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Smith County, KS · Operating Engineer
Operating Engineer prevailing wage in Smith County, Kansas
$17.67an hour, base + fringe
$15.72 wage + $1.95 fringe benefits · Building · SUKS2015-013
Smith County uses the same operating engineer rates as 12 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On federally funded or assisted building construction in Smith County, an operating engineer must be paid at least $17.67 an hour: a $15.72 base wage plus $1.95 in fringe benefits, under wage determination KS20260044 (modification 1). DOL prints no total, so $17.67 is our sum of the two.
Wage determination KS20260044, modification 1, published May 18, 2026, for building construction; rate identifier SUKS2015-013 (July 8, 2015). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
Davis-Bacon is the only prevailing wage here (federally funded or assisted work). Kansas repealed its law in 1987 (DOL state table).
DOL lists 27 operating engineer rates for Smith County, from $13.64 to $59.63 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $15.72 + $1.95
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DOL prints the fringe benefits as one hourly figure, not itemized; it can go to health, pension, vacation and training plans, or be paid as cash where the state allows.
| Base wage (taxable) | $15.72 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $1.95 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $17.67 |
When this rate changes
- 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)).
- DOL changes a WD by publishing a numbered modification on SAM.gov. This page reads the modification named in the Source line; the Kansas change log lists what each one changed.
Every operating engineer rate in Smith County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
| Classification | Base + fringe | Base | Fringe benefits | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEBuildingSUKS2015-013 | $17.67 | $15.72 | $1.95 | KS20260044 Mod 1 |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: DRILL RIG CAISSONSHighwayENGI0101-002 | $59.63 | $38.83 | $20.80 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| SERVICEMAN: EQUIPMENTHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $18.07 | $16.33 | $1.74 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: ROTO MILLHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $17.80 | $17.80 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: TRACTORHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $16.24 | $16.24 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: SCREEDHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $15.56 | $15.56 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: SCRAPERHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $15.68 | $15.68 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: ROLLERHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $14.17 | $14.17 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: PAVER (ASPHALT, AGGREGATE, AND CONCRETE)HighwaySUKS2019-069 | $16.03 | $16.03 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: MECHANICHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $20.51 | $20.51 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: MATERIAL TRANSFER VEHICLEHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $13.92 | $13.92 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: LOADERHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $15.75 | $15.75 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: GRADER/BLADEHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $19.56 | $17.89 | $1.67 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: DISTRIBUTORHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $15.19 | $15.19 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: CRANEHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $27.88 | $20.22 | $7.66 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: CONCRETE FINISHING MACHINEHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $21.11 | $21.11 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZERHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $19.54 | $17.17 | $2.37 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BROOM/SWEEPERHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $13.64 | $13.64 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BOBCAT/SKID STEER/SKID LOADERHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $16.90 | $16.90 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $20.96 | $18.77 | $2.19 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: ASPHALT PLANTHighwaySUKS2019-069 | $14.81 | $14.81 | $0.00 | KS20260130 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: TRACTORHeavySUKS2014-022 | $15.90 | $15.90 | $0.00 | KS20260037 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: SCRAPERHeavySUKS2014-022 | $15.68 | $15.68 | $0.00 | KS20260037 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: LOADERHeavySUKS2014-022 | $16.17 | $16.17 | $0.00 | KS20260037 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: CRANEHeavySUKS2014-022 | $28.00 | $28.00 | $0.00 | KS20260037 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZERHeavySUKS2014-022 | $16.75 | $16.75 | $0.00 | KS20260037 Mod 1 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEHeavySUKS2014-022 | $22.81 | $18.84 | $3.97 | KS20260037 Mod 1 |
How Smith County compares
The main operating engineer rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Kansas
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Smith Countybase $15.72$17.67
- Phillips Countybase $15.72$17.67
- Jewell Countybase $15.72$17.67
- Riley Countybase $31.56$42.84
Operating Engineer rates in nearby counties
Current DOL rates. Davis-Bacon rates are set for groups of counties, so neighbours often share them; the county where the work is done decides.
DOL's operating engineer rates for Smith County are the same as in 12 other counties: Cheyenne, Comanche, Edwards, Elk, Meade, Morton, Ness, Phillips and 4 more. The closest county with a different rate is Riley County, at $42.84.
| County | Classification | Base + fringe | Base | vs Smith County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.67 | $15.72 | |
| Phillips County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.67 | $15.72 | same |
| Jewell County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.67 | $15.72 | same |
| Osborne County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.67 | $15.72 | same |
| Mitchell County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.67 | $15.72 | same |
| Rooks County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.67 | $15.72 | same |
| Norton County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.67 | $15.72 | same |
Kansas operating engineer prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from DOL on this rate
- DOL wage determination
- SAM.gov wage determinations
- 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)).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base pay to the fringe your employer pays for you, in cash or into plans, and compare the sum with the total. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division takes complaints: 1-866-487-9243, or dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints.
Source
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (DOL), wage determination KS20260044 Mod 1, published May 18, 2026: sam.gov/wage-determination/KS20260044/1
We read every active Kansas Davis-Bacon wage determination from SAM.gov's own data and check every number with a second, independent read of the same file. DOL prints no total; ours is base plus fringe. How we check · Download Smith County as CSV · Report an error