Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 553 in Alton, IL earn $51.61/hr in base wages, or $73.06/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jan 2026.
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The Local 553 pay scale for 2026 is $51.61 per hour for journeymen in Alton, IL, or about $103,220 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $73.06 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 1/1/26.
| Local 553 journeyman hourly wage | $51.61 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $73.06 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $103,220 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $23.22–$25.81 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 1/1/26 |
| Classification | PLUMBER/PIPEFITTER (BOND, CALHOUN, GREENE, JERSEY, MACOUPIN (SOUTH OF RT 108), AND… |
Apply now — Gulfstream places plumbers & pipefitters candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 553 apprentice in Alton, IL starts at roughly $23.22 an hour — about 45% of the $51.61 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $38.71 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 553 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $23.22 / hour | $46,449 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $28.39 / hour | $56,771 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $33.55 / hour | $67,093 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $38.71 / hour | $77,415 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $43.87 / hour | $87,737 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $51.61 / hour | $103,220 |
Active Gulfstream trade listings in the local's state, with Alton listings first when available. Jobs elsewhere in the state are not necessarily near this hall. Union status is not verified for these jobs; confirm with your recruiter.
UA Local 553 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 553 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 553 wages: $51.61 an hour on the journeyman scale, $73.06 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 1/1/26. That is the most recent Alton, IL sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 29% of the UA Local 553 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. Department of Labor Davis-Bacon general wage determination IL20260001 (rev 5), building construction, PLUM0553-001 01/01/2026: base rate $51.61 plus printed fringes $21.45
Download the UA Local 553 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective January 1, 2026.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $21.45/hr | Printed as the fringe line on U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division determination IL20260001, schedule PLUM0553-001. |
|---|---|---|
| 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 553 scale used across the Alton, IL 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 Alton 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, plumbing, piping, sheet metal and building automation contractors in and around Alton. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 553 rates. For current Alton scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
Source document: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Davis-Bacon Act determination IL20260001 (mod 5), published 2026-05-21.
Schedule line PLUM0553-001 — Building construction, scope: Counties listed on IL20260001.
Classification as printed: PLUMBER/PIPEFITTER (BOND, CALHOUN, GREENE, JERSEY, MACOUPIN (SOUTH OF RT 108), AND MONTGOMERY (SOUTHWEST OF RT 127) COUNTIES)
UA Local 553 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 618-259-6787 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 553 represents highly skilled plumbers, pipefitters, and welders across the Metro East Illinois region. Headquartered in Alton, this local serves as a critical labor source for the heavy industrial and commercial sectors flanking the Mississippi River. The membership is responsible for maintaining the complex piping systems in refineries, power plants, and chemical processing facilities that drive the local economy. Because the region sits at a logistical crossroads, the work performed by Local 553 members ensures the reliability of essential infrastructure, ranging from high-pressure steam systems to medical gas lines in healthcare facilities.
The market for UA Local 553 is defined by its proximity to St. Louis, yet it maintains a distinct identity governed by the Illinois labor landscape. Signatory contractors in this jurisdiction rely on the union to provide a workforce that meets rigorous safety and quality standards, particularly for specialized welding and process piping. For the tradesperson, joining this local provides access to a structured career path backed by collective bargaining. The stability of the Alton and Wood River industrial corridor ensures a steady demand for skilled pipe trades, making Local 553 a central hub for apprentices seeking long-term growth and journeyworkers looking for competitive regional benefits.
The Local 553 pay scale is established through collective bargaining agreements between the union and signatory contractor associations. While specific hourly rates are not publicly broadcast and must be verified through the Alton business office, the compensation structure follows a standard UA model consisting of a base journeyman rate plus a comprehensive fringe benefit package. Apprentices start at a set percentage of the journeyman wage—often beginning around 45% to 50%—and receive scheduled increases every year as they complete classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. This progression ensures that as a pipefitter or plumber gains proficiency, their earnings reflect their increased value to the signatory mechanical primes. By the fifth year, apprentices typically reach the full scale, having secured a package that includes healthcare and retirement contributions.
UA Local 553 holds jurisdiction over several key counties in the Metro East area of Illinois, centered around the industrial and residential hubs of Alton and East St. Louis. The territory covers a diverse geographic range where members are dispatched to projects ranging from municipal water treatment plants to large-scale refinery shutdowns. Under the terms of the agreement, the local ensures that all plumbing and pipefitting work within these borders is performed to code by qualified members. The jurisdiction is characterized by a high density of industrial work, particularly in the Wood River area, requiring members to be mobile and ready for dispatch across the chartered Illinois counties.
The contractor landscape for Local 553 is a mix of heavy industrial specialists and commercial mechanical contractors. Many signatories are long-standing firms that manage multi-year maintenance contracts for the region's refineries and manufacturing plants. There is also a robust group of plumbing contractors focused on regional institutional work, including schools and hospitals. These employers utilize the union's hiring hall to scale their workforce according to project demands, ensuring they have access to certified welders and licensed plumbers on short notice. For the tradesperson, this landscape offers a variety of environments, from complex industrial builds to steady commercial service and repair work.
The specific hourly pay scale for Local 553 pipefitters and plumbers is determined by the most recent collective bargaining agreement. Because these rates are subject to annual adjustments and fringe benefit allocations, they are not published for general public view. To get the most accurate and current wage data, you should contact the Local 553 business office directly in Alton, IL.
When asking 'which union is better,' it often depends on your specific trade interest and geographic location. Local 553 is a specialized 'combination' local representing both plumbers and pipefitters in the Metro East area. Compared to larger metro locals like UA Local 123 or others, Local 553 offers a unique concentration of heavy industrial work due to the local refinery presence.
Generally, UA combination locals maintain a unified building trades scale for both plumbers and pipefitters, as the skill level and apprenticeship requirements are equivalent. However, specific project agreements or industrial maintenance contracts may have unique classifications. The best way to confirm specific 'local 553 pipefitters' rates versus plumbing rates is to review the current wage sheet at the union hall.
Transferring into UA Local 553 typically requires you to be a member in good standing with your current local for at least one year. You must contact the Local 553 Business Manager to inquire about the current work outlook and whether they are accepting travel cards or permanent transfers, as this is often dependent on the local volume of work.
UA Local 553 is seated in Alton, Illinois (IL). We hold published wage sheets for 42 locals across Illinois — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits mechanical construction and service staff for contractors nationwide, union and open shop. These are markets where we run the most searches: Sacramento mechanical recruiter · Denver mechanical recruiter · Orange County mechanical recruiter · Seattle mechanical recruiter. Post a role.
We are a commercial mechanical construction recruiting firm serving Alton and the rest of Illinois, including contractors signatory to UA Local 553. 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 553 pay scale for 2026 is $51.61 per hour for journeymen in Alton, IL, or about $103,220 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $73.06 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 1/1/26.
UA Local 553 wages for 2026: journeyman Plumbers & Pipefitters rate of $51.61 per hour in Alton, IL, with a total package of $73.06 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 1/1/26. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 1/1/26 with the UA Local 553 business office.
The UA Local 553 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $51.61 per hour ($73.06 per hour total package), effective 1/1/26, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the UA Local 553 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 1/1/26 with the hall.
Local 553 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $51.61 per hour journeyman rate — typically starting near 40–50% ($23.22–$25.81 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 553 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 553 agreement make $51.61 an hour in base wages, or $73.06 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 1/1/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$51.61 per hour base wage and $73.06 per hour total package for a journeyman in Alton, IL, effective 1/1/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $103,220 before overtime.
A Local 553 apprentice in Alton, IL starts at roughly $23.22 an hour — about 45% of the $51.61 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $38.71 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 553 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $23.22 an hour, or roughly $46,449 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $51.61 journeyman rate effective 1/1/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $33.55 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $38.71 an hour in the fourth period and $51.61 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 553 training center.
Local 553 wages: $51.61 an hour on the journeyman scale, $73.06 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 1/1/26. That is the most recent Alton, IL sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published UA Local 553 journeyman rate is $51.61 an hour ($73.06 total package), effective 1/1/26 — roughly $103,220 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable UA Local 553 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ua-local-553-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $51.61 hourly scale, the $73.06 total package and the 1/1/26 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current UA Local 553 journeyman rate is $51.61/hour, with a total package of $73.06/hour including fringe benefits, effective 1/1/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $103,220 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 553 business office before relying on the figure.
The $51.61/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $73.06/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 553 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 $51.61/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $23.22–$25.81/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 553 is headquartered in Alton, IL 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 553 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 553 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 553 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 553 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 1/1/26 schedule; check with the Local 553 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 553 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
Yes — the openings section on this page lists current plumbers & pipefitters roles near Alton, IL, 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 553 business office.
The UA Local 553 hall is at 2 S Wesley Dr East Alton, IL 62024, serving Alton, IL and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 618-259-6787. The hall office is open Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM (per the local's official site).
The UA Local 553 hall office is open Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM, as published on the local's official website. Dispatch and out-of-work list procedures can differ from office hours — call 618-259-6787 to confirm before traveling in.
UA Local 553 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 618-259-6787 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 553 can be reached at 618-259-6787. The hall office is open Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM, 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 553's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at 618-259-6787.
Each Plumbers & Pipefitters 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 618-259-6787.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 553's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at 618-259-6787.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 553's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at 618-259-6787.
UA Local 553's sourced plumber/pipefitter (bond, calhoun, greene, jersey, macoupin (south of rt 108), and… union rate is $51.61/hr in base wages and $73.06/hr for the total package, effective January 1, 2026. The rate applies to the listed classification and source area; apprentice, foreman and specialty classifications may differ.
$51.61/hr in base wages for plumber/pipefitter (bond, calhoun, greene, jersey, macoupin (south of rt 108), and…, or $73.06/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective January 1, 2026 per the U.S. Department of Labor Davis-Bacon general wage determination IL20260001 (rev 5), building construction, PLUM0553-001 01/01/2026: base rate $51.61 plus printed fringes $21.45 wage determination.
January 1, 2026. Read directly from the primary source (U.S. Department of Labor Davis-Bacon general wage determination IL20260001 (rev 5), building construction, PLUM0553-001 01/01/2026: base rate $51.61 plus printed fringes $21.45) and cross-checked at build time. Highest confidence for offer benchmarking.
No — the $51.61/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $21.45/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $73.06/hr package.
No. Gulfstream Strategic Placements is a private mechanical construction 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 1, 2026 (18 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.