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Boilermaker prevailing wage, California Area 3 (38 counties)
DIR sets the same boilermaker rates, row for row, in 38 counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba. Every figure on this page applies in each of them.
$100.68an hour, base wage + fringe benefits
$59.24 base wage + $41.44 fringe benefits
On California public works in each of these 38 counties, a boilermaker must be paid at least $100.68 an hour in total: $59.24 in wages plus $41.44 in employer payments to health, pension, training and other funds. Daily overtime is $143.865 and Sunday and holiday work is $187.05.
DIR general determination C-14-X-2-2026-1, issued February 22, 2026 and still current in DIR's 2026-2 release. Checked against dir.ca.gov on October 24, 2026.
DIR lists 2 boilermaker rates for each of these counties, from $39.08 to $100.68 an hour. See all of them.
DIR's expiration date for this determination was September 30, 2026. DIR hasn't issued a replacement, so this rate still applies, which is what the single asterisk on DIR's table means. A project keeps the rates in effect on its bid advertisement date for the life of the job.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $59.24 + $41.44
The basic hourly rate is the taxable wage. The other lines, the fringe benefits DIR calls employer payments, are what DIR expects the employer to pay into health, pension and other plans for each hour worked. An employer can pay part of that as extra wages instead, as long as the total per hour stays at $100.68 or more.
| Basic hourly rate (taxable wage) | $59.24 |
| Health and welfare | $8.57 |
| Pension (footnote a, c) | $21.63 |
| Vacation and holiday (footnote c) | $5.50 |
| Training | $4.40 |
| Other payments | $1.34 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $100.68 |
Straight time covers an 8-hour day.
When does this rate change?
- A project pays the rates in effect on its bid advertisement date for the life of the job, plus any increase DIR set in advance (DIR FAQ).
- DIR issues new determinations on February 22 and August 22, and they take effect 10 days later. This rate is from determination C-14-X-2-2026-1, issued February 22, 2026.
Every boilermaker rate in California Area 3
As DIR lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Daily OT | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boilermaker-BlacksmithArea 3 | $59.24 | $41.44 | $100.68 | $143.865 | C-14-X-2-2026-1 |
| Boilermaker-Blacksmith HelperArea 3 | $32.58 | $6.50 | $39.08 | $55.75 | C-14-X-2-2026-1 |
Davis-Bacon boilermaker rates in these counties
The counties share DIR's rates, but not always the same federal wage determination. When a California awarding body runs a federally funded or assisted project, DIR's rates must be paid where they are higher than the Davis-Bacon rates (DIR public works FAQ).
| County | Federal classification | Base + fringe | WD | vs DIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Amador County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Butte County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Calaveras County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Colusa County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Del Norte County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| El Dorado County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Fresno County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Glenn County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Humboldt County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Kings County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Lake County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Lassen County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Madera County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Mariposa County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Mendocino County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Merced County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Modoc County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Mono County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Monterey County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Nevada County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Placer County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Plumas County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Sacramento County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| San Benito County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| San Joaquin County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Santa Cruz County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Shasta County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Sierra County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Siskiyou County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Stanislaus County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Sutter County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Tehama County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Trinity County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Tulare County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Tuolumne County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Yolo County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
| Yuba County | Federal rates listed on the county page; no one-to-one match | |||
How California Area 3 compares
The main boilermaker rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and in the nearest counties. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in California
Base wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- California Area 3base $59.24 · Area 3$100.68
- Solano Countybase $64.18 · Area 2$107.98
- Yolo Countybase $59.24 · Area 3$100.68
- San Joaquin Countybase $59.24 · Area 3$100.68
Which county is in which boilermaker group
Every California county with a boilermaker rate. Counties DIR treats alike share one page; the rest have their own. You pay the rate for the county where the work is done, even if your shop is somewhere else.
| Counties | Main classification | Base wage | Total rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area 2, 9 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma | Boilermaker-Blacksmith (Area 2) | $64.18 | $107.98 |
| Area 1, 9 counties: Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara | Boilermaker-Blacksmith (Area 1) | $57.98 | $101.43 |
| San Luis Obispo County* | Boilermaker-Blacksmith (Area 1) | $57.98 | $101.43 |
| Ventura County* | Boilermaker-Blacksmith (Area 1) | $57.98 | $101.43 |
| Area 3, 38 counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba | Boilermaker-Blacksmith (Area 3) | $59.24 | $100.68 |
3 groups of counties with identical DIR rates, and 2 counties with rates of their own. * County split between areas; its page shows the rate for each part.
California boilermaker prevailing wage by county, with a map
Footnotes on this rate
DIR's footnotes, in DIR's words. Several change the rate itself: zone pay, a percentage added to the total, or which overtime hours get which rate.
- a Includes amount for Annuity Trust Fund.
- b Area 1: Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo (only that portion that is within a 25-mile radius of the city of Santa Maria), and Ventura Counties. Area 2: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma Counties. Area 3: All other remaining counties.
- c Contribution is factored at the applicable overtime multiplier for each overtime hour worked.
- d Rate applies to the first 2 daily overtime hours and the first 10 hours worked on Saturday. All other overtime is paid at the Sunday/Holiday rate.
DIR's other marks: # means an apprenticeable craft, * means in effect until superseded, ** means the next rate is already set.
More from DIR on this rate
- Holidays (DIR PDF)
- Scope of work: which tasks this rate covers
- Travel and subsistence
- Apprentice rates: DIR publishes these separately, by program. Look them up on DIR.
Every trade's rates, county by county: Alpine · Amador · Butte · Calaveras · Colusa · Del Norte · El Dorado · Fresno · Glenn · Humboldt · Kings · Lake · Lassen · Madera · Mariposa · Mendocino · Merced · Modoc · Mono · Monterey · Nevada · Placer · Plumas · Sacramento · San Benito · San Joaquin · Santa Cruz · Shasta · Sierra · Siskiyou · Stanislaus · Sutter · Tehama · Trinity · Tulare · Tuolumne · Yolo · Yuba
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your hourly wage to what your employer pays into health, pension and other plans for you, and compare it with $100.68. Plan payments only count if the money goes into the plan; your pay stub won't show them, but plan statements will. The training amount goes to the California Apprenticeship Council or an apprenticeship program, not to you. Check a week of pay.
Contractors on most public works jobs file certified payroll with the state, and anyone can look it up in DIR's CPR public search. If your total comes up short, you can file a public works complaint with the California Labor Commissioner.
Source
California Department of Industrial Relations, general prevailing wage determination C-14-X-2-2026-1, page 1: www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/2026-2/PWD/Determinations/Statewide/C-014-X-2.pdf
Each figure is copied from DIR's file and checked by a second, separate reader. How we check · How to read a determination · Download every California rate as CSV · Report an error