Last updated 2026 Davis-Bacon determinations
Median union journeyman scale across the 6 Pennsylvania UA locals with a published 2026 determination is $50.95/hr — 11% above the national median. Below: every local's own rate, apprentice pay where it's published, and which Pennsylvania locals are taking applications now.
Journeyman base and total package for every Pennsylvania 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 420 — Philadelphia | $59.65 | $102.43 | PA20260018 |
| Local 690 — Philadelphia | $56.28 | $91.79 | PA20260018 |
| Local 524 — Scranton | $51.69 | $78.76 | PA20260018 |
| Local 449 — Harmony (Pittsburgh) | $50.20 | $80.82 | PA20260001 |
| Local 27 — Pittsburgh (Coraopolis) | $48.65 | $74.12 | PA20260001 |
| Local 520 — Harrisburg | $43.35 | $72.91 | PA20260073 |
2 more Pennsylvania locals in the directory with no published union rate: Local 542 (Pittsburgh), Local 692 (Philadelphia). 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.
Status as re-verified by our daily cron across all 8 Pennsylvania 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 27 — Pittsburgh (Coraopolis) | Plumber | Closed | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 420 — Philadelphia | Pipefitter, Steamfitter | Open now | October 28, 2026 |
| Local 449 — Harmony (Pittsburgh) | Pipefitter, Steamfitter, HVAC/R | Closed | October 23, 2026 |
| Local 520 — Harrisburg | Plumber, Pipefitter | Always accepting | October 23, 2026 |
| Local 524 — Scranton | Plumber, Pipefitter | Window scheduled | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 542 — Pittsburgh | Sprinkler Fitter | Closed | October 24, 2026 |
| Local 690 — Philadelphia | Plumber | Window scheduled | October 28, 2026 |
| Local 692 — Philadelphia | Sprinkler Fitter | Window scheduled | October 25, 2026 |
Across the 6 UA locals in Pennsylvania with a published 2026 union wage determination, the median journeyman base is $50.95 an hour — roughly $106,000 a year at 2,080 hours. Rates run from $43.35 to $59.65 an hour depending on the local, which is 11% above the $46.10 national median across all 170 rated UA locals.
Steamfitters Local 420 in Philadelphia carries the highest published journeyman base in Pennsylvania at $59.65 an hour, $102.43 with fringe benefits. The lowest of the 6 rated locals is Plumbers & Pipefitters UA Local 520 in Harrisburg at $43.35. 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.
8 UA locals in our directory cover Pennsylvania, of which 6 publish a union journeyman rate through a Davis-Bacon determination. The other 2 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 — 2 of the 8 Pennsylvania locals are accepting applications as of our last check: Local 420 (Philadelphia), Local 520 (Harrisburg). 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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