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Sussex County, DE · Laborer
Laborer prevailing wage in Sussex County, Delaware
$59.65an hour, fringe benefits included
One rate, fringe benefits included (DOL prints no split) · Building Construction
On Delaware public works in Sussex County, a laborer must be paid at least $59.65 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 laborer rates for Sussex County, from $52.49 to $59.65 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: $59.65
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 $59.65. 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 laborer rate in Sussex County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- LABORERSBuilding Construction$59.65
- LABORERSHeavy Construction$59.65
- LABORERSHighway Construction$52.49
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LABORERSBuilding Construction | incl. | incl. | $59.65 | Mar 13, 2026 |
| LABORERSHeavy Construction | incl. | incl. | $59.65 | Mar 13, 2026 |
| LABORERSHighway Construction | incl. | incl. | $52.49 | Mar 13, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon laborer rate in Sussex 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.
For building work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is LABORER: COMMON OR GENERAL at $33.10 ($24.45 base + $8.65 fringe), from DE20260009 modification 1, published May 18, 2026, rate SUDE2014-006. Against DOL's $59.65: DOL's rate is $26.55 an hour higher. Note: the state prints one rate with fringes included, so only totals are compared.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | LABORER (MASON TENDER - CEMENT/CONCRETE)LABO0199-006 | $31.45 | $57.15 | DE20260009 Mod 1 |
| Building | LABORER: COMMON OR GENERALSUDE2014-006 | $24.45 | $33.10 | DE20260009 Mod 1 |
| Highway | LABORER (ASPHALT, INCLUDES RAKER, SHOVELER, SPREADER AND DISTRIBUTOR)LABO0199-001 | $31.15 | $47.65 | DE20260006 Mod 1 |
| Highway | LABORER: MASON TENDER - CEMENT/CONCRETESUDE2022-003 | $43.30 | $45.36 | DE20260006 Mod 1 |
| Highway | LABORER: COMMON OR GENERALSUDE2022-003 | $34.94 | $40.85 | DE20260006 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | LABORER: TRENCHER HAND GUIDEDLABO0199-009 | $29.45 | $55.15 | DE20260012 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | LABORER: BACKFILLER AND TAMPER (HAND HELD)LABO0199-009 | $31.45 | $57.15 | DE20260012 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | LABORER: PIPELAYERSUDE2014-009 | $18.63 | $21.31 | DE20260012 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | LABORER: COMMON OR GENERALSUDE2014-009 | $16.42 | $20.48 | DE20260012 Mod 1 |
| Residential | LABORERS: UNSKILLED (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES)SUDE1990-001 | $7.25 | $7.25 | DE20260001 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 Sussex County compares
The main laborer rate in every county that has one. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Delaware
Rates nearby
- Sussex Countyfringes included$59.65
- Kent Countyfringes included$59.65
- New Castle Countyfringes included$59.65
Laborer 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 Sussex County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County | LABORERS | incl. | $59.65 | |
| Kent County | LABORERS | incl. | $59.65 | same |
| New Castle County | LABORERS | incl. | $59.65 | same |
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 Sussex County as CSV · Report an error