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Colorado operating engineer prevailing wage, county by county

An operating engineer's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage in Colorado runs from $13.41 an hour in Yuma County to $33.57 in City of Denver schedules. The median county is $13.41.

Main operating engineer classification in each county, Davis-Bacon wage determinations on SAM.gov, as of October 25, 2026. 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)). Checked October 25, 2026.

Conejos County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourJackson County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourArchuleta County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourWashington County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourGarfield County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourRio Grande County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourMorgan County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourElbert County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourMontrose County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourOtero County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourTeller County operating engineer: $28.88 per hourPhillips County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourYuma County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourPueblo County operating engineer: $28.88 per hourAlamosa County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourBaca County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourMontezuma County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourArapahoe County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourMineral County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourDolores County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourJefferson County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourDelta County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourGrand County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourSaguache County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourSummit County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourGunnison County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourCostilla County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourWeld County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourLas Animas County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourRoutt County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourDouglas County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourRio Blanco County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourBroomfield County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourDenver County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourBoulder County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourLarimer County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourCrowley County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourCuster County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourEl Paso County operating engineer: $28.88 per hourGilpin County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourHuerfano County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourOuray County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourCheyenne County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourMoffat County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourPitkin County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourProwers County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourSan Juan County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourLa Plata County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourHinsdale County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourKit Carson County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourSan Miguel County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourClear Creek County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourKiowa County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourPark County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourLake County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourLincoln County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourAdams County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourEagle County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourLogan County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourSedgwick County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourChaffee County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourFremont County operating engineer: $13.41 per hourMesa County operating engineer: $26.56 per hourBent County operating engineer: $13.41 per hour
$13$13$13$13$26$28Operating Engineer, main rate, base + fringe per hour. Each shade holds about a fifth of the counties.

How much does an operating engineer make on prevailing wage in Colorado?

5 groups of counties with identical rates and 33 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.

  1. City of Denver schedules1 county$33.57
  2. El Paso County1 county$28.88
  3. Pueblo County1 county$28.88
  4. Teller County1 county$28.88
  5. Elbert County group2 counties$26.56
  6. Adams County1 county$26.56
  7. Arapahoe County1 county$26.56
  8. Boulder County1 county$26.56
  9. Broomfield County1 county$26.56
  10. Clear Creek County1 county$26.56
  11. Denver County1 county$26.56
  12. Douglas County1 county$26.56
  13. Jefferson County1 county$26.56
  14. Larimer County1 county$26.56
  15. Mesa County1 county$26.56
  16. Park County1 county$26.56
  17. Weld County1 county$26.56
  18. Montrose County group13 counties$13.41
  19. Otero County group8 counties$13.41
  20. Morgan County group7 counties$13.41
  21. Lake County group2 counties$13.41
  22. Alamosa County1 county$13.41
  23. Eagle County1 county$13.41
  24. Fremont County1 county$13.41
  25. Garfield County1 county$13.41
  26. Grand County1 county$13.41
  27. Kit Carson County1 county$13.41
  28. La Plata County1 county$13.41
  29. Las Animas County1 county$13.41
  30. Mineral County1 county$13.41
  31. Moffat County1 county$13.41
  32. Montezuma County1 county$13.41
  33. Pitkin County1 county$13.41
  34. Rio Blanco County1 county$13.41
  35. Routt County1 county$13.41
  36. San Miguel County1 county$13.41
  37. Sedgwick County1 county$13.41
  38. Summit County1 county$13.41

Which counties pay which rate

CountiesMain classificationBase + fringeBase
City of Denver schedulesPower Equipment Operator: Group 1$33.57 $22.97 
El Paso CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$28.88 $20.26 
Pueblo CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$28.88 $20.26 
Teller CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$28.88 $20.26 
Elbert County group, 2 localities: Elbert, GilpinOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Adams CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Arapahoe CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Boulder CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Broomfield CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Clear Creek CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Denver CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Douglas CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Jefferson CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Larimer CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Mesa CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Park CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Weld CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$26.56 $20.78 
Montrose County group, 13 localities: Archuleta, Chaffee, Conejos, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguache, San JuanPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Otero County group, 8 localities: Baca, Bent, Costilla, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Otero, ProwersPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Morgan County group, 7 localities: Cheyenne, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Washington, YumaPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Lake County group, 2 localities: Jackson, LakePOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Alamosa CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Eagle CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Fremont CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Garfield CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Grand CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Kit Carson CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
La Plata CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Las Animas CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Mineral CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Moffat CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Montezuma CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Pitkin CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Rio Blanco CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Routt CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
San Miguel CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Sedgwick CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 
Summit CountyPOWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE$13.41 $13.41 

5 groups of counties with identical DOL rates, and 33 counties with rates of their own.

Questions about Colorado operating engineer pay

What is the operating engineer prevailing wage in El Paso County?

$28.88 an hour: a $20.26 base wage plus $8.62 in fringe benefits, under wage determination CO20260022, modification 1. Overtime and every operating engineer classification in El Paso County.

Does operating engineer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?

Yes. In El Paso County the $28.88 total is a $20.26 base wage plus $8.62 in fringe benefits, about 30% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.

Does operating engineer prevailing wage pay overtime in Colorado?

Davis-Bacon rates are straight time. On contracts over $100,000, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act requires 1½ times the basic rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (40 U.S.C. 3702). The fringe is owed for every hour at its straight-time amount.

Do apprentice operating engineers get this rate?

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)).

Why do some counties have the same operating engineer rate?

DOL often publishes the same operating engineer rates for several counties. Across Colorado, the 65 counties with an operating engineer rate fall into 38 distinct sets of rates, and 5 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 13 counties (the Montrose County group).