UnionPipefitters Local 81 wages 2026 (New York)
The hourly rates, overtime, shift, vacation and per diem rules of UA Local 81 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.
Plumbers and steamfitters, south rate
MTMPA - Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 81 agreement, south rate (Syracuse, Ithaca, Elmira), with the May 1 2026 wage from New York State's prevailing-wage schedule
$52.16an hour
Journeyman, Plumbers and steamfitters, south rate
From May 1, 2026. No later step published.
| Classification | From May 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Journeymanbase rate | $52.16 |
| ForemanJM + $5.35 | $57.51 |
| General foremanJM + $6.87 | $59.03 |
| Senior general foremanJM + $8.40 | $60.56 |
| Apprentice, 5th year85% | $44.34 |
| Apprentice, 4th year75% | $39.12 |
| Apprentice, 3rd year70% | $36.51 |
| Apprentice, 2nd year60% | $31.30 |
| Apprentice, 1st year55% | $28.69 |
- Overtime
- The 9th and 10th hours Monday to Friday and the first 10 hours on Saturday are time and a half; every other overtime hour, Sundays and holidays are double time.
- Shift premium
- 15% of the rate on every hour worked on shift.
- Per diem and travel
- Local 81 doesn't publish a per diem.
One 40-hour week, worked out
Week of October 25, 2026Journeyman, Plumbers and steamfitters, south rate
Example| Day | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours | 0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Earnings | |
| Regular40 h × 52.16 | 2,086.40 |
| Gross pay | 2,086.40 |
| Deductions | |
| Field dues2.25% of gross wages | −46.94 |
| Working dues ($0.75, apprentices $0.60)per hour | −30.00 |
| Working assessment on fringes (2.25%)per hour | −25.20 |
| Defense Benefit and Building Fundper hour | −18.40 |
| Social Security6.2% | −129.36 |
| Medicare1.45% | −30.25 |
| NY disability (DBL) | −0.60 |
| NY paid family leave | −9.01 |
| Federal income taxestimate (W-4) | −289.20 |
| New York income taxestimate | −104.71 |
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 2026 foreman premiums aren't published, so the app adds the 2025–26 amounts to the 2026 journeyman rate; the 2026 apprentice rates are New York's percentages times $52.16, rounded to the cent. The MTMPA web page lists the general foreman at + $8.40 and the senior general foreman at + $6.87, the reverse of the agreement PDF; the app follows the PDF.
- Five 8-hour days only (no 4×10 rule is published), and there's no make-up day.
- The app adds 15% of the straight-time rate for every hour worked on it, overtime hours included.
- A further working assessment of 2.25% on the fringes (insurance, pension, annuity, training and the UA fund, $28.12 an hour in 2025–26) exists and the sheet doesn't say whether it comes out of your pay; the app takes it, $0.63 an hour, from everyone, so if your stub doesn't show it your take-home is that much higher. Whether the 2026 rules changed isn't published; the app keeps the 2025–26 ones and counts the per-hour amounts on hours worked. Voluntary annuity contributions ($0.50 to $7.00 an hour) aren't taken.
- Per diem isn't published, so none is added.
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 81 journeyman make in 2026?
$52.16 an hour under the MTMPA - Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 81 agreement, south rate (Syracuse, Ithaca, Elmira), with the May 1 2026 wage from New York State's prevailing-wage schedule, from May 1, 2026.
When is the next Local 81 raise?
No later step is published in the data for the Plumbers and steamfitters, south rate agreement. Rates usually change once a year; check the schedule before you count on a raise.
What do Local 81 apprentices make?
Apprentice, 5th year $44.34 (85%), Apprentice, 4th year $39.12 (75%), Apprentice, 3rd year $36.51 (70%), Apprentice, 2nd year $31.30 (60%) and Apprentice, 1st year $28.69 (55%) an hour from May 1, 2026.
Does Local 81 pay a per diem?
Local 81 doesn't publish a per diem.
How is Local 81 overtime paid?
The 9th and 10th hours Monday to Friday and the first 10 hours on Saturday are time and a half; every other overtime hour, Sundays and holidays are double time.
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.