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Alaska operating engineer prevailing wage, borough or census area by borough or census area
An operating engineer's prevailing wage on Alaska public works is $86.45 an hour in every borough or census area that has one (30), for the main classification.
Main operating engineer classification in each borough or census area (Group i (a1601)), Pamphlet 600 Issue 53 (Sep 1, 2026). A contract uses the issue in effect 10 days before the final bid date, for the life of the contract or 24 months, whichever is shorter (AS 36.05.010). Checked October 25, 2026.
Which localities pay which rate
1 group of counties with identical DOLWD rates, and 0 counties with rates of their own.
Pamphlet 600 lists journeyman rates. Apprentices may be paid less only when registered in an apprenticeship program approved by the DOLWD Commissioner or registered with the U.S. DOL Office of Apprenticeship; anyone else on an apprentice rate must be paid the journeyman rate (Pamphlet 600, 'Apprentice Rates'). Wage and Hour: (907) 269-4900.
Questions about Alaska operating engineer pay
What is the operating engineer prevailing wage in Anchorage Municipality?
$86.45 an hour: a $55.75 base wage plus $30.70 in fringe benefits, under Pamphlet 600 Issue 53 (Sep 1, 2026). Overtime and every operating engineer classification in Anchorage Municipality.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Anchorage Municipality the $86.45 total is a $55.75 base wage plus $30.70 in fringe benefits, about 36% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage pay overtime in Alaska?
Alaska overtime is 1½ times the basic hourly rate for hours over 8 in a day and over 40 in a week, with daily hours not counted twice. Fringe benefits are paid for every hour, at straight time (AS 23.10.060). Pamphlet 600 prints no overtime figures; the dollar figure here is 1.5 × base + fringes, computed.
Do apprentice operating engineers get this rate?
Pamphlet 600 lists journeyman rates. Apprentices may be paid less only when registered in an apprenticeship program approved by the DOLWD Commissioner or registered with the U.S. DOL Office of Apprenticeship; anyone else on an apprentice rate must be paid the journeyman rate (Pamphlet 600, 'Apprentice Rates'). Wage and Hour: (907) 269-4900.
Why do some localities have the same operating engineer rate?
DOLWD often publishes the same operating engineer rates for several localities. Across Alaska, the 30 localities with an operating engineer rate fall into 1 distinct sets of rates, and 1 of those sets are shared by more than one borough or census area; the largest covers 30 localities (the Anchorage Municipality group).