Journeyman base rates at the 3 union locals based in Charleston, SC run $34.00 to $35.21 an hour on the 2 published sheets we hold — roughly $68,000 a year at the midpoint, before the fringe package. HVAC union pay in Charleston — the sheet metal and pipefitting locals that cover commercial mechanical work — runs $35.21 to $35.21 an hour on those sheets. Each figure below shows its source and effective date.
| Local | Trade | Hall | Journeyman / hr | Total package | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA Local 421 rates in Charleston | Plumbers & Pipefitters | Charleston, SC | $35.21 | $46.14 | 1/28/24 |
| IBEW Local 776 rates in Charleston | Electricians | Charleston, SC | $34.00 | $46.80 | 5/23/25 |
| SMART Local 399 rates in Charleston | Sheet Metal Workers | Charleston, SC | No sheet published | — | — |
Base rates only; fringes are paid on top. Sheet set last cross-checked 2026-09-23.
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SMART Local 399 — no published wage sheet on file; contact the hall for current scale.
$35.21 an hour journeyman base at UA Local 421, before fringes.
$34.00 an hour journeyman base at IBEW Local 776, before fringes.
Union wages in Charleston sit at a $34.00 an hour median journeyman base across the 2 published sheets we hold for Charleston, SC — 24.1% below the $44.79 median across every local sheet on this site, and level with the $34.00 South Carolina median. Base rates only — health, pension, annuity and training are paid on top.
Published union pay rates for Charleston, SC run $34.00 to $35.21 an hour on journeyman base scale — about $68,000 a year at the midpoint on 2,000 hours. Every rate below is taken from the local's own wage sheet and carries its effective date; confirm the current step with the hall before you rely on it for an offer.
| Market | Median journeyman / hr | Range | Sheets | vs. this city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA union wages | $83.40 | $62.76–$95.75 | 8 | +145.3% |
| San Jose, CA union wages | $83.40 | $76.86–$95.53 | 6 | +145.3% |
| San Mateo, CA union wages | $79.41 | $79.41–$88.00 | 2 | +133.6% |
| Philadelphia, PA union wages | $70.32 | $66.22–$73.73 | 3 | +106.8% |
| Martinez, CA union wages | $68.26 | $68.26–$68.57 | 2 | +100.8% |
| Boston, MA union wages | $66.53 | $66.17–$70.80 | 4 | +95.7% |
| Seattle, WA union wages | $65.30 | $58.47–$76.95 | 6 | +92.1% |
| Jersey City, NJ union wages | $60.82 | $60.82–$64.96 | 2 | +78.9% |
Medians are taken across the published journeyman base rates for locals based in each market. Cities differ in trade mix and agreement cycle, so compare like trades before drawing a conclusion.
Compare local union wages side by side · Union pay rates by local, nationwide · Search rate sheets by union and city · Email me Charleston rate updates
Not journeyed out yet? See Charleston union apprenticeships — the halls running each program, entry requirements and apprentice pay by period.
Across the 2 Charleston-area locals with a published wage sheet, journeyman base rates run $34.00 to $35.21 an hour, midpoint near $34.00 — about $68,000 a year at 2,000 hours. Fringes (health, pension, training) are paid on top of that base.
Of the sheets we hold, UA Local 421 (Plumbers & Pipefitters) shows the highest journeyman base rate at $35.21 an hour, effective 1/28/24. Rates reset each agreement cycle, so confirm with the hall before relying on the figure.
Commercial HVAC work in Charleston, SC is covered by the sheet metal and pipefitting locals — UA Local 421 at $35.21/hr (effective 1/28/24). That puts HVAC union pay in Charleston between $35.21 and $35.21 an hour on base scale, before the fringe package.
Only on signatory work. Sheet metal service and pipefitting/refrigeration service agreements are dispatched through the hall at the published scale; merit-shop HVAC service pay in Charleston, SC is set per employer and varies with EPA and controls certifications, on-call and overtime. We recruit for both.
No. The journeyman rate is the base hourly wage. Health and welfare, pension, annuity and training contributions are paid on top — that combined figure is the total package, shown where the sheet publishes it.
Apply to the local's apprenticeship or ask about journeyman organizing directly with the hall, and register on the out-of-work list if you already hold the ticket. We also place union-scale and merit-shop tradespeople with Charleston contractors — the openings on this page are live.
Each figure is read off that local's published wage sheet, with the source and effective date shown next to it. Our sheet set was last cross-checked 2026-09-23.
Charleston's median published journeyman base is $34.00 an hour, 24.1% below the $44.79 median across all local wage sheets we hold.
Journeyman base rates in Charleston, SC run $34.00 to $35.21 an hour on the 2 sheets published by locals based in the market, with the fringe package paid on top of that base. Apprentice rates are a set percentage of scale by period.
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