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 | August 23, 2026 |
| Local 420 — Philadelphia | Pipefitter, Steamfitter | Open now | August 27, 2026 |
| Local 449 — Harmony (Pittsburgh) | Pipefitter, Steamfitter, HVAC/R | Closed | August 27, 2026 |
| Local 520 — Harrisburg | Plumber, Pipefitter | Always accepting | August 23, 2026 |
| Local 524 — Scranton | Plumber, Pipefitter | Always accepting | August 23, 2026 |
| Local 542 — Pittsburgh | Sprinkler Fitter | Closed | August 23, 2026 |
| Local 690 — Philadelphia | Plumber | Closed | August 29, 2026 |
| Local 692 — Philadelphia | Sprinkler Fitter | Watching | August 23, 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 — 3 of the 8 Pennsylvania locals are accepting applications as of our last check: Local 420 (Philadelphia), Local 520 (Harrisburg), Local 524 (Scranton). 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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