Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 568 in Gulfport, MS earn $27.91/hr in base wages, or $37.88/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 568 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 568 pay scale is $27.91 per hour for journeymen in Gulfport, MS, or about $55,820 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $37.88 per hour. That is the last wage sheet we can source for this local — confirm the current rate with the hall.
| Local 568 journeyman hourly wage | $27.91 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $37.88 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $55,820 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $12.56–$13.96 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 10/21/22 |
| Classification | Combo |
A Local 568 apprentice in Gulfport, MS starts at roughly $12.56 an hour — about 45% of the $27.91 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $20.93 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 568 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $12.56 / hour | $25,119 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $15.35 / hour | $30,701 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $18.14 / hour | $36,283 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $20.93 / hour | $41,865 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $23.72 / hour | $47,447 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $27.91 / hour | $55,820 |
UA Local 568 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 228-863-1853 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 568, headquartered in Gulfport, represents the skilled plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC technicians serving the southern Mississippi region. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the labor landscape for this charter, which provides essential piping infrastructure for the state's maritime, industrial, and commercial sectors. The local ensures that members are trained to meet rigorous standards for pressure vessel welding, medical gas installation, and complex plumbing systems. Given the proximity to major shipbuilding hubs and petrochemical facilities along the Gulf, Local 568 plays a critical role in maintaining the technical workforce required for large-scale capital projects and long-term facility maintenance.
The market for UA Local 568 Plumbers & Pipefitters is driven largely by the heavy industrial presence in Jackson and a mechanical contractoron counties, alongside municipal development in the Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area. Members work under a collective bargaining agreement that standardizes safety protocols, craft training, and compensation across all signatory contractors. This stability allows for a predictable labor cost for mechanical primes while ensuring tradespeople receive a living wage and portable benefits. As the region continues to expand its industrial footprint and naval infrastructure, the demand for certified pipe welders and licensed commercial plumbers remains a consistent factor in the local economy.
Based on the schedule effective October 21, 2022, the journeyman hourly rate for UA Local 568 is $27.91, with a total compensation package reaching $37.88 per hour when fringe benefits are included. The $9.97 difference between the check rate and the total package covers essential employer-paid contributions toward healthcare and retirement. Apprentices in the program start at a percentage of the journeyman scale, typically beginning around 50% 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 apprenticeship, workers generally earn between 80% and 90% of the full rate before taking their mechanical journey exam to reach the full $27.91 scale.
UA Local 568 maintains jurisdiction over the southernmost counties of Mississippi, extending from the Louisiana border to the Alabama state line. The primary focus of the charter is the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including major hubs like Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. The work covered under this agreement encompasses all aspects of the piping trades, including industrial process piping at refineries, commercial plumbing for hospitality and gaming facilities, and specialized mechanical systems for naval contractors. Members are dispatched from the Gulfport hall to various job sites within this territory, ensuring that signatory contractors have access to a localized workforce familiar with the specific regulatory and environmental requirements of the coastal region.
The signatory contractor landscape for UA Local 568 is a mix of regional mechanical primes and specialized a mechanical contractor firms. These employers range from local plumbing and HVAC service providers to large-scale mechanical contractors capable of managing multi-million dollar industrial installations. Hiring typically follows project cycles, with significant surges in manpower demand during industrial shutdowns, refinery turnarounds, or new commercial construction in the gaming and tourism sectors. Contractors benefit from the JATC training pipeline, which provides a steady supply of welders and fitters who possess the certifications required for high-pressure systems and specialized maritime piping work.
The hourly wage of $27.91 is the gross amount paid on the member's weekly paycheck. The total package of $37.88 includes an additional $9.97 per hour paid by the employer into fringe benefits. These benefits include health insurance and retirement funds, which are not deducted from the base wage but are provided as part of the overall compensation for working with a signatory contractor.
UA Local 568 members frequently work on industrial and mechanical projects in the Pascagoula area, including facilities supporting the maritime and energy industries. While some shipyards have their own specific labor agreements, Local 568 pipefitters and welders are the primary source of union labor for terrestrial industrial sites and commercial construction projects throughout Jackson County and the surrounding coastal region.
Wage adjustments are determined by the collective bargaining agreement negotiated between the union and signatory contractors. These increases usually occur annually or bi-annually to account for cost-of-living adjustments and market conditions. The current scale was established in October 2022; members should consult the Local 568 business manager for updates on the next scheduled negotiation or scheduled step increase.
The Local 568 JATC program focuses on core competencies including OSHA safety, blueprint reading, and advanced welding techniques. Specific emphasis is placed on UA Weld Certifications (such as 21, 41, and 60) which are vital for the industrial and refinery work prevalent in Gulfport and Biloxi. Apprentices also receive training in medical gas systems and backflow prevention to serve the local healthcare and municipal markets.
UA Local 568 is seated in Gulfport, Mississippi (MS). We hold published wage sheets for 5 locals across Mississippi — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving Gulfport and the rest of Mississippi, including contractors signatory to UA Local 568. 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 568 pay scale is $27.91 per hour for journeymen in Gulfport, MS, or about $55,820 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $37.88 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 568 agreement make $27.91 an hour in base wages, or $37.88 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.
$27.91 per hour base wage and $37.88 per hour total package for a journeyman in Gulfport, MS, effective 10/21/22. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $55,820 before overtime.
A Local 568 apprentice in Gulfport, MS starts at roughly $12.56 an hour — about 45% of the $27.91 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $20.93 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 568 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $12.56 an hour, or roughly $25,119 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $27.91 journeyman rate effective 10/21/22. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $18.14 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $20.93 an hour in the fourth period and $27.91 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 568 training center.
The current UA Local 568 journeyman rate is $27.91/hour, with a total package of $37.88/hour including fringe benefits, effective 10/21/22. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $55,820 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 568 business office before relying on the figure.
The $27.91/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $37.88/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 568 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 $27.91/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $12.56–$13.96/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 568 is headquartered in Gulfport, MS 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 568 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 568 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 568 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 568 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 568 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 568 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
The UA Local 568 hall is at 1237 Pass Rd Gulfport, MS 39501, serving Gulfport, MS and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 228-863-1853.
UA Local 568 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 228-863-1853 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 568 can be reached at 228-863-1853. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.