Journeyman wage | All trades$53.39per hour in gross wages
Benefits are additional.
Local 44 rates effective July 2026.
Apprentice starting rates are lower.
Start here | Apprenticeship video
Earn While You Learn
See what it means to earn a paycheck while building skills for a career in the pipe trades.
The Local 44 package
A strong wage. Benefits on top.
The same journey-level wage and package apply across all trades featured here.
EFFECTIVE JULY 2026
Above the hourly wage$23.38 /hour
Employer-paid benefits
and contractual contributions.
Total journeyman package$76.77 /hour
$53.39 in wages + $23.38
in additional contributions.
Annual gross wage illustration$111,051
Based on 2,080 paid straight-time
hours at the journeyman rate.
Employer-paid contributions are in addition to the listed gross wage - not subtracted from it. The total package is not take-home pay. Taxes and other applicable payroll deductions still apply. Health coverage and other benefits are subject to plan eligibility and terms.
Room to grow
Build your skills. Grow your earning power.
Journeyman pay is a foundation. Foreman and general foreman assignments add a wage premium for leadership responsibilities.
Journeyman
Base journey-level wage$53.39 /hour
$111,051 annual gross wage illustration
Foreman
10% above journeyman$58.73 /hour
$122,158 annual gross wage illustration
General Foreman
20% above journeyman$64.07 /hour
$133,266 annual gross wage illustration
Foreman: $53.39 x 1.10. General foreman: $53.39 x 1.20. Both premiums are calculated from the journeyman wage, not from the total package. Hourly results are rounded to the nearest cent.
Annual figures use the displayed hourly wage x 2,080 paid straight-time hours, rounded to the nearest dollar. Actual earnings depend on hours worked. Supervisory roles are assignments, not automatic apprenticeship promotions; benefits are not included in these annual wage illustrations.
Put the wages in perspective
Local 44. Washington. The nation.
Compare the Local 44 journeyman wage with the typical wage for each occupation. All amounts below are hourly wages only - employer benefits are not included.
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters
Local 44 journeyman$53.39
Washington median$38.96
National median$30.67
Local 44 is 37.0% above the Washington median and 74.1% above the national median.
Typical wage means median, not arithmetic average. The median is the middle wage: half of workers earn more and half earn less. Washington and national figures are BLS May 2025 estimates; Local 44 rates are effective July 2026. The benchmarks cover workers with different experience levels and include union and nonunion employers. They are not journey-level-only or nonunion-only comparisons.
The welding benchmark includes welders, cutters, solderers and brazers across industries; it is broader than union pipe welding. Percentage differences use the displayed hourly rates. The bars share a zero baseline and a $53.39 maximum.
Find your direction
Different trades. A shared standard of skill.
Explore the work, the training and the skills behind each career.
Career 01
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters
Build the systems communities depend on.
Install, maintain and repair the piping systems that serve homes, schools, hospitals and industrial facilities. Plumbers protect water supply and sanitation. Pipefitters and steamfitters build heating, cooling, steam and process piping systems - including high-pressure and high-temperature applications.
Water & sanitationSteam & process pipingCommercial & industrial
UA career video
What do UA Plumbers Do?
UA career video
What Do UA Pipefitters Do?
UA career video
What Do UA Steamfitters DO?
Explore skills, training & working conditions
Skills you will develop
Applied math, measurement, mechanical reasoning, drawing interpretation, problem-solving, teamwork and careful use of tools.
Five-year apprenticeship: 10,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training plus 240 classroom hours each year. Learn layout, installation, testing and trade-specific practices.
Working conditions
Indoor and outdoor construction, renovation and service work. Assignments can involve lifting, ladders, elevated areas, tight spaces, changing weather and travel between jobsites.
The BLS occupation combines plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters. Explore this trade with the United Association. Annual openings include replacement needs and are not Local 44 job openings.
Career 02
HVAC/R Technicians
Keep buildings comfortable. Keep systems running.
Install, maintain, troubleshoot and repair heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Work with furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, air conditioners, commercial refrigeration, electrical controls and building automation. Combine mechanical skill with electrical diagnostics and systematic troubleshooting.
Five-year HVAC/Refrigeration Fitter apprenticeship: 10,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training plus 240 classroom hours each year, combining equipment, controls, installation and service instruction.
Working conditions
Equipment rooms, rooftops, outdoor locations and occupied buildings. Work can involve ladders, lifting, tight spaces and hot or cold conditions. Service assignments may include on-call duty, evenings or weekends.
BLS category: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers. Explore this trade with the United Association. Annual openings include replacement needs and are not Local 44 job openings.
Career 03
Welders
Precision skills. Strong connections.
Join piping and related components for commercial and industrial systems. Pipe welders read drawings, prepare materials, perform fit-up, follow welding procedures and produce joints that must meet inspection and quality requirements. This work supports power generation, manufacturing and other critical facilities.
Hand-eye coordination, measurement, drawing interpretation, concentration, mechanical ability, problem-solving and consistent attention to fit-up and weld quality.
Useful classes
Welding, metal fabrication, algebra, geometry, physical science, drafting, shop and technical communication.
Education & training
Develop welding as a specialization within the pipe trades. Contact the JATC about apprenticeship pathways, welding instruction, evaluation and the qualifications required for specific work.
Working conditions
Shop and field assignments, indoors and outdoors, sometimes at elevations or in restricted spaces. Protective equipment and attention to fumes, heat, sparks and other jobsite hazards are essential.
Wage and outlook data cover all Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers - not union pipe welders alone. Explore this trade with the United Association. Annual openings include replacement needs and are not Local 44 job openings.
Learn it. Practice it. Put it to work.
Training built around real experience.
Our plumbing, pipefitting/steamfitting and HVAC/R apprenticeship pathways combine supervised jobsite experience with classroom instruction.
5 yearsApprenticeship
program length
10,000Hours of supervised
on-the-job training
240Classroom hours each year
1,200 over five years
Apprentice wages follow the approved wage-progression schedule as program requirements are met. Welding is a specialization within the pipe trades; contact the JATC about pathways, training and qualification requirements. Explore Local 44 apprenticeship information.
See Local 44 in action
Meet the people behind the work.
Watch the Local 44 apprenticeship video and I Am Local 44! right here on the page.
Local 44 | Apprenticeship
Local 44 Apprenticeship Video
Local 44 | Our people
I Am Local 44!
Your next step
Put your future in motion.
Explore application requirements, ask about training pathways and get the current apprentice wage schedule from the Inland Empire JATC.
