UnionPipefitters Local 638 wages 2026 (New York)
The hourly rates, overtime, shift, vacation and per diem rules of UA Local 638 in New York, read from the one agreement built into the Pipefitter app. An independent guide: the agreement and your hall have the final word.
Steamfitters, construction trades branch
Local 638 (Enterprise Association of Steamfitters) and the Mechanical Contractors Association of New York, Construction Trades Branch: the October 1 2026 to March 31 2027 wage notice, with New York State's prevailing-wage rules for steamfitters (4-638A)
$63.05an hour
Steamfitter, Steamfitters, construction trades branch
From October 1, 2026. No later step published.
| Classification | From October 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Steamfitter (journeyman)base rate | $63.05 |
| Foreman (when the 6th steamfitter is employed)JM + $2.00 | $65.05 |
| Temporary heat and A/C fitter | $47.92 |
| Apprentice, 5th year80% | $50.44 |
| Apprentice, 4th year70% | $44.14 |
| Apprentice, 3rd year60% | $37.83 |
| Apprentice, 2nd year50% | $31.53 |
| Apprentice, 1st year40% | $25.22 |
- Overtime
- The NYC Comptroller's schedule for city public works differs: its 2025–26 edition agrees on double time but starts it after 8 hours on HVAC and mechanical contracts up to $30 million and fire-protection contracts up to $3 million (pick the 8-hour day for those), and its 2026–27 edition prints time and a half for Saturday, holidays at time and a half or straight time plus 15%, and ten paid holidays, which contradicts both the state schedule and the fund office.
- Shift premium
- 15% of the rate on every hour worked on shift.
- Vacation and holiday pay
- Vacation fund (in your taxable pay): paid with wages and sent to the fund, deducted after tax.
- Per diem and travel
- Local 638 doesn't publish a per diem.
One 35-hour week, worked out
Week of October 25, 2026Steamfitter (journeyman), Steamfitters, construction trades branch
Example| Day | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Earnings | |
| Regular35 h × 63.05 | 2,206.75 |
| Building trades per capita (taxed, then taken back)35 h × 0.06 | 2.10 |
| Vacation fund (in your taxable pay)35 h paid, taxable | 297.50 |
| Gross pay | 2,506.35 |
| Deductions | |
| Vacation fund (sent to the Local 638 fund)after tax | −297.50 |
| Building trades per capitaper hour | −2.10 |
| Work dues, additional work dues, enhancement, target and building fundsper hour | −172.90 |
| Social Security6.2% | −155.39 |
| Medicare1.45% | −36.34 |
| NY disability (DBL) | −0.60 |
| NY paid family leave | −10.83 |
| Federal income taxestimate (W-4) | −384.87 |
| New York income taxestimate | −135.70 |
What's missing
Where the app can't follow a rule to the letter yet, its notes say so, and say how to allow for it when you enter your hours. From this page's agreements:
- The October 2025 notice in the report doesn't give the temporary heat and A/C rate, so the app uses the April 2026 one, when the journeyman rate was the same $61.80. The fund office also posts 5%, 10% and 15% notices without saying what they're for; they aren't built in.
- The apprentice and temporary heat amounts are worked out from the notices' taxable rates (taxable rate less wage less $0.06), and the foreman's is taken as the journeyman's.
- The schedule doesn't say whether a holiday on a weekend moves to a weekday, so the app leaves every holiday on its date (Saturday and Sunday are double time anyway): Independence Day 2026 is Saturday July 4 and Friday July 3 is a normal day. If your job observes the Friday or Monday, tick Holiday on it.
- The app adds 15% of the wage for every hour worked on it, not of the vacation money or the other supplements, and not 15% of the premium rate on an overtime hour.
- The notices don't say how the work dues are figured, so the app takes the amount for every hour worked, the same on a premium hour; it uses $4.94 for every week (3 cents an hour more than April to September 2026 took) and for the foreman and temporary heat and A/C fitter, and the April 2026 apprentice amounts after October 1 2026 too.
Enter your own hours in the Pipefitter app: it applies these rates, the overtime and holiday rules, dues and tax, and keeps a year of paychecks. Free for a month.
Your agreement isn't here, or a number is wrong? Send us your agreement from the app's Settings tab. If the app doesn't have it yet, you get a free year when it's added.
Questions
What does a Local 638 steamfitter (journeyman) make in 2026?
$63.05 an hour under the Local 638 (Enterprise Association of Steamfitters) and the Mechanical Contractors Association of New York, Construction Trades Branch: the October 1 2026 to March 31 2027 wage notice, with New York State's prevailing-wage rules for steamfitters (4-638A), from October 1, 2026.
When is the next Local 638 raise?
No later step is published in the data for the Steamfitters, construction trades branch agreement. Rates usually change once a year; check the schedule before you count on a raise.
What do Local 638 apprentices make?
Apprentice, 5th year $50.44 (80%), Apprentice, 4th year $44.14 (70%), Apprentice, 3rd year $37.83 (60%), Apprentice, 2nd year $31.53 (50%) and Apprentice, 1st year $25.22 (40%) an hour from October 1, 2026.
Does Local 638 pay a per diem?
Local 638 doesn't publish a per diem.
How is Local 638 overtime paid?
The NYC Comptroller's schedule for city public works differs: its 2025–26 edition agrees on double time but starts it after 8 hours on HVAC and mechanical contracts up to $30 million and fire-protection contracts up to $3 million (pick the 8-hour day for those), and its 2026–27 edition prints time and a half for Saturday, holidays at time and a half or straight time plus 15%, and ten paid holidays, which contradicts both the state schedule and the fund office.
Sources
The agreements and schedules these numbers were read from. Built October 15, 2026 from the Pipefitter app, version 0.1.0.
Independent. Not affiliated with any union. Check your agreement.