Journeyman base rates across the Portland market run $54.99 to $65.50 an hour on the 3 published sheets we hold, before the fringe package. Every figure below shows its source and effective date.
| Local | Trade | Hall | Journeyman / hr | Total package | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBEW Local 48 rates | Electricians | Portland, OR | $65.50 | $96.71 | unionpayscales.com — effective 2/18/26 |
| UA Local 290 rates | Plumbers & Pipefitters | Portland, OR | $60.77 | $92.22 | unionpayscales.com — effective 5/10/25 |
| SMART Local 16 rates | Sheet Metal Workers | Portland, OR | $54.99 | $88.91 | U.S. Department of Labor Davis-Bacon general wage determination OR20260084 (rev 1), building construction, SHEE0016-003 07/01/2025: base rate $54.99 plus printed fringes $33.92 — effective 7/1/25 |
Base rates only; fringes are paid on top. Agreements reset on their own cycles — confirm the current rate with the hall.
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Across the 3 Portland-area locals with a published wage sheet, journeyman base rates run $54.99 to $65.50 an hour, with a midpoint near $60.77 — roughly $121,540 a year at 2,000 hours. Base rate is before the fringe package (health, pension, training), which is paid on top.
Of the sheets we hold, IBEW Local 48 (Electricians) shows the highest journeyman base rate at $65.50 an hour, effective 2/18/26. Rates reset each agreement cycle, so confirm with the hall before relying on the figure.
No. The journeyman rate is the base hourly wage. Health and welfare, pension, annuity and training contributions are paid on top of it — that combined figure is the total package, shown where the sheet publishes it.
Union scale is a published, area-wide floor, while merit-shop pay in Portland is negotiated per employer and varies widely by certification, shift and overtime. We recruit for both, and the openings on this page list the range each employer is working with.
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.
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