Apprentice wages in the pipe trades are set local by local — there is no UA-wide scale. Among the 7 locals below that publish a percentage ladder, the first step runs from 35% to 55% of journeyman rate, and 3 more publish flat dollar amounts instead.
This is the first thing to understand, because plenty of sources imply otherwise. The UA International sets apprenticeship curriculum and hour requirements, but it does not set apprentice wages. Those are bargained by each local — or by a regional pipe-trades association covering several locals — and they differ in every dimension: the starting percentage, whether steps are annual or six-month, and whether the ladder is expressed as a percentage at all.
UA Local 396 in Boardman, Ohio puts it about as plainly as a wage sheet can:
“The apprentice base rate will automatically increase 3% per year based on the current apprentice base rate. Apprentice rates are NOT related to the Journeyman’s rate in any way.”
So a “typical UA apprentice makes X% of scale” claim is not something you should act on. Find your local’s own schedule — the verified ones are below.
Sorted by starting percentage. Each links to the schedule the figures came from.
| Local | Where | Steps (% of journeyman) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Belleville, IL | 35% → 40% → 50% → 60% → 70% → 80% | schedule |
| 9 | Englishtown, NJ | 35% → 45% → 55% → 65% → 75% | schedule |
| 13 | Rochester, NY | 50% → 55% → 59% → 66% → 75% | schedule |
| 400 | Fox River Valley, WI | 50% → 55% → 60% → 70% → 80% | schedule |
| 469 | Phoenix, AZ | 50% → 52% → 58% → 65% → 75% | schedule |
| 81 | Syracuse, NY | 55% → 60% → 70% → 75% → 85% | schedule |
| 286 | Austin, TX | 55% → 60% → 65% → 70% → 75% → 80% → 85% → 90% → 95% | schedule |
Local 469’s schedule covers Arizona statewide and applies its percentages to the journeyman rate minus 50 cents — the deduction is part of the published formula. Local 81’s ladder is identical across all three of its sub-areas; only fringe contributions differ.
| Local | Where | Steps (hourly) | Journeyman | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 396 | Boardman, OH | $14.15 → $18.45 → $21.91 → $27.79 → $31.52 | — | schedule |
| 441 | Wichita, KS | $23.80 → $26.18 → $28.56 → $30.94 → $33.32 → $35.70 → $38.08 → $40.46 | $47.60 | schedule |
| 597 | Chicago, IL | $23.40 → $32.18 → $38.03 → $45.63 → $58.50 | $58.50 | schedule |
The median UA journeyman base rate is $46.10 an hour. A first-step apprentice at the low end of the observed range (35%) would start near $16.14 an hour against that median; at the high end (55%), near $25.36. Over a five-year program topping out at journeyman scale, that median works out around $95,900 a year at full time — before the fringe package, and with no student debt.
Those are illustrations against the national median, not a quote for any local. Use the table above for your local, and check the journeyman rate for your local to see what you are progressing toward.
Journeyman rate, fringe and total package for 170 locals, with the apprentice ladder attached where the local publishes one.
Showing 170 of 170 locals with a published union rate.
| Local | Where | Journeyman | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Island City (NYC), NY | $48.90–$73.00 | |
| 3 | Aurora, CO | $47.23 | |
| 4 | West Boylston, MA | $55.00 | |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $53.30 | |
| 7 | Latham, NY | $55.26 | |
| 8 | Kansas City, MO | $54.28 | |
| 9 | Englishtown, NJ | $46.23–$59.57 | |
| 10 | Richmond, VA | $33.25 | |
| 11 | Duluth, MN | $49.32 | |
| 12 | Boston, MA | $69.84 | |
| 13 | Rochester, NY | $42.68 | |
| 16 | Omaha, NE | $44.26 | |
| 21 | Peekskill, NY | $60.66 | |
| 22 | West Seneca (Buffalo), NY | $42.20 | |
| 23 | Rockford, IL | $55.54 | |
| 24 | West Caldwell, NJ | $62.09 | |
| 25 | Rock Island, IL | $46.50 | |
| 26 | Lacey, WA | $60.72 | |
| 27 | Pittsburgh (Coraopolis), PA | $48.65 | |
| 30 | Billings, MT | $44.35 | |
| 32 | Renton (Seattle), WA | $75.21 | |
| 33 | Des Moines, IA | $45.20 | |
| 38 | San Francisco, CA | $91.00 | |
| 41 | Butte, MT | $46.45 | |
| 42 | Norwalk, OH | $43.02 | |
| 44 | Spokane, WA | $47.15 | |
| 45 | St. Joseph, MO | $49.45 | |
| 50 | Northwood, OH | $51.00 | |
| 51 | East Providence, RI | $54.34 | |
| 52 | Montgomery, AL | $32.30 | |
| 55 | Cleveland, OH | $44.86 | |
| 58 | Colorado Springs, CO | $45.90 | |
| 60 | Metairie (New Orleans), LA | $34.87 | |
| 62 | Castroville, CA | $57.75 | |
| 63 | East Peoria, IL | $42.70 | |
| 68 | Houston, TX | $35.96 | |
| 72 | Atlanta, GA | $41.18 | |
| 75 | Milwaukee, WI | $60.05 | |
| 83 | Wheeling, WV | $38.04 | |
| 85 | Saginaw, MI | $38.01–$45.50 | |
| 91 | Birmingham, AL | $35.25 | |
| 94 | Canton, OH | $47.48 | |
| 98 | Madison Heights (Detroit), MI | $35.77 | |
| 99 | Bloomington, IL | $50.85 | |
| 100 | Dallas, TX | $39.76 | |
| 101 | Belleville, IL | $47.75 | |
| 104 | Holyoke, MA | $52.26 | |
| 110 | Norfolk, VA | $36.92 | |
| 111 | Escanaba, MI | $34.59–$45.44 | |
| 112 | Binghamton, NY | $31.40–$44.91 | |
| 118 | Kenosha, WI | $57.35 | |
| 119 | Mobile, AL | $35.20 | |
| 120 | Valley View (Cleveland), OH | $49.17 | |
| 125 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $45.51 | |
| 130 | Chicago, IL | $60.50 | |
| 131 | Hooksett, NH | $45.76 | |
| 136 | Evansville, IN | $46.42 | |
| 137 | Springfield, IL | $37.96–$43.89 | |
| 140 | Salt Lake City, UT | $46.10 | |
| 141 | Shreveport, LA | $28.98 | |
| 142 | San Antonio, TX | $38.97 | |
| 145 | Grand Junction, CO | $41.32 | |
| 146 | Fort Worth, TX | $38.28 | |
| 149 | Savoy, IL | $54.31 | |
| 150 | Augusta, GA | $31.70 | |
| 152 | Morgantown, WV | $34.05 | |
| 155 | Little Rock, AR | $34.41 | |
| 157 | Terre Haute, IN | $46.65 | |
| 159 | Martinez, CA | $67.68 | |
| 160 | Murphysboro, IL | $52.80 | |
| 162 | Dayton, OH | $43.05 | |
| 166 | Fort Wayne, IN | $45.06 | |
| 168 | Marietta, OH | $40.92 | |
| 172 | South Bend, IN | $44.93 | |
| 174 | Coopersville, MI | $47.40 | |
| 177 | Brunswick, GA | $34.00 | |
| 178 | Springfield, MO | $32.78–$39.35 | |
| 184 | Paducah, KY | $44.26 | |
| 188 | Savannah, GA | $35.45 | |
| 189 | Columbus, OH | $53.00 | |
| 190 | Ann Arbor, MI | $44.31 | |
| 192 | Cheyenne, WY | $34.88 | |
| 198 | Baton Rouge, LA | $32.42 | |
| 200 | Ronkonkoma, NY | $60.73 | |
| 208 | Denver, CO | $45.40 | |
| 210 | Merrillville, IN | $49.77 | |
| 211 | Deer Park (Houston), TX | $38.31 | |
| 219 | Akron, OH | $46.87 | |
| 228 | Marysville, CA | $52.75 | |
| 234 | Jacksonville, FL | $37.50 | |
| 246 | Fresno, CA | $13.00–$54.50 | |
| 247 | Alexandria, LA | $26.50 | |
| 248 | Ashland, KY | $42.75 | |
| 262 | Juneau, AK | $41.50 | |
| 274 | Parsippany, NJ | $57.97 | |
| 286 | Austin, TX | $37.15 | |
| 290 | Tualatin (Portland), OR | $60.77 | |
| 296 | Boise, ID | $39.90 | |
| 300 | Fargo, ND | $40.53 | |
| 322 | Winslow, NJ | $56.30 | |
| 333 | Lansing, MI | $42.29 | |
| 342 | Concord (Bay Area), CA | $80.50 | |
| 344 | Oklahoma City, OK | $41.00–$41.00 | |
| 350 | Sparks, NV | $53.38 | |
| 353 | Peoria, IL | $41.10 | |
| 357 | Schoolcraft, MI | $32.50 | |
| 360 | Collinsville, IL | $43.75 | |
| 367 | Anchorage, AK | $50.00 | |
| 370 | Flint, MI | $46.61 | |
| 372 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $36.10 | |
| 373 | Mountainville, NY | $41.99–$53.20 | |
| 375 | Fairbanks, AK | $55.66 | |
| 392 | Cincinnati, OH | $40.70 | |
| 393 | San Jose, CA | $68.76 | |
| 396 | Boardman, OH | $40.55 | |
| 400 | Kaukauna (NE Wisconsin), WI | $53.23 | |
| 404 | Lubbock, TX | $28.64 | |
| 412 | Albuquerque, NM | $43.07 | |
| 420 | Philadelphia, PA | $59.65 | |
| 421 | Charleston (both Carolinas), SC | $36.00 | |
| 430 | Tulsa, OK | $36.65 | |
| 434 | Mosinee, WI | $50.94 | |
| 439 | Caseyville, IL | $49.00 | |
| 440 | Indianapolis, IN | $50.05 | |
| 441 | Wichita, KS | $45.90 | |
| 442 | Modesto, CA | $58.45 | |
| 447 | Sacramento, CA | $55.58–$67.37 | |
| 449 | Harmony (Pittsburgh), PA | $50.20 | |
| 452 | Lexington, KY | $41.00 | |
| 459 | Missoula, MT | $39.38 | |
| 464 | Omaha, NE | $46.25 | |
| 467 | Burlingame, CA | $87.75 | |
| 469 | Phoenix, AZ | $54.15 | |
| 475 | Warren, NJ | $56.34 | |
| 483 | Hayward, CA | $81.54 | |
| 486 | Baltimore, MD | $42.62 | |
| 495 | Cambridge, OH | $39.32 | |
| 502 | Louisville, KY | $32.00 | |
| 520 | Harrisburg, PA | $43.35 | |
| 524 | Scranton, PA | $51.69 | |
| 525 | Las Vegas, NV | $65.79 | |
| 529 | Waco, TX | $32.85 | |
| 533 | Kansas City, MO | $55.56 | |
| 537 | Boston, MA | $66.58 | |
| 551 | West Frankfort, IL | $48.50 | |
| 553 | East Alton, IL | $51.61 | |
| 562 | Earth City (St. Louis), MO | $48.66 | |
| 565 | Parkersburg, WV | $41.00 | |
| 568 | Saucier, MS | $30.41 | |
| 577 | Portsmouth, OH | $38.89 | |
| 597 | Chicago, IL | $55.00 | |
| 598 | Pasco, WA | $65.20 | |
| 601 | Milwaukee, WI | $58.92 | |
| 602 | Capitol Heights (DC metro), MD | $55.00–$55.00 | |
| 633 | Owensboro, KY | $38.41 | |
| 636 | Farmington Hills (Detroit), MI | $40.41 | |
| 638 | Long Island City (NYC), NY | $47.85–$70.36 | |
| 648 | Pocatello, ID | $36.75 | |
| 653 | Centralia, IL | $45.00 | |
| 669 | Columbia, MD | $49.69–$60.67 | |
| 671 | Monroe, MI | $46.71 | |
| 675 | Honolulu, HI | $53.83 | |
| 690 | Philadelphia, PA | $56.28 | |
| 693 | South Burlington, VT | $37.40 | |
| 709 | Whittier, CA | $58.60 | |
| 716 | Augusta, ME | $40.00 | |
| 760 | Sheffield, AL | $32.50 | |
| 773 | Queensbury (Glens Falls), NY | $44.88 | |
| 776 | Lima, OH | $42.76 | |
| 777 | Meriden, CT | $50.58 |
Apprentice pay only starts once you are indentured, and that runs through the GAN battery and a ranked interview. Practise the real six-section format on your phone.
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Apprentice ladders are transcribed from each local’s own published wage schedule, linked per row. Journeyman rates come from 2026 federal wage determinations. Locals renegotiate on their own cycles — check the linked source for the current agreement before relying on a figure.