Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 638 in New York, NY earn $48.35/hr in base wages, or $68.30/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Jul 2026.
UA Local 638 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 638 pay scale for 2026 is $48.35 per hour for journeymen in New York, NY, or about $96,700 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $68.30 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/25/26.
| Local 638 journeyman hourly wage | $48.35 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $68.30 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $96,700 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $21.76–$24.18 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 7/25/26 |
| Classification | HVAC Service Tech |
A Local 638 apprentice in New York, NY starts at roughly $21.76 an hour — about 45% of the $48.35 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $36.26 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 638 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $21.76 / hour | $43,515 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $26.59 / hour | $53,185 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $31.43 / hour | $62,855 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $36.26 / hour | $72,525 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $41.10 / hour | $82,195 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $48.35 / hour | $96,700 |
UA Local 638 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 718-392-3420 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.
Enterprise Association of Steamfitters Local 638 represents the pipefitting and fire protection trades across the five boroughs of New York City and Long Island. Since 2014, Gulfstream Strategic Placements has monitored the high-density mechanical landscape where this local operates. The jurisdiction is unique due to the concentration of high-rise commercial construction, massive infrastructure projects, and complex steam distribution systems. Local 638 members are divided into two main branches: the Construction Branch, which handles high-pressure piping and HVAC installations, and the Metal Trades Branch, which focuses on service, maintenance, and fire sprinkler work in specific environments.
The New York City market is one of the most demanding labor environments in the world, requiring strict adherence to safety and code compliance. Local 638 members provide the specialized labor for everything from corporate headquarters and healthcare facilities to power plants and residential towers. Because the metropolitan area relies heavily on centralized steam and intricate hydronic systems, the technical proficiency required of a Local 638 journeyman is exceptionally high. Signatory contractors in this region rely on the union's Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee to supply a workforce capable of navigating the logistical challenges inherent in Manhattan’s dense urban infrastructure.
Based on data effective July 25, 2026, the journeyman hourly rate for Local 638 is established at $48.35, contributing to a total package of $68.30 when including fringe benefits. This package reflects the high cost of living and technical requirements of the New York market. Apprentices typically start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often beginning around 40-50% and increasing annually or semi-annually as they complete classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. The $19.95 difference between the hourly check and the total package covers essential benefits like pension and healthcare. All members should verify their specific branch—Construction or Metal Trades—with the union hall, as rates and fringe allocations can vary between these internal divisions.
The jurisdiction for UA Local 638 covers the entirety of New York City—including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island—along with Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. This charter encompasses a massive geographic and economic footprint, requiring members to be mobile across the metropolitan region. The work includes the installation and maintenance of all high and low-pressure steam systems, hot water heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, and fire protection systems. Due to the density of the territory, travel and parking logistics are significant factors for members and contractors, though the dispatch system is designed to provide labor for the region's largest mechanical developments.
The contractor landscape for Local 638 consists of a high concentration of large-scale mechanical primes and specialized fire protection firms. These signatory contractors are often members of the a mechanical contractor Association of New York or the Association of Contracting Plumbers. The market is characterized by multi-year projects, including high-rise office developments, public works infrastructure, and major hospital expansions. Hiring fluctuates based on the city's building permits and large-scale capital improvement plans. While large mechanical firms dominate the skyline work, there are also numerous mid-sized contractors focusing on specialized HVAC retrofits and essential maintenance services across the five boroughs.
Local 638 is split into two branches. The Construction Branch (often referred to as '638') focuses on the installation of high-pressure steam and HVAC systems in new builds and major renovations. The Metal Trades branch (often referred to as '638B') focuses on service, maintenance, and fire protection. They operate under different wage scales and collective bargaining agreements tailored to their specific market sectors.
Yes, fire protection and sprinkler fitting work falls under the jurisdiction of Local 638 in the New York City market. While some other cities have separate sprinkler fitter locals, in NYC this work is integrated into the Steamfitters' charter, covering the installation and maintenance of life-safety piping systems in commercial and residential buildings.
Recruitment for the Local 638 apprenticeship is not continuous. It typically opens every few years based on the projected labor demand in the New York City construction market. Notices are published via the New York State Department of Labor and the local's training center website. Applicants must follow a strict process involving testing and interviews.
Yes, the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) provides advanced certifications for journeymen. This includes specialized training in welding, medical gas, BIM/CAD coordination, and high-pressure steam safety. These certifications are often required by signatory contractors for specific high-stakes projects in the healthcare or industrial sectors to ensure the highest level of technical competency.
UA Local 638 is seated in New York, New York (NY). We hold published wage sheets for 27 locals across New York — compare nearby scales before you take a call.
We are a mechanical, plumbing and electrical construction recruiting firm serving New York and the rest of New York, including contractors signatory to UA Local 638. 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 638 pay scale for 2026 is $48.35 per hour for journeymen in New York, NY, or about $96,700 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $68.30 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 7/25/26.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 638 agreement make $48.35 an hour in base wages, or $68.30 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 7/25/26. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$48.35 per hour base wage and $68.30 per hour total package for a journeyman in New York, NY, effective 7/25/26. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $96,700 before overtime.
A Local 638 apprentice in New York, NY starts at roughly $21.76 an hour — about 45% of the $48.35 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $36.26 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 638 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $21.76 an hour, or roughly $43,515 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $48.35 journeyman rate effective 7/25/26. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $31.43 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $36.26 an hour in the fourth period and $48.35 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 638 training center.
The current UA Local 638 journeyman rate is $48.35/hour, with a total package of $68.30/hour including fringe benefits, effective 7/25/26. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $96,700 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 638 business office before relying on the figure.
The $48.35/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $68.30/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 638 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 $48.35/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $21.76–$24.18/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 638 is headquartered in New York, NY 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 638 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 638 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 638 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 638 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 7/25/26 schedule; check with the Local 638 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 638 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
The UA Local 638 hall is at 27 08 40th Ave 4th Floor Long Island City, NY 11101, serving New York, NY and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 718-392-3420.
UA Local 638 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 718-392-3420 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 638 can be reached at 718-392-3420. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.