IBEW Electrician Salary 2026: Yearly Pay by Local & State
The median IBEW journeyman electrician earns $43.50/hr in base wages, about $90,480 a year at 40 hours a week. That is the middle of the 261 IBEW locals we track. Most locals (the middle 80%) pay $66,518 to $128,960 a year, and the top base rate, San Francisco Local 6, works out to $199,160. Health, pension and annuity contributions come on top of the wage. For comparison, the BLS median for all electricians, union and non-union, was $63,190 in May 2025.
I’m a journeyman out of IBEW Local 134 in Chicago. Below is what the yearly numbers look like by region, by state and by local, what apprentices make each year, and what actually changes the number on your W-2.
IBEW electrician salary at a glance
| Hourly (base) | Yearly at 2,080 hrs | |
|---|---|---|
| Median IBEW local | $43.50 | $90,480 |
| Lower end (10th percentile) | $31.98 | $66,518 |
| Upper end (90th percentile) | $62.00 | $128,960 |
| Highest: San Francisco Local 6 | $95.75 | $199,160 |
| Chicago Local 134 | $63.15 | $131,352 |
| Median total package (222 locals) | $67.29 | $139,963 in value |
Rates are journeyman inside wireman base wages from each local’s wage sheet. Look up your own local on the IBEW pay scales page.
IBEW salary by region
| Region | Locals | Median hourly | Median yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| West | 49 | $56.55 | $117,624 |
| Northeast | 54 | $48.16 | $100,173 |
| Midwest | 92 | $44.89 | $93,371 |
| South | 66 | $33.46 | $69,597 |
The West pays the most because of California, Washington and Oregon. The South pays the least, but living costs there are lower too, so compare a local’s rate with rent where you’d live, not with the national number.
Highest-paying IBEW locals
| Local | City | Hourly | Yearly | Total package |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local 6 | San Francisco, CA | $95.75 | $199,160 | $146.16/hr |
| Local 332 | San Jose, CA | $95.53 | $198,702 | $147.73/hr |
| Local 617 | San Mateo, CA | $88.00 | $183,040 | $143.33/hr |
| Local 595 | Dublin, CA | $79.25 | $164,840 | $131.67/hr |
| Local 46 | Seattle, WA | $77.93 | $162,094 | $114.95/hr |
| Local 98 | Philadelphia, PA | $75.05 | $156,104 | $123.24/hr |
| Local 234 | Salinas, CA | $70.41 | $146,453 | $105.25/hr |
| Local 302 | Martinez, CA | $68.26 | $141,981 | $107.17/hr |
| Local 102 | Parsippany, NJ | $67.92 | $141,274 | $112.56/hr |
| Local 364 | Rockford, IL | $67.09 | $139,547 | $112.66/hr |
IBEW salary by state
States with three or more tracked locals, ranked by the median local’s base rate:
| State | Locals | Median hourly | Median yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| WA | 5 | $65.14 | $135,491 |
| NJ | 6 | $63.82 | $132,746 |
| CA | 20 | $62.76 | $130,541 |
| OR | 4 | $59.34 | $123,427 |
| IL | 17 | $54.53 | $113,422 |
| MA | 4 | $53.26 | $110,781 |
| MN | 5 | $49.49 | $102,939 |
| CT | 3 | $49.00 | $101,920 |
| WI | 9 | $48.70 | $101,296 |
| NY | 14 | $48.00 | $99,840 |
| PA | 13 | $47.79 | $99,403 |
| IN | 10 | $45.45 | $94,536 |
| IA | 6 | $43.80 | $91,104 |
| MI | 11 | $42.75 | $88,920 |
| MO | 7 | $42.50 | $88,400 |
| OH | 18 | $42.25 | $87,880 |
| MT | 3 | $41.92 | $87,194 |
| OK | 3 | $41.25 | $85,800 |
| WV | 5 | $41.15 | $85,592 |
| CO | 4 | $40.70 | $84,656 |
| KS | 3 | $40.64 | $84,531 |
| KY | 3 | $38.60 | $80,288 |
| VA | 3 | $36.85 | $76,648 |
| AZ | 3 | $36.50 | $75,920 |
| TX | 12 | $36.50 | $75,920 |
| TN | 7 | $35.91 | $74,693 |
| FL | 8 | $33.46 | $69,597 |
| GA | 5 | $33.35 | $69,368 |
| AL | 4 | $33.25 | $69,160 |
| MS | 4 | $32.90 | $68,432 |
| NC | 5 | $31.07 | $64,626 |
| AR | 4 | $31.01 | $64,501 |
| LA | 7 | $31.00 | $64,480 |
IBEW apprentice salary by year
Apprentices are paid a percentage of their local’s journeyman rate, and the percentage steps up as you log hours and pass classes. Here is what that means in yearly base pay at Chicago Local 134’s published steps and at a typical progression for the median local:
| Step | Local 134 ($63.15 JW) | Median local ($43.50 JW, typical steps) |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | 40% = $52,541 | 45% = $40,716 |
| Step 2 | 50% = $65,676 | 50% = $45,240 |
| Step 3 | 60% = $78,811 | 55% = $49,764 |
| Step 4 | 75% = $98,514 | 65% = $58,812 |
| Step 5 | 90% = $118,217 | 75% = $67,860 |
| Step 6 | — | 85% = $76,908 |
Benefits start on day one for apprentices too. The full step-by-step breakdown is in IBEW apprentice pay scale.
Base wage vs. total package
Every IBEW wage sheet lists two numbers. The base rate is what shows up in your check. The total package adds what the contractor pays into your health plan, pension and annuity for every hour you work. Across the 222 locals that publish a package, the median is $67.29/hr, about $139,963 a year in total value.
Don’t budget off the package number. You won’t see the benefit dollars as cash, but they are real: family health coverage you don’t pay premiums for, and retirement money building up from your first hour.
IBEW pay vs. the national average
The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median electrician at $63,190 a year (May 2025), with the top 10% above $108,510. That figure mixes union and non-union shops in every market. BLS turns hourly wages into yearly pay the same way this page does (2,080 hours), so the yearly math matches: the median IBEW local’s base rate comes to $90,480, before any benefits.
What changes your real yearly pay
- Hours worked. 2,080 hours is a full year with no gaps. Construction can mean time on the bench between jobs, and it can also mean overtime at time-and-a-half or double time when a job is pushing.
- Your classification. These are inside wireman rates. Foreman and general foreman pay a premium over journeyman scale, and residential or telecom classifications at the same local usually pay less.
- Contract raises. Most locals negotiate raises every year of the contract, so this year’s rate is usually the lowest you’ll see under that agreement.
- Traveling. When the home local is slow, members can travel to locals with work and earn that local’s rate.
How we got these numbers
The data covers 261 IBEW inside wireman locals, compiled from local and JATC wage sheets and union wage databases. 145 rates are from 2026 contracts, 100 from 2025 and 16 from earlier years where nothing newer is published. Yearly pay is the base hourly rate times 2,080 hours. Medians and percentiles treat each local as one data point, no matter how many members it has. Rates change with every contract, so always confirm current pay with your local.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an IBEW electrician make a year?
The median IBEW journeyman inside wireman earns $43.50/hr in base wages, about $90,480 a year at 40 hours a week, across the 261 locals Sparky AI tracks. The middle 80% of locals pay $66,518 to $128,960 a year. Health, pension and annuity contributions are paid on top of that.
Which IBEW local pays the most?
San Francisco Local 6 has the highest base rate in our data at $95.75/hr, about $199,160 a year. Six of the ten highest-paying locals are in California.
How much does an IBEW apprentice make a year?
Apprentices earn a percentage of the local journeyman rate that rises about every six months to a year. At the median local ($43.50/hr) and a typical 45% starting step, a first-year apprentice earns about $40,716 a year in base wages. In Chicago (Local 134) the first step is 40% of $63.15, about $52,541 a year.
Do IBEW electricians make more than the national average?
Yes. The BLS median for all electricians, union and non-union, was $63,190 in May 2025. The median IBEW local's base rate works out to $90,480 using the same 2,080-hour year BLS uses, before benefits.
Does IBEW salary include benefits?
No. The hourly rate is the wage in your check. The total package (wage plus health, pension and annuity) has a median of $67.29/hr across the 222 locals that publish it, or about $139,963 a year in total value. The benefit part goes to the funds, not your paycheck.
Related Resources
Michael Briglio
IBEW Local 134 Journeyman · Licensed Contractor · IL Educator
Michael started in the IBEW at 18 and made foreman as a 3rd-year apprentice. Thirteen years in, he’s a Local 134 journeyman, a licensed electrical contractor, a licensed Illinois teacher, and OSHA 30 and EPA 608 certified. He teaches a federally recognized pre-apprenticeship on the south side of Chicago — where he’s helped 100+ students get into the IBEW. He built Sparky AI around exactly what the NJATC exam tests and what trips people up. Prep with this and you walk in ready.
Facts on this page trace to primary sources or first-hand IBEW Local 134 experience — see sources & methodology.
