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California carpenter prevailing wage, county by county
A carpenter's prevailing wage on California public works runs from $80.71 an hour in San Diego County to $109.41 in Alameda County, wages and employer payments together. The median county is $102.18.
Main carpenter classification in each county, DIR period 2026-2. DIR sets this trade by region, so neighboring counties often share a rate. Checked October 24, 2026.
How much does a carpenter make on prevailing wage?
DIR sets this trade by area. 5 groups of counties with identical rates and 3 counties with rates of their own, highest main rate first, each split into wage and employer payments on one scale. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- Area 19 counties$109.41
- Area 23 counties$103.53
- Area 33 counties$103.53
- El Dorado County1 county$103.53
- Placer County1 county$103.53
- Area 429 counties$102.18
- Southern California11 counties · Carpenter , Cabinet Installer, Insulation…$84.32
- San Diego County1 county$80.71
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Total | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area 1, 9 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma | Carpenter (Area 1) | $109.41 | $70.26 |
| Area 2, 3 counties: Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz | Carpenter (Area 2) | $103.53 | $64.38 |
| Area 3, 3 counties: Sacramento, San Joaquin, Yolo | Carpenter (Area 3) | $103.53 | $64.38 |
| El Dorado County* | Carpenter (Area 3) | $103.53 | $64.38 |
| Placer County* | Carpenter (Area 3) | $103.53 | $64.38 |
| Area 4, 29 counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yuba | Carpenter (Area 4) | $102.18 | $63.03 |
| Southern California, 11 counties: Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura | Carpenter , Cabinet Installer, Insulation Installer, Hardwood Floor Worker, Acoustical Installer | $84.32 | $54.41 |
| San Diego County | Carpenter | $80.71 | $51.11 |
5 groups of counties with identical DIR rates, and 3 counties with rates of their own. * County split between areas; its page shows the rate for each part.
These are journeyperson rates. Apprentices are paid from separate DAS determinations that DIR publishes by craft, county and program.
Determinations: NC-23-31-1-2026-1, NC-23-31-1-2026-1A, NC-23-31-1-2026-1B, SC-23-31-2-2026-2, SC-31-741-1-2026-2, SD-23-31-4-2026-2, SD-23-31-4-2026-2A, SD-31-741-1-2026-2
Questions about California carpenter pay
What is the carpenter prevailing wage in Los Angeles County?
$84.32 an hour: a $54.41 base wage plus $29.91 in employer payments (fringe benefits), under DIR determination SC-23-31-2-2026-2. Overtime and every carpenter classification in Los Angeles County.
Does carpenter prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Los Angeles County the $84.32 total is a $54.41 base wage plus $29.91 in employer payments (fringe benefits), about 35% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Do apprentice carpenters get this rate?
Registered apprentices are paid DIR's apprentice rates, which DIR publishes separately by craft, county and apprenticeship program on its apprentice wage page. The rates on this site are journeyperson rates.
Why do some counties have the same carpenter rate?
DIR sets many trades by area or region rather than one county at a time. Across California, the 58 counties with a carpenter rate fall into 8 distinct sets of rates, and 5 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 29 counties (California Area 4).
Which county pays carpenters the most in California?
Alameda County, at $109.41 an hour for the main classification. The lowest is San Diego County at $80.71, and the median county is $102.18.