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Modoc County · Electrical Utility Lineman
Electrical Utility Lineman prevailing wage in Modoc County, California
$98.82an hour, base wage + fringe benefits
$70.75 base wage + $28.07 fringe benefits
Modoc County uses the same utility lineman rates as 2 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On California public works in Modoc County, a utility lineman must be paid at least $98.82 an hour in total: $70.75 in wages plus $28.07 in employer payments to health, pension, training and other funds.
DIR general determination C-61-X-8-2026-1, issued February 22, 2026 and still current in DIR's 2026-2 release. Expires January 31, 2027. Checked against dir.ca.gov on October 24, 2026.
DIR lists 10 utility lineman rates for Modoc County, from $47.15 to $107.72 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $70.75 + $28.07
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 $98.82 or more.
| Basic hourly rate (taxable wage) | $70.75 |
| Health and welfare | $8.70 |
| Pension (footnote a) | $18.12 |
| Training (footnote b) | $1.06 |
| Other payments (footnote c) | $0.19 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $98.82 |
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-61-X-8-2026-1, issued February 22, 2026; DIR's expiration date for it is January 31, 2027.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| February 1, 2027 | +$6.42 | $105.24 |
| February 1, 2028 | +$6.88 | $112.12 |
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 utility lineman rate in Modoc County
As DIR lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- Cable Splicer$107.72
- Lineman, Heavy Line Equipment man, Certified Lineman Welder, Pole Sprayer$98.82
- Pole Sprayer Trainee Third six months$86.28
- Line Equipment Operator$85.25
- Pole Sprayer Trainee Second six months$84.06
- Pole Sprayer Trainee First six months$81.02
- Powderman$73.09
- Groundman 2081+ Hours$61.98
- Groundman 1041-2080 Hours$54.57
- Groundman First 1040 Hours$47.15
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Daily OT | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable Splicer | $79.24 | $28.48 | $107.72 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
| Groundman 1041-2080 Hours | $35.38 | $19.19 | $54.57 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
| Groundman 2081+ Hours | $42.45 | $19.53 | $61.98 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
| Groundman First 1040 Hours | $28.30 | $18.85 | $47.15 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
| Line Equipment Operator | $60.85 | $24.40 | $85.25 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
| Lineman, Heavy Line Equipment man, Certified Lineman Welder, Pole Sprayer | $70.75 | $28.07 | $98.82 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
| Pole Sprayer Trainee First six months | $60.63 | $20.39 | $81.02 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
| Pole Sprayer Trainee Second six months | $63.53 | $20.53 | $84.06 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
| Pole Sprayer Trainee Third six months | $65.66 | $20.62 | $86.28 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
| Powderman | $53.06 | $20.03 | $73.09 | — | C-61-X-8-2026-1 |
Davis-Bacon utility lineman rate in Modoc 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 this page leads with a classification the federal determinations don't list one to one. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building, Highway, Heavy | LINE CONSTRUCTION: (1) CABLE SPLICER (DEL NORTE, MODOC & SISKIYOU COUNTIES)ELEC0659-008 | $67.80 | $93.00 | CA20260007 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | LINE CONSTRUCTION: (2) LINEMAN, POLE SPRAYER, HEAVY LINE EQUIPMENT MAN (DEL NORTE, MODOC & SISKIYOU COUNTIES)ELEC0659-008 | $60.54 | $85.41 | CA20260007 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | LINE CONSTRUCTION: (3) TREE TRIMMER (DEL NORTE, MODOC & SISKIYOU COUNTIES)ELEC0659-008 | $37.84 | $53.84 | CA20260007 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | LINE CONSTRUCTION: (4) LINE EQUIPMENT MAN (DEL NORTE, MODOC & SISKIYOU COUNTIES)ELEC0659-008 | $53.82 | $75.64 | CA20260007 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | LINE CONSTRUCTION: (5) POWDERMEN, JACKHAMMERMEN (DEL NORTE, MODOC & SISKIYOU COUNTIES)ELEC0659-008 | $40.37 | $56.49 | CA20260007 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | LINE CONSTRUCTION: (6) GROUNDMAN (DEL NORTE, MODOC & SISKIYOU COUNTIES)ELEC0659-008 | $33.37 | $49.17 | CA20260007 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
How Modoc County compares
The main utility lineman 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
- Modoc Countybase $70.75$98.82
- Lassen Countybase $74.43$101.19
- Shasta Countybase $74.43$101.19
- Siskiyou Countybase $70.75$98.82
Electrical Utility Lineman 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 utility lineman rates for Modoc County are the same as in 2 other counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Modoc County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lassen County | Lineman, Cable Splicer | $74.43 | $101.19 | +$2.37 |
| Shasta County | Lineman, Cable Splicer | $74.43 | $101.19 | +$2.37 |
| Plumas County | Lineman, Cable Splicer | $74.43 | $101.19 | +$2.37 |
| Tehama County | Lineman, Cable Splicer | $74.43 | $101.19 | +$2.37 |
| Sierra County | Lineman, Cable Splicer | $74.43 | $101.19 | +$2.37 |
| Modoc County | Lineman, Heavy Line Equipment man, Certified Lineman Welder, Pole Sprayer | $70.75 | $98.82 | |
| Siskiyou County | Lineman, Heavy Line Equipment man, Certified Lineman Welder, Pole Sprayer | $70.75 | $98.82 | same |
California utility lineman 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 equal to 3% of the Basic Hourly Rate for the National Employees Benefit Board. This amount is factored at the applicable overtime rate. Pursuant to Labor Code Sections 1773.1 and 1773.8, the amount paid for this employer payment may vary resulting in a lower taxable basic hourly wage rate, but the total hourly rates for straight time and overtime may not be less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages.
- b This amount is factored at the applicable overtime rate.
- c This amount is for the Administrative Maintenance Fund (AMF) and is factored at the applicable 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 $98.82. 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-61-X-8-2026-1, page 1: www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/2026-2/PWD/Determinations/Statewide/C-061-X-8.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 Modoc County as CSV · Report an error