Journeyman base rates at the 5 union locals based in Houston, TX run $29.31 to $40.28 an hour on the 5 published sheets we hold — roughly $77,000 a year at the midpoint, before the fringe package. HVAC union pay in Houston — the sheet metal and pipefitting locals that cover commercial mechanical work — runs $29.31 to $40.28 an hour on those sheets. Each figure below shows its source and effective date.
| Local | Trade | Hall | Journeyman / hr | Total package | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA Local 68 rates in Houston | Plumbers & Pipefitters | Houston, TX | $40.28 | $52.84 | 10/4/25 |
| UA Local 211 rates in Houston | Plumbers & Pipefitters | Houston, TX | $40.25 | $51.76 | 10/04/25 |
| IBEW Local 716 rates in Houston | Electricians | Houston, TX | $38.50 | $48.82 | 9/7/25 |
| IBEW Local 527 rates in Houston | Electricians | Galveston County, TX | $35.63 | $49.90 | 9/26/25 |
| SMART Local 54 rates in Houston | Sheet Metal Workers | Houston, TX | $29.31 | $43.80 | 4/1/22 |
Base rates only; fringes are paid on top. Sheet set last cross-checked 2026-09-23.
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$29.31 an hour journeyman base at SMART Local 54, before fringes.
$40.25–$40.28 an hour journeyman base at UA Local 68, UA Local 211, before fringes.
$35.63–$38.50 an hour journeyman base at IBEW Local 716, IBEW Local 527, before fringes.
Union wages in Houston sit at a $38.50 an hour median journeyman base across the 5 published sheets we hold for Houston, TX — 14.0% below the $44.79 median across every local sheet on this site, and 6.4% above the $36.18 Texas median. Base rates only — health, pension, annuity and training are paid on top.
Published union pay rates for Houston, TX run $29.31 to $40.28 an hour on journeyman base scale — about $77,000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth, TX union wages | $41.28 | $41.28–$41.28 | 1 | +7.2% |
| Dallas, TX union wages | $40.65 | $36.18–$41.28 | 4 | +5.6% |
| Grand Prairie, TX union wages | $40.65 | $40.65–$40.65 | 1 | +5.6% |
| San Antonio, TX union wages | $38.97 | $34.10–$39.00 | 3 | +1.2% |
| Austin, TX union wages | $36.50 | $36.50–$37.15 | 2 | −5.2% |
| Dallas & Fort Worth, TX union wages | $36.18 | $36.18–$36.18 | 1 | −6.0% |
| Galveston County, TX union wages | $35.63 | $35.63–$35.63 | 1 | −7.5% |
| Beaumont, TX union wages | $34.76 | $34.76–$34.76 | 1 | −9.7% |
| Market | Median journeyman / hr | Range | Sheets | vs. this city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA union wages | $83.40 | $62.76–$95.75 | 8 | +116.6% |
| San Jose, CA union wages | $83.40 | $76.86–$95.53 | 6 | +116.6% |
| San Mateo, CA union wages | $79.41 | $79.41–$88.00 | 2 | +106.3% |
| Philadelphia, PA union wages | $70.32 | $66.22–$73.73 | 3 | +82.6% |
| Martinez, CA union wages | $68.26 | $68.26–$68.57 | 2 | +77.3% |
| Boston, MA union wages | $66.53 | $66.17–$70.80 | 4 | +72.8% |
| Seattle, WA union wages | $65.30 | $58.47–$76.95 | 6 | +69.6% |
| Jersey City, NJ union wages | $60.82 | $60.82–$64.96 | 2 | +58.0% |
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 Houston union apprenticeships — the halls running each program, entry requirements and apprentice pay by period.
Across the 5 Houston-area locals with a published wage sheet, journeyman base rates run $29.31 to $40.28 an hour, midpoint near $38.50 — about $77,000 a year at 2,000 hours. Fringes (health, pension, training) are paid on top of that base.
Of the sheets we hold, UA Local 68 (Plumbers & Pipefitters) shows the highest journeyman base rate at $40.28 an hour, effective 10/4/25. Rates reset each agreement cycle, so confirm with the hall before relying on the figure.
Commercial HVAC work in Houston, TX is covered by the sheet metal and pipefitting locals — SMART Local 54 at $29.31/hr (effective 4/1/22), UA Local 68 at $40.28/hr (effective 10/4/25), UA Local 211 at $40.25/hr (effective 10/04/25). That puts HVAC union pay in Houston between $29.31 and $40.28 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 Houston, TX 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 Houston 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.
Houston's median published journeyman base is $38.50 an hour, 14.0% below the $44.79 median across all local wage sheets we hold. Nearby Texas markets: Fort Worth, TX $41.28/hr, Dallas, TX $40.65/hr, Grand Prairie, TX $40.65/hr, San Antonio, TX $38.97/hr.
Journeyman base rates in Houston, TX run $29.31 to $40.28 an hour on the 5 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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