dispatch system that ensures all personnel have the necessary certifications for specialized job site requirements.
Members have access to a variety of United Association certifications, including ASME pressure vessel welding, medical gas installation, and backflow prevention. The training center also offers OSHA safety courses and specialized rigging certifications. These credentials are recognized nationally across all UA locals, allowing for increased mobility and employment opportunities in the industrial sector.
While the local focus is on the Northeast Tennessee market, members in good standing may have the opportunity to travel to other jurisdictions when local work is slow. This is handled through the UA's reciprocal system, allowing members to work for signatory contractors in other states while maintaining their home local benefits and pension credits.
Wage adjustments are determined by the collective bargaining agreement negotiated between the local and signatory contractors. These usually occur annually on a set date, such as October or May. These adjustments account for cost-of-living changes and the competitive landscape of the mechanical construction industry in the Tennessee Valley.
Yes, pipe welding is a core competency of Local 538. Welders who pass specific UA weld tests are highly sought after for industrial projects, particularly in the chemical and manufacturing sectors prevalent in the Kingsport area. The local provides booth time and instructor support for members to maintain and upgrade their welding certifications.
UA Local 538 is seated in Johnson City, Tennessee (TN). We hold published wage sheets for 14 locals across Tennessee — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Johnson City and the rest of Tennessee, including contractors signatory to UA Local 538. 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 538 pay scale is $33.00 per hour for journeymen in Johnson City, TN, or about $66,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $44.59 per hour. That is the last wage sheet we can source for this local — confirm the current rate with the hall.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 538 agreement make $33.00 an hour in base wages, or $44.59 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 10/21/22. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$33.00 per hour base wage and $44.59 per hour total package for a journeyman in Johnson City, TN, effective 10/21/22. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $66,000 before overtime.
A Local 538 apprentice in Johnson City, TN starts at roughly $14.85 an hour — about 45% of the $33.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $24.75 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 538 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $14.85 an hour, or roughly $29,700 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $33.00 journeyman rate effective 10/21/22. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $21.45 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $24.75 an hour in the fourth period and $33.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 538 training center.
The current UA Local 538 journeyman rate is $33.00/hour, with a total package of $44.59/hour including fringe benefits, effective 10/21/22. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $66,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 538 business office before relying on the figure.
The $33.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $44.59/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 538 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 $33.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $14.85–$16.50/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 538 is headquartered in Johnson City, TN 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 538 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 538 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 538 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 538 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 10/21/22 schedule; check with the Local 538 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 538 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
The UA Local 538 hall is at 2404 S Roan St Johnson City, TN 37601, serving Johnson City, TN and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 423-928-5751.
UA Local 538 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 423-928-5751 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 538 can be reached at 423-928-5751. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.