IBEW apprenticeship pay — what percentage do you actually earn each year?

I'm getting serious about applying to the ibew union apprenticeship and I keep seeing "percentage of journeyman scale" in pay discussions without anyone spelling out what that actually means in real dollars. Can current or former apprentices break this down?

My understanding is that most locals start apprentices at around 40–50% of the journeyman rate and step up incrementally over the five-year program — but the journeyman rate varies a lot by local, so 40% in a high-cost-of-living local could be more than 50% somewhere rural. I'm in the Pacific Northwest, so I'm trying to figure out if this is livable from day one or if I need savings going in.

I'm also curious about the benefits package. I've heard the ibew work health insurance and pension contributions kick in relatively quickly, which changes the real compensation picture. Before my application appointment I've been working through the IBEW Aptitude Number Series practice tests to make sure my math is sharp — nothing like a test score tanking your start date.

If you're willing to share actual numbers from your local (even approximate), that would be incredibly helpful for anyone trying to budget for this transition.