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Union wages in Oakland, CA — pay rates by local

Journeyman base rates at the 1 union local based in Oakland, CA run $83.40 to $83.40 an hour on the 1 published sheet we hold — roughly $166,800 a year at the midpoint, before the fringe package. HVAC union pay in Oakland — the sheet metal and pipefitting locals that cover commercial mechanical work — runs $83.40 to $83.40 an hour on those sheets. Each figure below shows its source and effective date.

LocalTradeHallJourneyman / hrTotal packageEffective
UA Local 342 rates in OaklandPlumbers & PipefittersOakland, CA$83.40$128.407/26/26

Base rates only; fringes are paid on top. Sheet set last cross-checked 2026-09-23.

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Union pay by trade in Oakland

Plumbing & pipefitting (HVAC mechanical) union pay in Oakland

$83.40 an hour journeyman base at UA Local 342, before fringes.

Union wages in Oakland, CA compared with other markets

Union wages in Oakland sit at a $83.40 an hour median journeyman base across the 1 published sheet we hold for Oakland, CA — 86.2% above the $44.79 median across every local sheet on this site, and 35.1% above the $61.73 California median. Base rates only — health, pension, annuity and training are paid on top.

Union pay rates in Oakland, CA

Published union pay rates for Oakland, CA run $83.40 to $83.40 an hour on journeyman base scale — about $166,800 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.

Oakland union wages vs. other CA markets

MarketMedian journeyman / hrRangeSheetsvs. this city
Burlingame, CA union wages$87.75$87.75–$87.751+5.2%
San Francisco, CA union wages$83.40$62.76–$95.758—
San Jose, CA union wages$83.40$76.86–$95.536—
San Mateo, CA union wages$79.41$79.41–$88.002−4.8%
Vallejo-Napa, CA union wages$71.60$71.60–$71.601−14.1%
Castroville, CA union wages$70.41$70.41–$70.411−15.6%
Martinez, CA union wages$68.26$68.26–$68.572−18.2%
San Bernardino, CA union wages$67.61$67.61–$67.611−18.9%

Highest union pay rates in other markets

MarketMedian journeyman / hrRangeSheetsvs. this city
Philadelphia, PA union wages$70.32$66.22–$73.733−15.7%
Boston, MA union wages$66.53$66.17–$70.804−20.2%
Seattle, WA union wages$65.30$58.47–$76.956−21.7%
Jersey City, NJ union wages$60.82$60.82–$64.962−27.1%
Portland, OR union wages$60.77$54.99–$65.503−27.1%
Chicago, IL union wages$59.11$53.05–$64.168−29.1%
Las Vegas, NV union wages$58.83$50.00–$60.003−29.5%
New York, NY union wages$57.08$42.84–$76.309−31.6%

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 Oakland rate updates

Apprenticeships in Oakland

Not journeyed out yet? See Oakland union apprenticeships — the halls running each program, entry requirements and apprentice pay by period.

Union rate questions — Oakland

What is union pay in Oakland?

Across the 1 Oakland-area local with a published wage sheet, journeyman base rates run $83.40 to $83.40 an hour, midpoint near $83.40 — about $166,800 a year at 2,000 hours. Fringes (health, pension, training) are paid on top of that base.

Which Oakland local pays the most?

Of the sheets we hold, UA Local 342 (Plumbers & Pipefitters) shows the highest journeyman base rate at $83.40 an hour, effective 7/26/26. Rates reset each agreement cycle, so confirm with the hall before relying on the figure.

What is HVAC union pay in Oakland?

Commercial HVAC work in Oakland, CA is covered by the sheet metal and pipefitting locals — UA Local 342 at $83.40/hr (effective 7/26/26). That puts HVAC union pay in Oakland between $83.40 and $83.40 an hour on base scale, before the fringe package.

Do HVAC service techs in Oakland get union scale?

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 Oakland, CA is set per employer and varies with EPA and controls certifications, on-call and overtime. We recruit for both.

Does the Oakland union rate include benefits?

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.

How do I get on with a Oakland local?

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 Oakland contractors — the openings on this page are live.

Where do these Oakland rates come from?

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.

How do union wages in Oakland compare to other cities?

Oakland's median published journeyman base is $83.40 an hour, 86.2% above the $44.79 median across all local wage sheets we hold. Nearby California markets: Burlingame, CA $87.75/hr, San Francisco, CA $83.40/hr, San Jose, CA $83.40/hr, San Mateo, CA $79.41/hr.

What are union pay rates in Oakland?

Journeyman base rates in Oakland, CA run $83.40 to $83.40 an hour on the 1 sheet 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.

All California union rates · Union rates by local · Compare local wages

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