Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 636 in Detroit, MI earn $41.96/hr in base wages, or $78.21/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Sep 2025.
UA Local 636 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 636 pay scale for 2026 is $41.96 per hour for journeymen in Detroit, MI, or about $83,920 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $78.21 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 9/7/25.
| Local 636 journeyman hourly wage | $41.96 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $78.21 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $83,920 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $18.88–$20.98 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 9/7/25 |
| Classification | Pipefitters |
A Local 636 apprentice in Detroit, MI starts at roughly $18.88 an hour — about 45% of the $41.96 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.47 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 636 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $18.88 / hour | $37,764 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $23.08 / hour | $46,156 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $27.27 / hour | $54,548 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $31.47 / hour | $62,940 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $35.67 / hour | $71,332 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $41.96 / hour | $83,920 |
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Local 636 wages: $41.96 an hour on the journeyman scale, $78.21 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 9/7/25. That is the most recent Detroit, MI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 46% of the UA Local 636 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.
Download the UA Local 636 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective September 7, 2025.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $36.25/hr | Derived: total package minus base wage. This is the employer's combined hourly contribution to the funds, not take-home pay. |
|---|---|---|
| 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 636 scale used across the Detroit, MI 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 Detroit 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 Detroit. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 636 rates. For current Detroit scale, dispatch standing, or apprenticeship intake, contact the hall directly.
UA Local 636 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 248-538-6636 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 636 represents the pipefitting industry throughout the Detroit metropolitan area, establishing a standard for mechanical construction and service work in Southeastern Michigan. As a central force in the regional labor market, this local provides a highly skilled workforce for critical infrastructure projects, including automotive manufacturing facilities, healthcare complexes, and large-scale commercial developments. The organization focuses on the installation, maintenance, and repair of piping systems that carry water, steam, chemicals, and fuel, ensuring that the industrial backbone of Detroit operates with precision and safety. Membership in this local signifies a commitment to the highest level of craftsmanship in the piping trades.
The market for UA Local 636 is driven by the density of heavy industrial and mechanical installations across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. Because Detroit serves as a global hub for engineering and manufacturing, the demand for certified pipefitters remains consistent through various economic cycles. The union works in close coordination with signatory contractors to supply labor that meets rigorous code requirements and project deadlines. For the tradesperson, this local offers a structured path to middle-class earnings and comprehensive benefits, while for the contractor, it provides a reliable pipeline of vetted, drug-tested, and OSHA-certified professionals capable of executing complex mechanical scopes in demanding environments.
The UA Local 636 pay scale is structured to reward technical proficiency and time in the trade. As of the September 7, 2025 adjustment, the journeyman hourly rate is set at $41.96. When factoring in the robust benefits and retirement contributions, the total package reaches $78.21 per hour. This gap between the check and the package represents a significant investment in the member's long-term security. Apprentices enter the 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 their classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the fifth year of the program, an apprentice is earning near-journeyman wages while finalizing their certifications for full licensure in the state of Michigan.
The chartered jurisdiction for Local 636 centers on the Detroit metropolitan region, covering the primary industrial and commercial zones of Southeast Michigan. The local maintains authority over all pipefitting, steamfitting, and mechanical service work within its defined boundaries, ensuring that signatory contractors utilize local labor for projects ranging from high-rise HVAC systems to complex refinery piping. Members are dispatched through a centralized system that prioritizes seniority and specific certifications, such as high-pressure welding or medical gas endorsements. While the local is headquartered in Detroit, its reach extends through the surrounding suburban corridors where the majority of new commercial construction and industrial retrofitting occurs, necessitating occasional travel across the tri-county area.
The contractor landscape for UA Local 636 is comprised of a diverse mix of mechanical primes and specialized service firms. These signatory contractors range from national mechanical giants that handle multi-million dollar industrial builds to local family-owned plumbing and heating companies focusing on commercial service and maintenance. Hiring is typically managed through the union's referral hall, though many members maintain long-term employment with a single contractor as 'steady' hands. The relationship between the union and the a mechanical contractor Association of Detroit ensures that labor costs are predictable and that contractors have access to a scalable workforce for large shutdowns or expedited construction schedules commonly found in the automotive sector.
As of September 2025, the journeyman hourly wage is $41.96. The total compensation package, which includes all fringe benefits such as pension and healthcare, is $78.21 per hour. Apprentices earn a percentage of this rate based on their progression through the five-year training program.
While both are United Association locals in the Detroit market, Local 636 primarily focuses on pipefitting, steamfitting, and HVAC service, whereas Local 98 is the designated local for plumbing work. Both locals maintain their own separate wage scales and collective bargaining agreements tailored to their specific trades and jurisdictions.
Transfers are governed by the United Association Constitution. A member in good standing from another local may travel to 636 for work if there is a man-power shortage, but a permanent transfer usually requires the approval of the Business Manager and depends on current local employment levels.
Members specialize in the installation and maintenance of high-pressure piping, heating and cooling systems, and industrial process lines. This includes work in power plants, automotive factories, and commercial office buildings where steam, water, or chemicals must be safely transported through engineered piping networks.
UA Local 636 is seated in Detroit, Michigan (MI). We hold published wage sheets for 22 locals across Michigan — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
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Journeyman scales as last published by each local. Rates change every contract cycle — confirm with the hall.
The Local 636 pay scale for 2026 is $41.96 per hour for journeymen in Detroit, MI, or about $83,920 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $78.21 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 9/7/25.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 636 agreement make $41.96 an hour in base wages, or $78.21 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 9/7/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$41.96 per hour base wage and $78.21 per hour total package for a journeyman in Detroit, MI, effective 9/7/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $83,920 before overtime.
A Local 636 apprentice in Detroit, MI starts at roughly $18.88 an hour — about 45% of the $41.96 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $31.47 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 636 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $18.88 an hour, or roughly $37,764 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $41.96 journeyman rate effective 9/7/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $27.27 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $31.47 an hour in the fourth period and $41.96 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 636 training center.
Local 636 wages: $41.96 an hour on the journeyman scale, $78.21 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 9/7/25. That is the most recent Detroit, MI sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published UA Local 636 journeyman rate is $41.96 an hour ($78.21 total package), effective 9/7/25 — roughly $83,920 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable UA Local 636 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ua-local-636-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $41.96 hourly scale, the $78.21 total package and the 9/7/25 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current UA Local 636 journeyman rate is $41.96/hour, with a total package of $78.21/hour including fringe benefits, effective 9/7/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $83,920 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 636 business office before relying on the figure.
The $41.96/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $78.21/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 636 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 $41.96/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $18.88–$20.98/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 636 is headquartered in Detroit, MI 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 636 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 636 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 636 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 636 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 9/7/25 schedule; check with the Local 636 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 636 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
The UA Local 636 hall is at 30100 Northwestern Hwy Farmington Hills, MI 48334, serving Detroit, MI and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 248-538-6636.
UA Local 636 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 248-538-6636 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 636 can be reached at 248-538-6636. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
$41.96/hr in base wages for pipefitters, or $78.21/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective September 7, 2025 per the unionpayscales.com wage sheet.
September 7, 2025. Pulled from the local's current published CBA wage sheet on unionpayscales.com and cross-checked at build time. High confidence for offer benchmarking.
No — the $41.96/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $36.25/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $78.21/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 Sep 1, 2026 (14 days ago). Always confirm the current step with the hall before relying on it for an offer.