Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 550 in Boston, MA earn $70.80/hr in base wages, or $107.45/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Apr 2025.
UA Local 550 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 550 pay scale for 2026 is $70.80 per hour for journeymen in Boston, MA, or about $141,600 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $107.45 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 4/19/25.
| Local 550 journeyman hourly wage | $70.80 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $107.45 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $141,600 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $31.86–$35.40 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 4/19/25 |
A Local 550 apprentice in Boston, MA starts at roughly $31.86 an hour — about 45% of the $70.80 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $53.10 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 550 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $31.86 / hour | $63,720 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $38.94 / hour | $77,880 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $46.02 / hour | $92,040 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $53.10 / hour | $106,200 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $60.18 / hour | $120,360 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $70.80 / hour | $141,600 |
UA Local 550 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 617-323-0474 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 550 represents highly skilled pipefitters, plumbers, and HVAC technicians serving the greater Boston metropolitan area. As a vital component of the Massachusetts building trades, this local provides the specialized labor force required for the region's most complex mechanical systems. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the demand for UA talent in this market, where the density of life sciences, healthcare, and high-rise commercial development necessitates a rigorous standard of craftsmanship. Members of Local 550 are responsible for the installation and maintenance of critical piping infrastructure that supports the region's economic engine and public safety.
The Boston market is characterized by stringent building codes and a high concentration of institutional work. Signatory contractors within this jurisdiction rely on Local 550 to supply a workforce that is certified in specialized welding, medical gas, and advanced hydronic systems. The local operates a comprehensive training facility that ensures apprentices and journeymen stay current with evolving industry technologies. For contractors, partnering with this local provides access to a scalable pool of labor capable of meeting aggressive project schedules in a dense urban environment. For tradespeople, it offers a structured career path with industry-leading compensation and comprehensive benefits.
Effective April 19, 2025, the journeyman hourly rate for UA Local 550 is set at $70.80, contributing to a total compensation package of $107.45 per hour. This substantial fringe benefit spread of $36.65 covers essential protections including health coverage and retirement security. Apprentices enter the program at a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40% to 45% and receiving incremental raises every six to twelve months as they complete required classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the fifth year of the program, senior apprentices earn a high percentage of the full scale, reflecting their increased technical proficiency. These rates are standardized across the jurisdiction, ensuring wage parity for all members performing covered work under the collective bargaining agreement.
UA Local 550 holds a chartered jurisdiction centered in Boston and extending throughout Suffolk County and significant portions of the surrounding Massachusetts coastal and suburban regions. The territory covers a high-density zone where mechanical piping, fire protection, and HVAC systems are governed by specific municipal and state codes. Members are dispatched to a variety of sites ranging from Logan International Airport to the laboratory clusters in Cambridge and the Longwood Medical Area. The agreement covers all aspects of pipefitting, including industrial process piping, commercial heating and cooling, and high-pressure steam systems. Workers must maintain valid Massachusetts licenses and local-specific certifications to remain eligible for dispatch within this competitive Northeastern corridor.
The contractor landscape for Local 550 is comprised of major regional mechanical primes and specialized service firms. These signatory contractors handle large-scale institutional projects, such as university expansions and hospital renovations, which require significant manpower and technical oversight. The market also supports a robust segment of HVAC service contractors who manage long-term maintenance contracts for this employer’s commercial office towers. Hiring fluctuates based on large-capital project cycles, but the constant demand for infrastructure upgrades in the life sciences sector provides a stable baseline for employment. Contractors here are typically members of the a mechanical contractor Association (MCA), ensuring standardized labor relations and safety protocols across all job sites.
While travelers often search for comparisons to UA Local 250 in California or Local 56 in Nova Scotia, UA Local 550 maintains a wage structure specific to the Boston cost of living. With a journeyman rate of $70.80 and a total package exceeding $107.00, it is one of the highest-paying jurisdictions in the United States, reflecting the technical demands of the Massachusetts mechanical market.
Local 550 is a primary provider of HVAC union labor in Massachusetts, specifically for pipefitting and mechanical systems. While other locals like UA Local 537 also operate in the Boston area with overlapping trade classifications, Local 550 members specialize in the installation and service of the complex piping networks that facilitate heating, cooling, and industrial processing.
Travelers from locals such as Local 719 or Local 146 must follow the United Association’s constitutional procedures for travel or transfer. Given the high demand in Boston, travelers are often utilized when the local bench is clear, but permanent transfers are subject to the discretion of the Business Manager and current local employment market conditions.
UA jurisdictions are strictly defined by the International. While searches for Local 74 or other regional entities may occur, Local 550 maintains specific authority over pipefitting work in its chartered Boston territory. Contractors must ensure they are signatory to the correct local agreement based on the physical location of the project to remain compliant with AFL-CIO jurisdictional boundaries.
UA Local 550 is seated in Boston, Massachusetts (MA). We hold published wage sheets for 9 locals across Massachusetts — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Boston and the rest of Massachusetts, including contractors signatory to UA Local 550. 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 550 pay scale for 2026 is $70.80 per hour for journeymen in Boston, MA, or about $141,600 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $107.45 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 4/19/25.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 550 agreement make $70.80 an hour in base wages, or $107.45 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 4/19/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$70.80 per hour base wage and $107.45 per hour total package for a journeyman in Boston, MA, effective 4/19/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $141,600 before overtime.
A Local 550 apprentice in Boston, MA starts at roughly $31.86 an hour — about 45% of the $70.80 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $53.10 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 550 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $31.86 an hour, or roughly $63,720 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $70.80 journeyman rate effective 4/19/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $46.02 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $53.10 an hour in the fourth period and $70.80 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 550 training center.
The current UA Local 550 journeyman rate is $70.80/hour, with a total package of $107.45/hour including fringe benefits, effective 4/19/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $141,600 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 550 business office before relying on the figure.
The $70.80/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $107.45/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 550 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 $70.80/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $31.86–$35.40/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 550 is headquartered in Boston, MA 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 550 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 550 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 550 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 550 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 4/19/25 schedule; check with the Local 550 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 550 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
The UA Local 550 hall is at 46 Rockland St Boston, Ma 2132, serving Boston, MA and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 617-323-0474.
UA Local 550 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 617-323-0474 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 550 can be reached at 617-323-0474. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.