Last updated 2026 Davis-Bacon determinations
Median union journeyman scale across the 5 Wisconsin UA locals with a published 2026 determination is $57.35/hr — 24% above the national median. Below: every local's own rate, apprentice pay where it's published, and which Wisconsin locals are taking applications now.
Journeyman base and total package for every Wisconsin 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 75 — Milwaukee | $60.05 | $87.95 | WI20260011 |
| Local 601 — Milwaukee | $58.92 | $90.26 | WI20260011 |
| Local 118 — Kenosha | $57.35 | $86.72 | WI20260011 |
| Local 400 — Kaukauna (NE Wisconsin) | $53.23 | $76.63 | WI20260011 |
| Local 434 — Mosinee | $50.94 | $76.92 | WI20260011 |
1 more Wisconsin local in the directory with no published union rate: Local 183 (Menomonee Falls). 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 Wisconsin locals whose published schedule we verified. Apprentices earn from day one; there is no tuition.
Starts at 50% of journeyman scale and rises to 80% by the final period.
Status as re-verified by our daily cron across all 6 Wisconsin 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 75 — Milwaukee | Plumber | Window scheduled | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 118 — Kenosha | Plumber, Steamfitter, HVAC/R | Always accepting | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 183 — Menomonee Falls | Sprinkler Fitter | Open now | October 22, 2026 |
| Local 400 — Kaukauna (NE Wisconsin) | Plumber, Steamfitter, HVAC/R | Open now | October 25, 2026 |
| Local 434 — Mosinee | Plumber, Pipefitter, Steamfitter, HVAC/R | Open now | October 24, 2026 |
| Local 601 — Milwaukee | Steamfitter, HVAC/R | Always accepting | October 25, 2026 |
Across the 5 UA locals in Wisconsin with a published 2026 union wage determination, the median journeyman base is $57.35 an hour — roughly $119,300 a year at 2,080 hours. Rates run from $50.94 to $60.05 an hour depending on the local, which is 24% above the $46.10 national median across all 170 rated UA locals.
Plumbers Local 75 in Milwaukee carries the highest published journeyman base in Wisconsin at $60.05 an hour, $87.95 with fringe benefits. The lowest of the 5 rated locals is UA Local 434 Plumbers & Steamfitters in Mosinee at $50.94. 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.
6 UA locals in our directory cover Wisconsin, of which 5 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 — 5 of the 6 Wisconsin locals are accepting applications as of our last check: Local 118 (Kenosha), Local 183 (Menomonee Falls), Local 400 (Kaukauna (NE Wisconsin)), Local 434 (Mosinee), Local 601 (Milwaukee). 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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