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New Castle County, DE · Operating Engineer
Operating Engineer prevailing wage in New Castle County, Delaware
$85.29an hour, fringe benefits included
One rate, fringe benefits included (DOL prints no split) · Building Construction
On Delaware public works in New Castle County, an operating engineer must be paid at least $85.29 an hour. DOL prints one rate with fringe benefits included, so there is no separate base wage.
Delaware DOL determinations effective March 13, 2026, effective March 13, 2026. A project uses the rates in effect when its specifications are published; if the contract isn't signed within 120 days, the rates at signing apply (Regulations 6.3). Checked against industrialaffairs.delaware.gov on October 25, 2026.
DOL lists 3 operating engineer rates for New Castle County, from $85.29 to $87.03 an hour. See all of them.
The posted determinations are a reference. For a specific project, request certified rates from Delaware DOL (request form).
One rate, fringe benefits included: $85.29
DOL publishes a single hourly figure that already includes fringe benefits. A contractor can pay it all as wages, or pay part as contributions to bona fide benefit plans for the worker, as long as the two add up to at least $85.29. DOL doesn't publish a base and fringe split, so this page doesn't invent one.
DOL's data note: Delaware publishes one hourly rate per classification that already includes fringe benefits (19 DE Admin. Code 1322 s.3.1.9 and 3.1.12). There is no base/fringe split to add up, so base and the fringe fields are null and total_straight_time is the printed rate.
When does this rate change?
- A project uses the rates in effect on the date its specifications are published, or the rates at contract signing if that is more than 120 days later (Regulations 6.3).
- DOL issues one set a year, on or before March 15; this one took effect March 13, 2026. Mid-year amendments only correct errors and don't change awarded contracts (Regulations 6.4).
Every operating engineer rate in New Castle County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORSHighway Construction$87.03
- POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORSBuilding Construction$85.29
- POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORSHeavy Construction$85.29
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORSBuilding Construction | incl. | incl. | $85.29 | Mar 13, 2026 |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORSHeavy Construction | incl. | incl. | $85.29 | Mar 13, 2026 |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORSHighway Construction | incl. | incl. | $87.03 | Mar 13, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon operating engineer rate in New Castle County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. When a contract requires both the state rate and the Davis-Bacon rate, paying the higher of the two meets both. The contract documents say which apply.
We don't put a federal figure next to DOL's here, because the federal determinations split this trade into groups that don't line up with DOL's. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFTENGI0542-003 | $48.73 | $80.96 | DE20260008 Mod 1 |
| Building | OPERATOR: CRANESUDE2014-005 | $32.40 | $50.67 | DE20260008 Mod 1 |
| Building | OPERATOR: BULLDOZERSUDE2014-005 | $25.89 | $25.89 | DE20260008 Mod 1 |
| Building | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOESUDE2014-005 | $33.96 | $33.96 | DE20260008 Mod 1 |
| Highway | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: ROLLERENGI0542-001 | $43.40 | $74.06 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: POUNDERENGI0542-001 | $43.76 | $74.53 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: PAVER (ASPHALT, AGGREGATE AND CONCRETE)ENGI0542-001 | $45.81 | $77.19 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: DRILLENGI0542-001 | $43.76 | $74.53 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: CRANEENGI0542-001 | $45.81 | $77.19 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: BOBCAT/SKID STEER/SKID LOADERENGI0542-001 | $43.76 | $74.53 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEENGI0542-001 | $45.81 | $77.19 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | OPERATOR: MILLING MACHINESUDE2022-002 | $38.29 | $49.44 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | OPERATOR: MECHANICSUDE2022-002 | $28.11 | $39.29 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | OPERATOR: LOADERSUDE2022-002 | $38.36 | $42.67 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Highway | OPERATOR: BULLDOZERSUDE2022-002 | $37.55 | $53.74 | DE20260005 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: CRANE, FORKLIFT, AND SCRAPERENGI0542-009 | $48.73 | $80.96 | DE20260011 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | OPERATOR: LOADERSUDE2014-008 | $31.88 | $44.45 | DE20260011 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | OPERATOR: BULLDOZERSUDE2014-008 | $27.09 | $45.29 | DE20260011 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOESUDE2014-008 | $34.29 | $50.47 | DE20260011 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Delaware Davis-Bacon changes
How New Castle County compares
The main operating engineer rate in every county that has one. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Delaware
Rates nearby
- New Castle Countyfringes included$85.29
- Kent Countyfringes included$85.29
- Sussex Countyfringes included$85.29
Operating Engineer rates in nearby counties
Current DOL rates. Rates are those "prevailing in the county in which the work is to be performed" (29 Del. C. §6960(a)).
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs New Castle County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle County | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS | incl. | $85.29 | |
| Kent County | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS | incl. | $85.29 | same |
| Sussex County | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS | incl. | $85.29 | same |
Delaware operating engineer prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from DOL on this rate
- DOL DOL determination, page 1
- Delaware DOL's prevailing wage determinations
- Delaware prints one mechanic rate per classification. Registered apprentices get their agreement's percentage; anyone not registered is paid the mechanic's rate.
Are you being paid this rate?
Delaware's rate already includes fringe benefits, so compare your hourly wage plus what your employer pays into bona fide benefit plans for you with the rate. Payroll is filed weekly with DOL, and an underpaid worker can recover treble damages (§6960(d)–(i)). Office of Labor Law Enforcement: (302) 318-2769.
Source
Department of Labor (DOL), DOL determination DE-OLLE-20260313-building, issued March 13, 2026, effective March 13, 2026, page 1: industrialaffairs.delaware.gov/hubfs/Prevailing_Wage_Determination_Building_Construction2025.pdf
Delaware's determinations are scanned images. We read every cell by OCR and re-read every number independently. Each figure is the printed rate. How we check · Download New Castle County as CSV · Report an error