Last updated 2026 Davis-Bacon determinations
Median union journeyman scale across the 16 Illinois UA locals with a published 2026 determination is $48.75/hr — 6% above the national median. Below: every local's own rate, apprentice pay where it's published, and which Illinois locals are taking applications now.
Journeyman base and total package for every Illinois local with a 2026 union wage determination. For a union classification the Davis-Bacon rate is the local's negotiated CBA rate, because DOL adopts collective bargaining rates wholesale — these are real scales, not estimates.
| Local | Journeyman | With benefits | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local 130 — Chicago | $60.50 | $99.52 | IL20260001 |
| Local 23 — Rockford | $55.54 | $86.97 | IL20260001 |
| Local 597 — Chicago | $55.00 | $93.62 | IL20260001 |
| Local 149 — Savoy | $54.31 | $78.46 | IL20260002 |
| Local 160 — Murphysboro | $52.80 | $76.75 | IL20260001 |
| Local 553 — East Alton | $51.61 | $73.06 | IL20260001 |
| Local 99 — Bloomington | $50.85 | $78.60 | IL20260001 |
| Local 439 — Caseyville | $49.00 | $73.42 | IL20260001 |
| Local 551 — West Frankfort | $48.50 | $77.35 | IL20260002 |
| Local 101 — Belleville | $47.75 | $71.17 | IL20260001 |
| Local 25 — Rock Island | $46.50 | $74.30 | IL20260001 |
| Local 653 — Centralia | $45.00 | $66.54 | IL20260001 |
| Local 137 — Springfield | $37.96–$43.89 | $69.60 | IL20260001 |
| Local 360 — Collinsville | $43.75 | $65.00 | IL20260001 |
| Local 63 — East Peoria | $42.70 | $73.68 | IL20260001 |
| Local 353 — Peoria | $41.10 | $68.69 | IL20260001 |
1 more Illinois local in the directory with no published union rate: Local 281 (Alsip). Their counties are covered by DOL wage surveys rather than union agreements, and a survey rate is not union scale — so we show their application windows and leave the wage blank rather than print a number we can't defend.
UA locals do not share a national percentage ladder — each local negotiates its own — so these are the Illinois locals whose published schedule we verified. Apprentices earn from day one; there is no tuition.
Starts at 35% of journeyman scale and rises to 80% by the final period.
Starts at $23.40/hr and rises to $58.50/hr.
Status as re-verified by our daily cron across all 17 Illinois locals. A window can close on short notice — always confirm on the local's own site before making plans.
| Local | Trades | Status | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local 23 — Rockford | Plumber, Pipefitter, HVAC/R | Open now | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 25 — Rock Island | Plumber, Pipefitter, HVAC/R | Open now | October 22, 2026 |
| Local 63 — East Peoria | Plumber | Open now | October 24, 2026 |
| Local 99 — Bloomington | Plumber, Pipefitter, HVAC/R | Watching | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 101 — Belleville | Plumber, Pipefitter, HVAC/R | Open now | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 130 — Chicago | Plumber | Window scheduled | October 22, 2026 |
| Local 137 — Springfield | Plumber, Steamfitter, HVAC/R | Open now | October 22, 2026 |
| Local 149 — Savoy | Plumber, Steamfitter, HVAC/R | Open now | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 160 — Murphysboro | Plumber, Pipefitter | Always accepting | October 22, 2026 |
| Local 281 — Alsip | Sprinkler Fitter | Closed | October 24, 2026 |
| Local 353 — Peoria | Steamfitter, Pipefitter, HVAC/R | Always accepting | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 360 — Collinsville | Plumber | Watching | October 24, 2026 |
| Local 439 — Caseyville | Steamfitter, Pipefitter | Watching | October 24, 2026 |
| Local 551 — West Frankfort | Plumber, Pipefitter, HVAC/R | Always accepting | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 553 — East Alton | Plumber, Pipefitter, HVAC/R | Watching | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 597 — Chicago | Pipefitter, HVAC/R | Window scheduled | October 22, 2026 |
| Local 653 — Centralia | Plumber, Pipefitter | Watching | October 24, 2026 |
Across the 16 UA locals in Illinois with a published 2026 union wage determination, the median journeyman base is $48.75 an hour — roughly $101,400 a year at 2,080 hours. Rates run from $41.10 to $60.50 an hour depending on the local, which is 6% above the $46.10 national median across all 170 rated UA locals.
Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local 130 UA in Chicago carries the highest published journeyman base in Illinois at $60.50 an hour, $99.52 with fringe benefits. The lowest of the 16 rated locals is UA Steamfitters Local 353 in Peoria at $41.10. Pay follows the local's collective bargaining agreement, so it tracks the cost of construction in that jurisdiction rather than the state as a whole.
17 UA locals in our directory cover Illinois, of which 16 publish a union journeyman rate through a Davis-Bacon determination. The other 1 sit in counties whose determinations are wage surveys rather than union agreements, so we don't publish a rate we can't stand behind.
Yes — 9 of the 17 Illinois locals are accepting applications as of our last check: Local 23 (Rockford), Local 25 (Rock Island), Local 63 (East Peoria), Local 101 (Belleville), Local 137 (Springfield), Local 149 (Savoy), Local 160 (Murphysboro), Local 353 (Peoria), Local 551 (West Frankfort). Windows can close on short notice, so confirm on the local's own site.
Compare against national union plumber pay, the full 170-local pay table, or UA apprentice pay scales.
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