Journeyman base rates at the 10 union locals based in Chicago, IL run $53.05 to $64.16 an hour on the 8 published sheets we hold — roughly $118,220 a year at the midpoint, before the fringe package. HVAC union pay in Chicago — the sheet metal and pipefitting locals that cover commercial mechanical work — runs $53.05 to $60.00 an hour on those sheets. Each figure below shows its source and effective date.
| Local | Trade | Hall | Journeyman / hr | Total package | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBEW Local 461 rates in Chicago | Electricians | Aurora, IL | $64.16 | $112.42 | 7/26/26 |
| IBEW Local 134 rates in Chicago | Electricians | Chicago, IL | $63.15 | $96.59 | 6/26/26 |
| UA Local 130 rates in Chicago | Plumbers & Pipefitters | Chicago, IL | $60.00 | $92.04 | 9/20/24 |
| UA Local 281 rates in Chicago | Plumbers & Pipefitters | Chicago, IL | $60.00 | $94.35 | 4/19/25 |
| IBEW Local 117 rates in Chicago | Electricians | Elgin, IL | $59.11 | $105.48 | 10/26/25 |
| UA Local 597 rates in Chicago | Plumbers & Pipefitters | Chicago, IL | $58.50 | $98.00 | 6/15/25 |
| SMART Local 265 rates in Chicago | Sheet Metal Workers | DuPage County, IL | $56.35 | $96.56 | 6/1/24 |
| SMART Local 73 rates in Chicago | Sheet Metal Workers | Chicago & Cook County, IL | $53.05 | $98.08 | 10/10/24 |
| SMART Local 256 rates in Chicago | Railroad Mechanical Workers | Chicago, IL | No sheet published | — | — |
| SMART Local 484 rates in Chicago | Railroad Mechanical Workers | Chicago, IL | No sheet published | — | — |
Base rates only; fringes are paid on top. Sheet set last cross-checked 2026-09-23.
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$53.05–$56.35 an hour journeyman base at SMART Local 265, SMART Local 73, before fringes.
$58.50–$60.00 an hour journeyman base at UA Local 130, UA Local 281, UA Local 597, before fringes.
$59.11–$64.16 an hour journeyman base at IBEW Local 461, IBEW Local 134, IBEW Local 117, before fringes.
SMART Local 256, SMART Local 484 — no published wage sheet on file; contact the hall for current scale.
Union wages in Chicago sit at a $59.11 an hour median journeyman base across the 8 published sheets we hold for Chicago, IL — 32.0% above the $44.79 median across every local sheet on this site, and 12.6% above the $52.49 Illinois median. Base rates only — health, pension, annuity and training are paid on top.
Published union pay rates for Chicago, IL run $53.05 to $64.16 an hour on journeyman base scale — about $118,220 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora, IL union wages | $64.16 | $64.16–$64.16 | 1 | +8.5% |
| Elgin, IL union wages | $59.11 | $59.11–$59.11 | 1 | — |
| Kankakee, IL union wages | $58.83 | $58.83–$58.83 | 1 | −0.5% |
| DuPage County, IL union wages | $56.35 | $56.35–$56.35 | 1 | −4.7% |
| Rockford, IL union wages | $55.54 | $52.14–$67.09 | 3 | −6.0% |
| Chicago & Cook County, IL union wages | $53.05 | $53.05–$53.05 | 1 | −10.3% |
| Warrenville, IL union wages | $52.49 | $52.49–$52.49 | 1 | −11.2% |
| Collinsville, IL union wages | $52.41 | $52.41–$52.41 | 1 | −11.3% |
| Market | Median journeyman / hr | Range | Sheets | vs. this city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA union wages | $83.40 | $62.76–$95.75 | 8 | +41.1% |
| San Jose, CA union wages | $83.40 | $76.86–$95.53 | 6 | +41.1% |
| San Mateo, CA union wages | $79.41 | $79.41–$88.00 | 2 | +34.3% |
| Philadelphia, PA union wages | $70.32 | $66.22–$73.73 | 3 | +19.0% |
| Martinez, CA union wages | $68.26 | $68.26–$68.57 | 2 | +15.5% |
| Boston, MA union wages | $66.53 | $66.17–$70.80 | 4 | +12.6% |
| Seattle, WA union wages | $65.30 | $58.47–$76.95 | 6 | +10.5% |
| Jersey City, NJ union wages | $60.82 | $60.82–$64.96 | 2 | +2.9% |
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.
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Not journeyed out yet? See Chicago union apprenticeships — the halls running each program, entry requirements and apprentice pay by period.
Across the 8 Chicago-area locals with a published wage sheet, journeyman base rates run $53.05 to $64.16 an hour, midpoint near $59.11 — about $118,220 a year at 2,000 hours. Fringes (health, pension, training) are paid on top of that base.
Of the sheets we hold, IBEW Local 461 (Electricians) shows the highest journeyman base rate at $64.16 an hour, effective 7/26/26. Rates reset each agreement cycle, so confirm with the hall before relying on the figure.
Commercial HVAC work in Chicago, IL is covered by the sheet metal and pipefitting locals — SMART Local 265 at $56.35/hr (effective 6/1/24), SMART Local 73 at $53.05/hr (effective 10/10/24), UA Local 130 at $60.00/hr (effective 9/20/24), UA Local 281 at $60.00/hr (effective 4/19/25), UA Local 597 at $58.50/hr (effective 6/15/25). That puts HVAC union pay in Chicago between $53.05 and $60.00 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 Chicago, IL 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 Chicago 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.
Chicago's median published journeyman base is $59.11 an hour, 32.0% above the $44.79 median across all local wage sheets we hold. Nearby Illinois markets: Aurora, IL $64.16/hr, Elgin, IL $59.11/hr, Kankakee, IL $58.83/hr, DuPage County, IL $56.35/hr.
Journeyman base rates in Chicago, IL run $53.05 to $64.16 an hour on the 8 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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