Home / Alabama / DeKalb County / Operating Engineer
DeKalb County, AL · Operating Engineer
Operating Engineer prevailing wage in DeKalb County, Alabama
$32.26an hour, base + fringe
$20.48 wage + $11.78 fringe benefits · Building · SUAL2015-007
On federally funded or assisted building construction in DeKalb County, an operating engineer must be paid at least $32.26 an hour: a $20.48 base wage plus $11.78 in fringe benefits, under wage determination AL20260079 (modification 1). DOL prints no total, so $32.26 is our sum of the two.
Wage determination AL20260079, modification 1, published May 18, 2026, for building construction; rate identifier SUAL2015-007 (August 2, 2017). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
Davis-Bacon is the only prevailing wage here (federally funded or assisted work). Alabama has no state prevailing wage law (DOL state table).
DOL lists 29 operating engineer rates for DeKalb County, from $9.45 to $47.80 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $20.48 + $11.78
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DOL prints the fringe benefits as one hourly figure, not itemized; it can go to health, pension, vacation and training plans, or be paid as cash where the state allows.
| Base wage (taxable) | $20.48 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $11.78 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $32.26 |
When this rate changes
- A contract keeps the wage determination in its bid documents. Modifications published before bid opening apply to it, though one published less than 10 days before can be left out if the agency finds there isn't time to tell bidders (29 CFR 1.6(c)).
- DOL changes a WD by publishing a numbered modification on SAM.gov. This page reads the modification named in the Source line; the Alabama change log lists what each one changed.
Every operating engineer rate in DeKalb County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
| Classification | Base + fringe | Base | Fringe benefits | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFTBuildingENGI0653-015 | $44.45 | $29.90 | $14.55 | AL20260079 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZERBuildingSUAL2015-007 | $18.36 | $15.72 | $2.64 | AL20260079 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEBuildingSUAL2015-007 | $32.26 | $20.48 | $11.78 | AL20260079 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: TRACTORHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $17.14 | $17.14 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: ROLLERHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $14.40 | $14.40 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: PAVER (ASPHALT, AGGREGATE, AND CONCRETE)HighwaySUAL2019-010 | $16.02 | $16.02 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: MILLING MACHINEHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $16.51 | $16.51 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: MECHANICHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $17.37 | $17.37 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: LOADERHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $14.28 | $14.28 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: GRADER/BLADEHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $18.16 | $18.16 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: DISTRIBUTORHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $15.22 | $15.22 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: CRANEHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $24.02 | $24.02 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZERHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $15.32 | $15.32 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BROOM/SWEEPERHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $12.50 | $12.50 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $16.80 | $16.80 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: ASPHALT SPREADERHighwaySUAL2019-010 | $14.87 | $14.87 | $0.00 | AL20260131 Mod 1 |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: OILERHeavyENGI0320-005 | $31.03 | $21.08 | $9.95 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: CRANE (HYDRAULIC & CONVENTIONAL CRANES 100 TON AND OVER)HeavyENGI0320-005 | $47.80 | $32.43 | $15.37 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: CHERRY PICKER (HYDRAULIC CRANE UNDER 100 TON)HeavyENGI0320-005 | $45.61 | $30.24 | $15.37 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: TRACKHOEHeavySUAL2007-151 | $12.00 | $12.00 | $0.00 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: SCRAPERHeavySUAL2007-151 | $9.96 | $9.78 | $0.18 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: ROLLERHeavySUAL2007-151 | $9.45 | $9.45 | $0.00 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: LOADER (FRONT END)HeavySUAL2007-151 | $11.67 | $11.67 | $0.00 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: GRADER/BLADEHeavySUAL2007-151 | $13.92 | $12.59 | $1.33 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: DRILLHeavySUAL2007-151 | $11.86 | $9.50 | $2.36 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZERHeavySUAL2007-151 | $19.24 | $16.60 | $2.64 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOEHeavySUAL2007-151 | $13.46 | $13.46 | $0.00 | AL20260066 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZERResidentialSUAL2007-102 | $11.71 | $11.71 | $0.00 | AL20260018 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOEResidentialSUAL2007-102 | $9.80 | $9.80 | $0.00 | AL20260018 Mod 1 |
How DeKalb County compares
The main operating engineer rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Alabama
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- DeKalb Countybase $20.48$32.26
- Cherokee Countybase $20.48$32.26
- Jackson Countybase $20.48$32.26
- Etowah Countybase $21.48$32.68
Operating Engineer rates in nearby counties
Current DOL rates. Davis-Bacon rates are set for groups of counties, so neighbours often share them; the county where the work is done decides.
| County | Classification | Base + fringe | Base | vs DeKalb County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etowah County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $32.68 | $21.48 | +$0.42 |
| Calhoun County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $32.68 | $21.48 | +$0.42 |
| DeKalb County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $32.26 | $20.48 | |
| Cherokee County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $32.26 | $20.48 | same |
| Jackson County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $32.26 | $20.48 | same |
| Marshall County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $32.26 | $20.48 | same |
| Madison County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.00 | $16.00 | −$16.26 |
Alabama operating engineer prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from DOL on this rate
- DOL wage determination
- SAM.gov wage determinations
- Davis-Bacon determinations list journeyworker rates. Apprentices in a program registered with DOL or a recognized state agency can be paid the program's percentage of the rate, within its ratio; anyone else gets the full rate (29 CFR 5.5(a)(4)).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base pay to the fringe your employer pays for you, in cash or into plans, and compare the sum with the total. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division takes complaints: 1-866-487-9243, or dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints.
Source
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (DOL), wage determination AL20260079 Mod 1, published May 18, 2026: sam.gov/wage-determination/AL20260079/1
We read every active Alabama Davis-Bacon wage determination from SAM.gov's own data and check every number with a second, independent read of the same file. DOL prints no total; ours is base plus fringe. How we check · Download DeKalb County as CSV · Report an error