Journeyman pipefitters under UA Local 653 in Centralia, IL earn $45/hr in base wages, or $66.54/hr as a total package with fringe benefits, effective Sep 2025.
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The Local 653 pay scale for 2026 is $45.00 per hour for journeymen in Centralia, IL, or about $90,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $66.54 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 9/1/25.
| Local 653 journeyman hourly wage | $45.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Total package (wage + fringe benefits) | $66.54 / hour |
| Annualized at 2,080 hours (base wage) | $90,000 / year |
| First-period apprentice (≈45–50% of scale) | $20.25–$22.50 / hour |
| Wage sheet effective | 9/1/25 |
| Classification | PLUMBER AND STEAMFITTER (CLINTON (EASTERN 1/3) AND WASHINGTON (EASTERN 1/2) COUNTIES) |
Apply now — Gulfstream places plumbers & pipefitters candidates with mechanical contractors. These are direct-hire contractor roles, not union dispatch.
A Local 653 apprentice in Centralia, IL starts at roughly $20.25 an hour — about 45% of the $45.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $33.75 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 653 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of scale | $20.25 / hour | $40,500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of scale | $24.75 / hour | $49,500 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of scale | $29.25 / hour | $58,500 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of scale | $33.75 / hour | $67,500 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of scale | $38.25 / hour | $76,500 |
| Journeyman (turned out) | 100% of scale | $45.00 / hour | $90,000 |
Active Gulfstream trade listings in the local's state, with Centralia 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 653 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.
UA Local 653 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 653 wages: $45.00 an hour on the journeyman scale, $66.54 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 9/1/25. That is the most recent Centralia, IL sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
Roughly 32% of the UA Local 653 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, PLUM0653-002 09/01/2025: base rate $45.00 plus printed fringes $21.54
Download the UA Local 653 pay scale (PDF) — one-page printable rate sheet, effective September 1, 2025.
| Benefit & fringe contributions | $21.54/hr | Printed as the fringe line on U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division determination IL20260001, schedule PLUM0653-002. |
|---|---|---|
| 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 653 scale used across the Centralia, 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 Centralia 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 Centralia. We are a private recruiting firm — we do not dispatch, set, or negotiate Local 653 rates. For current Centralia 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 PLUM0653-002 — Building construction, scope: Counties listed on IL20260001.
Classification as printed: PLUMBER AND STEAMFITTER (CLINTON (EASTERN 1/3) AND WASHINGTON (EASTERN 1/2) COUNTIES)
UA Local 653 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall — call 618-532-3351 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 653 represents skilled plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC technicians across the Southern Illinois region, centered around Centralia. The local maintains a critical presence in the industrial and institutional sectors, providing highly trained labor for regional infrastructure projects and private facility maintenance. As part of a larger network of UA locals in the Midwest, Local 653 ensures that its members are prepared for the technical demands of modern piping systems, medical gas installations, and high-pressure steam applications. Their focus remains on delivering safe, code-compliant workmanship that sustains the local economy and provides a stable career path for tradespeople in Marion and surrounding counties.
The market served by Local 653 is characterized by a mix of light industrial manufacturing, healthcare facilities, and public works projects. Because this jurisdiction covers several rural and mid-sized urban areas, the local acts as a central hub for manpower coordination and technical certification. Signatory contractors rely on this partnership to staff projects with laborers who have completed rigorous, standardized training. For the tradesperson, membership in Local 653 offers a structured pathway to middle-class earnings, comprehensive health benefits, and a multi-employer pension plan. This alignment between labor and management helps stabilize construction costs and ensures that large-scale mechanical systems are installed with long-term reliability in mind.
Specific hourly wage figures for UA Local 653 are not publicly disclosed through online databases and must be verified directly with the business manager or through the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Typically, the compensation structure consists of a base journeyman rate plus a total fringe benefit package. Apprentices start at a percentage of the journeyman rate, often beginning around 45% to 50% and increasing annually as they complete their classroom hours and on-the-job training milestones. By the fifth year, an apprentice usually earns roughly 80% to 90% of the full scale. To obtain the most accurate current rates for payroll benchmarking or career planning, parties should contact the Local 653 office in Centralia, as scales are subject to annual adjustments negotiated in the master agreement.
The jurisdiction of UA Local 653 is headquartered in Centralia, Illinois, and covers a multi-county territory in the southern portion of the state. This charter includes all plumbing, pipefitting, and mechanical service work within its defined borders, ranging from commercial building renovations to industrial process piping. Members are dispatched to job sites across the region, where they perform installation and maintenance under the terms of the local's master agreement. The jurisdiction also interfaces with neighboring UA locals to ensure consistent labor standards across Southern Illinois, meaning that travel throughout the chartered counties is a standard expectation for the workforce. All work performed within these boundaries must adhere to the specific trade classifications and safety protocols outlined by the local's leadership.
The signatory contractor landscape in the Centralia area consists primarily of regional mechanical primes and specialized plumbing firms. These contractors range from small family-owned shops focusing on commercial service to larger mechanical outfits capable of handling a mechanical contractor systems for manufacturing plants. Because Local 653 provides a versatile workforce, these companies can scale their operations quickly to meet the demands of large municipal or healthcare projects. The relationship between the local and its signatory partners is managed through the CBA, which establishes uniform working conditions and dispute resolution processes. This structure allows contractors to bid competitively on public and private work while ensuring members receive consistent treatment and benefits regardless of the specific job site.
Plumbers generally focus on potable water, drainage, and gas systems in commercial and residential buildings. Pipefitters typically work on high-pressure steam, industrial chemical lines, and HVAC hydronic systems. While the training overlaps significantly, Local 653 members often specialize in one path based on their apprenticeship track and the needs of signatory contractors in the Centralia market.
Travelers and members from other locals may transfer their book to Local 653, but this process is subject to the discretion of the Business Manager and the current local work volume. Typically, you must be a member in good standing with your home local and may be required to work in the jurisdiction for a specific period before a formal transfer is approved.
Yes, the local provides specialized training and testing for various UA certifications, including ASME welding procedures and medical gas installation. These certifications are essential for working on healthcare facilities and industrial plants within Southern Illinois. Maintaining these credentials allows journeymen to remain eligible for a wider variety of dispatch assignments through the hiring hall.
Applicants generally must reside within the geographical jurisdiction of Local 653 to ensure they can reliably commute to the training center in Centralia and various job sites throughout the region. Because the work requires travel to different counties in Southern Illinois, having a dependable means of transportation is a mandatory requirement for all apprentices and journeymen.
UA Local 653 is seated in Centralia, 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: Portland mechanical recruiter · Dallas–Fort Worth mechanical recruiter · Los Angeles mechanical recruiter · San Diego mechanical recruiter. Post a role.
We are a commercial mechanical construction recruiting firm serving Centralia and the rest of Illinois, including contractors signatory to UA Local 653. 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 653 pay scale for 2026 is $45.00 per hour for journeymen in Centralia, IL, or about $90,000 a year at 2,080 hours. The total package, including employer-paid fringe benefits, is $66.54 per hour. That is the rate in force for 2026, effective 9/1/25.
UA Local 653 wages for 2026: journeyman Plumbers & Pipefitters rate of $45.00 per hour in Centralia, IL, with a total package of $66.54 per hour including fringe benefits, effective 9/1/25. Apprentices are paid a graduated percentage of that rate. Confirm any increase since 9/1/25 with the UA Local 653 business office.
The UA Local 653 wage sheet on this page lists the journeyman scale of $45.00 per hour ($66.54 per hour total package), effective 9/1/25, plus the apprentice percentage steps. The official sheet is published by the UA Local 653 business office; figures here come from that published schedule, so confirm any increase dated after 9/1/25 with the hall.
Local 653 apprentices earn a graduated percentage of the $45.00 per hour journeyman rate — typically starting near 40–50% ($20.25–$22.50 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 653 JATC, so confirm the current apprentice sheet with the training center.
Journeyman pipefitters under the UA Local 653 agreement make $45.00 an hour in base wages, or $66.54 an hour counting the fringe package, per the wage sheet effective 9/1/25. Overtime, shift premiums, and travel or subsistence pay are added on top under the local's CBA.
$45.00 per hour base wage and $66.54 per hour total package for a journeyman in Centralia, IL, effective 9/1/25. Annualized at 2,080 hours that is roughly $90,000 before overtime.
A Local 653 apprentice in Centralia, IL starts at roughly $20.25 an hour — about 45% of the $45.00 journeyman scale — and steps up each period, reaching around $33.75 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 653 has published; confirm the exact schedule with the JATC.
About $20.25 an hour, or roughly $40,500 a year at 2,080 hours, based on the standard 45% first-period step of the $45.00 journeyman rate effective 9/1/25. Apprentices also earn benefit contributions and paid classroom progression; the JATC sets the exact percentage.
Around $29.25 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to about $33.75 an hour in the fourth period and $45.00 an hour at full journeyman scale. Confirm the published step schedule with the Local 653 training center.
Local 653 wages: $45.00 an hour on the journeyman scale, $66.54 an hour with fringe benefits added, effective 9/1/25. That is the most recent Centralia, IL sheet we can source; rates move with each contract cycle, so confirm with the hall before quoting.
The current published UA Local 653 journeyman rate is $45.00 an hour ($66.54 total package), effective 9/1/25 — roughly $90,000 a year at 2,080 hours before overtime. Confirm the effective agreement with the local.
Yes — a one-page printable UA Local 653 rate sheet is available at /rate-sheets/ua-local-653-pay-scale.pdf, showing the $45.00 hourly scale, the $66.54 total package and the 9/1/25 effective date, with the source it was read from. It is a free download — no sign-up needed.
The current UA Local 653 journeyman rate is $45.00/hour, with a total package of $66.54/hour including fringe benefits, effective 9/1/25. At 2,080 hours that works out to roughly $90,000 per year in base wages before overtime. Rates change with each CBA cycle — confirm with the Local 653 business office before relying on the figure.
The $45.00/hour figure is the base journeyman wage that lands on the paycheck. The $66.54/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 653 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 $45.00/hour journeyman rate, a first-period apprentice would be in the $20.25–$22.50/hour range. The exact percentage schedule is set by the local's JATC.
UA Local 653 is headquartered in Centralia, 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 653 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 653 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 653 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 653 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 9/1/25 schedule; check with the Local 653 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 653 against neighboring jurisdictions and other plumbers & pipefitters markets.
Yes — the openings section on this page lists current plumbers & pipefitters roles near Centralia, 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 653 business office.
The UA Local 653 hall is at 116 S Chestnut St Centralia, IL 62801, serving Centralia, IL and the surrounding jurisdiction. Hall phone: 618-532-3351.
UA Local 653 runs its own referral procedure and books are signed at the hall. Call the hall at 618-532-3351 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 653 can be reached at 618-532-3351. Contact details are imported from the union's public directory listing — confirm hours with the hall.
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 653's current application window and requirements, contact the hall at 618-532-3351.
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 618-532-3351.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 653's dues or membership rules. To confirm, contact the hall at 618-532-3351.
We haven't found an official source for UA Local 653's member benefits. To confirm, contact the hall at 618-532-3351.
UA Local 653's sourced plumber and steamfitter (clinton (eastern 1/3) and washington (eastern 1/2) counties) union rate is $45.00/hr in base wages and $66.54/hr for the total package, effective September 1, 2025. The rate applies to the listed classification and source area; apprentice, foreman and specialty classifications may differ.
$45.00/hr in base wages for plumber and steamfitter (clinton (eastern 1/3) and washington (eastern 1/2) counties), or $66.54/hr counting employer-paid benefits and fringes, effective September 1, 2025 per the U.S. Department of Labor Davis-Bacon general wage determination IL20260001 (rev 5), building construction, PLUM0653-002 09/01/2025: base rate $45.00 plus printed fringes $21.54 wage determination.
September 1, 2025. Read directly from the primary source (U.S. Department of Labor Davis-Bacon general wage determination IL20260001 (rev 5), building construction, PLUM0653-002 09/01/2025: base rate $45.00 plus printed fringes $21.54) and cross-checked at build time. Highest confidence for offer benchmarking.
No — the $45.00/hr base is wages only. Employers contribute roughly $21.54/hr more per hour worked to health and welfare, pension, annuity and training funds, which is the difference between the base and the $66.54/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.