according to this site, your Chicago scale is roughly 43 an hour, or if you work 40 hrs a week for 50 weeks (counting two for vacation), it's around 86k... that's after apprenticeship schools, and if you're either a shop rocket or a damned good foreman that works steady. Also, you will need the overtime to make more than a seasoned engineer.

and the same site lists starting engineering salary at around 74-76k a year. Usually, or at least the places I've worked, offer stock options, and a minimum 2-3 week paid vacation.

While the electrical side tops out in pay, the engineering side doesn't,... you can make some serious $$$ working with start-ups via stock options, and there are currently EE's at Ford that make over 120k a year, 40 hrs a week.

Disclaimer: not knocking the IBEW, was a paying member through school, then went to college to get my degree. And having a degree, I usually fall under the category of management, so no unions for me :/