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Kern County · Dredger
Dredger prevailing wage in Kern County, California
$115.70an hour, total · Leverman
$68.90 wage + $46.80 employer payments
Kern County uses the same dredge worker rates as 11 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On California public works in Kern County, a dredge worker working as leverman must be paid at least $115.70 an hour in total: $68.90 in wages plus $46.80 in employer payments to health, pension, training and other funds. Daily overtime is $150.15.
DIR general determination SC-63-12-23-2026-2, issued August 22, 2026. Expires July 31, 2027. Checked against dir.ca.gov on October 24, 2026.
DIR lists 9 dredge worker rates for Kern County, from $108.53 to $115.70 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe: $68.90 + $46.80
The basic hourly rate is the taxable wage. The other lines, usually called fringe benefits, 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 $115.70 or more.
| Basic hourly rate (taxable wage) | $68.90 |
| Health and welfare | $17.45 |
| Pension (footnote a) | $21.40 |
| Vacation and holiday (footnote b) | $6.70 |
| Training | $1.10 |
| Other payments | $0.15 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $115.70 |
Straight time covers an 8-hour day.
Davis-Bacon dredge worker rate in Kern County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. 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).
We don't put a federal figure next to DIR's here, because the federal determinations split this trade into groups that don't line up with DIR's. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base + fringe | Base | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building, Highway, Heavy | OPERATOR, POWER EQUIPMENT: (1) LEVERMAN (DREDGING)ENGI0012-004 | $108.85 | $67.90 | CA20260020 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | OPERATOR, POWER EQUIPMENT: (2) DREDGE DOZER (DREDGING)ENGI0012-004 | $102.88 | $61.93 | CA20260020 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | OPERATOR, POWER EQUIPMENT: (3) DECKMATE (DREDGING)ENGI0012-004 | $102.77 | $61.82 | CA20260020 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | OPERATOR, POWER EQUIPMENT: (4) WINCH OPERATOR (STERN WINCH ON DREDGE) (DREDGING)ENGI0012-004 | $102.22 | $61.27 | CA20260020 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | OPERATOR, POWER EQUIPMENT: (5) FIREMAN-OILER, DECKHAND, BARGEMAN, LEVEEHAND (DREDGING)ENGI0012-004 | $101.68 | $60.73 | CA20260020 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | OPERATOR, POWER EQUIPMENT: (6) BARGE MATE (DREDGING)ENGI0012-004 | $102.29 | $61.34 | CA20260020 Mod 5 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. California Davis-Bacon changes
Scheduled increases
DIR has already set these increases. Work on or after each date is paid the higher rate. DIR often leaves part of an increase "to be allocated to wages and/or employer payments" and confirms the split when it comes due, and it can reduce a scheduled increase in a later notice, so check DIR's increase page before you pay it.
| Takes effect | Increase per hour | Total after increase |
|---|---|---|
| August 1, 2027 | +$4.50 | $120.20 |
The double asterisk after DIR's expiration date means the next rate is already set. If the work runs past that date you have to pay the new rate, and DIR says to build it into contracts signed now (DIR FAQ, Q8).
Source: DIR increase PDF
Every dredge worker rate in Kern County
As DIR lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- Leverman$115.70
- Chief Engineer, Deck Captain$112.70
- Hydrographic Surveyor$111.16
- Welder$111.12
- Dozer Operator$109.73
- Watch Engineer, Deckmate$109.62
- Barge Mate$109.14
- Winchman (Stern Winch on Dredge)$109.07
- Fireman-Oiler, Leveehand, Deckhand (can operate anchor scow under direction of mate), Bargeman$108.53
| Classification | Total | Base | Employer payments | Daily OT | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barge Mate | $109.14 | $62.34 | $46.80 | $140.31 | SC-63-12-23-2026-2 |
| Chief Engineer, Deck Captain | $112.70 | $65.90 | $46.80 | $145.65 | SC-63-12-23-2026-2 |
| Dozer Operator | $109.73 | $62.93 | $46.80 | $141.20 | SC-63-12-23-2026-2 |
| Fireman-Oiler, Leveehand, Deckhand (can operate anchor scow under direction of mate), Bargeman | $108.53 | $61.73 | $46.80 | $139.40 | SC-63-12-23-2026-2 |
| Hydrographic Surveyor | $111.16 | $64.36 | $46.80 | $143.34 | SC-63-12-23-2026-2 |
| Leverman | $115.70 | $68.90 | $46.80 | $150.15 | SC-63-12-23-2026-2 |
| Watch Engineer, Deckmate | $109.62 | $62.82 | $46.80 | $141.03 | SC-63-12-23-2026-2 |
| Welder | $111.12 | $64.32 | $46.80 | $143.28 | SC-63-12-23-2026-2 |
| Winchman (Stern Winch on Dredge) | $109.07 | $62.27 | $46.80 | $140.21 | SC-63-12-23-2026-2 |
How Kern County compares
The main dredge worker 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
Wage and employer payments, nearby
- Kern Countybase $68.90$115.70
- Tulare Countybase $62.61 · Area 1$106.67
- Ventura Countybase $68.90$115.70
- Los Angeles Countybase $68.90$115.70
Dredger rates in nearby counties
Current DIR rates. You pay the rate for the county where the work is done, even if your shop is somewhere else.
DIR's dredge worker rates for Kern County are the same as in 11 other counties: Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and 3 more.
| County | Classification | Total | Base | vs Kern County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kern County | Leverman | $115.70 | $68.90 | |
| Ventura County | Leverman | $115.70 | $68.90 | same |
| Los Angeles County | Leverman | $115.70 | $68.90 | same |
| Santa Barbara County | Leverman | $115.70 | $68.90 | same |
| San Luis Obispo County | Leverman | $115.70 | $68.90 | same |
| Tulare County | Group 1 (Area 1) | $106.67 | $62.61 | −$9.03 |
| Kings County | Group 1 (Area 1) | $106.67 | $62.61 | −$9.03 |
California dredge worker 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 an amount for annuity.
- b Includes an amount for supplemental dues.
- c Rate applies to the first 4 daily overtime hours and first 12 hours on Saturdays. All other time is paid at the Sunday overtime 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.
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 $115.70. 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 SC-63-12-23-2026-2, page 1: www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/2026-2/PWD/Determinations/Southern/SC-063-12-23.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 Kern County as CSV · Report an error