SMART Local 73 runs an earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship out of Chicago & Cook County, IL: typically a four- to five-year program combining about 8,000 paid on-the-job hours with roughly 200 classroom hours a year, ending as a journeyman sheet metal worker or HVAC service technician. Apprentices are paid a percentage of the $53.05 journeyman scale effective 10/10/24, starting around $23.87 an hour and reaching full scale on turning out. The percentage steps shown are the standard ones used across the trade, not a schedule the local has published — confirm them with the local SMART/SMACNA joint apprenticeship training committee.
| Period | Share of scale | Hourly | Annual (2,000 hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st period (year 1) | 45% of journeyman scale | $23.87 / hr | $47,745 |
| 2nd period (year 2) | 55% of journeyman scale | $29.18 / hr | $58,355 |
| 3rd period (year 3) | 65% of journeyman scale | $34.48 / hr | $68,965 |
| 4th period (year 4) | 75% of journeyman scale | $39.79 / hr | $79,575 |
| 5th period (year 5) | 85% of journeyman scale | $45.09 / hr | $90,185 |
| Turned out — journeyman | 100% of journeyman scale | $53.05 / hr | $106,100 |
About $23.87 an hour — roughly $47,745 a year at 2,000 hours — using the standard 45% first-period step of the $53.05 journeyman scale effective 10/10/24. Apprentices also receive benefit contributions and paid classroom progression. the local SMART/SMACNA joint apprenticeship training committee sets the exact percentage.
Around $34.48 an hour at the standard 65% third-period step, moving to roughly $39.79 in the fourth period and $53.05 at full journeyman scale once turned out.
Typically a four- to five-year program: about 8,000 paid on-the-job training hours alongside roughly 200 hours of related classroom instruction each year, finishing as a journeyman sheet metal worker or HVAC service technician. The local training committee confirms the exact term.
Registered apprenticeships in this trade normally ask for: 18 years or older at the time of indenture; High school diploma or GED, with algebra normally required; Proof of legal authority to work in the United States; Valid driver's licence and reliable transportation to jobsites; Aptitude test and panel interview, then ranking on the apprentice list; Ability to pass a physical and a substance screen before dispatch. SMART Local 73 publishes its own list, so confirm before you apply.
Union apprenticeships are earn-while-you-learn — training is funded through the contract rather than tuition debt, and you are paid for your on-the-job hours from the first day. Books, tools and small fees may still be your cost; ask the training centre what applies.
No — apprentice intake runs through the local SMART/SMACNA joint apprenticeship training committee only, and we never charge candidates. Gulfstream Strategic Placements recruits journeymen, foremen and office staff for mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, sheet metal and electrical contractors near Chicago & Cook County, IL; once you have hours in the trade, our open roles and job alerts are the fastest way to see what's hiring.
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