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Penobscot County, ME · Carpenter
Carpenter prevailing wage in Penobscot County, Maine
$49.70an hour, total
$30.01 wage + $19.69 benefits · Building 2 (other than 1 or 2 family homes) · Northern region
On Maine public works in Penobscot County, a carpenter must be paid at least $49.70 an hour: a $30.01 base wage plus $19.69 in benefits.
MDOL 2026 rates, effective January 10, 2026; this rate, effective January 10, 2026. A rate written into a contract "must remain unchanged during the time the contract is in effect" (26 MRSA §1306). Checked against maine.gov on October 25, 2026.
MDOL lists 3 carpenter rates for Penobscot County, from $37.30 to $49.70 an hour. See all of them.
MDOL's website rates "are for reference only". Bidders get the project-specific determination from the agency soliciting bids (§1306).
Base wage and benefits: $30.01 + $19.69
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. MDOL prints the 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) | $30.01 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $19.69 |
| Total hourly rate, as printed | $49.70 |
Davis-Bacon carpenter rate in Penobscot County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. Maine's law excludes projects under Davis-Bacon with federally set rates, so a job uses one schedule or the other (26 M.R.S. 1304).
For building work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is CARPENTER at $50.52 ($30.56 base + $19.96 fringe), from ME20260051 modification 1, published May 18, 2026, rate CARP0349-002. Against MDOL's $49.70: The Davis-Bacon rate is $0.82 an hour higher.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base + fringe | Base | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | CARPENTERCARP0349-002 | $50.52 | $30.56 | ME20260051 Mod 1 |
| Highway | CARPENTER, INCLUDES FORM WORKSUME2014-042 | $22.18 | $18.95 | ME20260047 Mod 2 |
| Heavy | CARPENTERSUME2014-012 | $28.06 | $19.87 | ME20260031 Mod 1 |
| Residential | CARPENTERS (EXCLUDING DRYWALL HANGING)SUME1994-001 | $10.13 | $9.54 | ME20260002 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Maine Davis-Bacon changes
When this rate changes
- A rate in a contract stays unchanged for the life of the contract (26 MRSA §1306), so later sets don't change existing jobs.
- MDOL publishes one set a year. The 2026 set took effect January 10, 2026 after a 30-day notice period; the next comes after the July 2026 survey (MDOL 2026 rates).
Every carpenter rate in Penobscot County
As MDOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- CarpenterBuilding 2 (other than 1 or 2 family homes) · Northern region$49.70
- CarpenterHeavy & Bridge · Northern region$38.29
- CarpenterHighway & Earthwork · Northern region$37.30
| Classification | Total | Base | Benefits | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CarpenterBuilding 2 (other than 1 or 2 family homes)Northern region | $49.70 | $30.01 | $19.69 | Jan 10, 2026 |
| CarpenterHighway & EarthworkNorthern region | $37.30 | $33.75 | $3.55 | Jan 10, 2026 |
| CarpenterHeavy & BridgeNorthern region | $38.29 | $29.95 | $8.34 | Jan 10, 2026 |
How Penobscot County compares
The main carpenter rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Maine
Wage and benefits, nearby
- Penobscot Countybase $30.01$49.70
- Piscataquis Countybase $27.65$32.14
- Hancock Countybase $27.70$34.58
- Washington Countybase $27.65$32.14
Carpenter rates in nearby counties
Current MDOL rates. Rates are published per county. "Locality" in the law is where the work is done plus the areas labor is recruited from (26 MRSA §1304(6)).
| County | Classification | Total | Base | vs Penobscot County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penobscot County | Carpenter | $49.70 | $30.01 | |
| Somerset County | Carpenter | $36.99 | $30.95 | −$12.71 |
| Hancock County | Carpenter | $34.58 | $27.70 | −$15.12 |
| Waldo County | Carpenter | $34.58 | $27.70 | −$15.12 |
| Piscataquis County | Carpenter | $32.14 | $27.65 | −$17.56 |
| Washington County | Carpenter | $32.14 | $27.65 | −$17.56 |
| Aroostook County | Carpenter | $32.14 | $27.65 | −$17.56 |
More from MDOL on this rate
- MDOL MDOL determination, page 1
- MDOL's 2026 fair minimum wage rates
- MDOL lists journey-level rates. Apprentice rates are those in a registered sponsorship agreement (26 MRSA §1314).
Are you being paid this rate?
You must get at least the minimum wage, and wage plus benefits of at least the total. Contractors post the rates on site and file payroll monthly with the public authority. An underpaid worker can recover the difference plus an equal penalty (26 MRSA §1312). MDOL Wage and Hour: (207) 623-7900.
Source
Department of Labor (MDOL), MDOL determination MDOL-2026-penobscot-b2, effective January 10, 2026, page 1: www.maine.gov/labor/docs/2026/laborstats/prevailingwage/Penobscot/2026%20B2%20Penobscot%20County.pdf
We read every row of MDOL's 2026 county and statewide PDFs and check every number with a second, separate reader. Wage plus benefit equals MDOL's printed total except for 28 one-cent rounding differences; we show the printed total. How we check · Download Penobscot County as CSV · Report an error