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Howard County, AR · Operating Engineer
Operating Engineer prevailing wage in Howard County, Arkansas
$23.95an hour, base + fringe
$23.95 wage + $0.00 fringe benefits · Building · SUAR2015-017
On federally funded or assisted building construction in Howard County, an operating engineer must be paid at least $23.95 an hour: a $23.95 base wage plus $0.00 in fringe benefits, under wage determination AR20260020 (modification 1). DOL prints no total, so $23.95 is our sum of the two.
Wage determination AR20260020, modification 1, published May 18, 2026, for building construction; rate identifier SUAR2015-017 (January 9, 2017). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
Davis-Bacon is the only prevailing wage here (federally funded or assisted work). Arkansas repealed its law in 2017 (Act 1068, SB 601; DOL state table).
DOL lists 22 operating engineer rates for Howard County, from $10.88 to $49.25 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $23.95 + $0.00
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) | $23.95 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $23.95 |
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 Arkansas change log lists what each one changed.
Every operating engineer rate in Howard County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: CRANEBuilding · ENGI0624-006$49.25
- POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFTBuilding · ENGI0624-006$48.25
- OPERATOR: PAVER (ASPHALT, AGGREGATE, AND CONCRETE)Highway · SUAR2014-028$24.70
- OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEBuilding · SUAR2015-017$23.95
- OPERATOR: BOBCAT/SKID STEER/SKID LOADERHighway · SUAR2014-028$21.60
- OPERATOR: MILLING MACHINEHighway · SUAR2014-028$20.95
- OPERATOR: BULLDOZERHeavy · SUAR2015-044$20.10
- OPERATOR: CRANEHighway · SUAR2014-028$19.00
- OPERATOR: LOADERHighway · SUAR2014-028$18.50
- OPERATOR: MECHANICHighway · SUAR2014-028$18.17
- OPERATOR: BULLDOZERBuilding · SUAR2015-017$18.13
- OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEHeavy · SUAR2015-044$17.90
- OPERATOR: GRADER/BLADEHighway · SUAR2014-028$17.89
- OPERATOR: ASPHALT PLANTHighway · SUAR2014-028$17.67
- OPERATOR: SCREEDHighway · SUAR2014-028$17.58
- OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEHighway · SUAR2014-028$17.25
- OPERATOR: OILERHighway · SUAR2014-028$16.99
- OPERATOR: BULLDOZERHighway · SUAR2014-028$16.68
- OPERATOR: BROOM/SWEEPERHighway · SUAR2014-028$14.94
- OPERATOR: ROLLERHighway · SUAR2014-028$14.65
- OPERATOR: SCRAPERHighway · SUAR2014-028$14.22
- OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEResidential · SUAR2008-215$10.88
| Classification | Base + fringe | Base | Fringe benefits | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFTBuildingENGI0624-006 | $48.25 | $33.25 | $15.00 | AR20260020 Mod 1 |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: CRANEBuildingENGI0624-006 | $49.25 | $34.25 | $15.00 | AR20260020 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZERBuildingSUAR2015-017 | $18.13 | $18.13 | $0.00 | AR20260020 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEBuildingSUAR2015-017 | $23.95 | $23.95 | $0.00 | AR20260020 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: SCREEDHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $17.58 | $17.58 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: SCRAPERHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $14.22 | $14.22 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: ROLLERHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $14.65 | $14.65 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: PAVER (ASPHALT, AGGREGATE, AND CONCRETE)HighwaySUAR2014-028 | $24.70 | $24.70 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: OILERHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $16.99 | $16.99 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: MILLING MACHINEHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $20.95 | $20.95 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: MECHANICHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $18.17 | $18.17 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: LOADERHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $18.50 | $18.50 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: GRADER/BLADEHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $17.89 | $17.89 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: CRANEHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $19.00 | $19.00 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZERHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $16.68 | $16.68 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BROOM/SWEEPERHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $14.94 | $14.94 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BOBCAT/SKID STEER/SKID LOADERHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $21.60 | $21.60 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $17.25 | $17.25 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: ASPHALT PLANTHighwaySUAR2014-028 | $17.67 | $17.67 | $0.00 | AR20260156 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZERHeavySUAR2015-044 | $20.10 | $20.10 | $0.00 | AR20260047 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEHeavySUAR2015-044 | $17.90 | $17.90 | $0.00 | AR20260047 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEResidentialSUAR2008-215 | $10.88 | $10.88 | $0.00 | AR20260104 Mod 1 |
How Howard 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 Arkansas
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Howard Countybase $23.95$23.95
- Sevier Countybase $23.95$23.95
- Pike Countybase $23.95$23.95
- Little River Countybase $23.17$23.17
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 Howard County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $23.95 | $23.95 | |
| Sevier County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $23.95 | $23.95 | same |
| Pike County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $23.95 | $23.95 | same |
| Hempstead County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $23.95 | $23.95 | same |
| Montgomery County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $23.95 | $23.95 | same |
| Little River County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $23.17 | $23.17 | −$0.78 |
| Polk County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $23.08 | $23.08 | −$0.87 |
Arkansas 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 AR20260020 Mod 1, published May 18, 2026: sam.gov/wage-determination/AR20260020/1
We read every active Arkansas 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 Howard County as CSV · Report an error