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Massachusetts utility lineman prevailing wage, county by county

A utility lineman's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage in Massachusetts runs from $61.72 an hour in Hampshire County to $88.60 in Barnstable County. The median county is $88.60.

Main utility lineman 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.

Suffolk County utility lineman: $88.60 per hourFranklin County utility lineman: $61.72 per hourPlymouth County utility lineman: $88.60 per hourBerkshire County utility lineman: $61.72 per hourBristol County utility lineman: $88.60 per hourNorfolk County utility lineman: $88.60 per hourNantucket County utility lineman: $88.60 per hourHampden County utility lineman: $61.72 per hourEssex County utility lineman: $88.60 per hourWorcester County utility lineman: $88.60 per hourHampshire County utility lineman: $61.72 per hourDukes County utility lineman: $88.60 per hourBarnstable County utility lineman: $88.60 per hourMiddlesex County utility lineman: $88.60 per hour
$61$61$88$88$88$88Electrical Utility Lineman, main rate, base + fringe per hour. Each shade holds about a fifth of the counties.

How much does a utility lineman make on prevailing wage in Massachusetts?

2 groups of counties with identical rates and 2 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.

  1. Middlesex County group8 counties · LINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN A. PAID HOLIDAYS:$88.60
  2. Plymouth County1 county · LINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN A. PAID HOLIDAYS:$88.60
  3. Worcester County1 county · LINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN A. PAID HOLIDAYS:$88.60
  4. Hampden County group4 counties · LINE CONSTRUCTION: MATERIAL MAN, TRACTOR TRA$61.72

Which counties pay which rate

CountiesMain classificationBase + fringeBase
Middlesex County group, 8 localities: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, SuffolkLINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN A. PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY; MEMORIAL DAY; INDEPENDENCE DAY; LABOR DAY; THANKSGIVING DAY; CHRISTMAS DAY AND COLUMBUS DAY, PROVIDED THE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN EMPLOYED 5 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO ANY ONE OF THE LISTED HOLIDAYS$88.60 $58.41 
Plymouth CountyLINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN A. PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY; MEMORIAL DAY; INDEPENDENCE DAY; LABOR DAY; THANKSGIVING DAY; CHRISTMAS DAY AND COLUMBUS DAY, PROVIDED THE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN EMPLOYED 5 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO ANY ONE OF THE LISTED HOLIDAYS$88.60 $58.41 
Worcester CountyLINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN A. PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY; MEMORIAL DAY; INDEPENDENCE DAY; LABOR DAY; THANKSGIVING DAY; CHRISTMAS DAY AND COLUMBUS DAY, PROVIDED THE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN EMPLOYED 5 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO ANY ONE OF THE LISTED HOLIDAYS$88.60 $58.41 
Hampden County group, 4 localities: Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, HampshireLINE CONSTRUCTION: MATERIAL MAN, TRACTOR TRAILER DRIVER, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR$61.72 $39.92 

2 groups of counties with identical DOL rates, and 2 counties with rates of their own.

Questions about Massachusetts utility lineman pay

What is the utility lineman prevailing wage in Middlesex County?

$88.60 an hour: a $58.41 base wage plus $30.19 in fringe benefits, under wage determination MA20260001, modification 1. Overtime and every utility lineman classification in Middlesex County.

Does utility lineman prevailing wage include fringe benefits?

Yes. In Middlesex County the $88.60 total is a $58.41 base wage plus $30.19 in fringe benefits, about 34% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.

Does utility lineman prevailing wage pay overtime in Massachusetts?

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 utility linemans 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 utility lineman rate?

DOL often publishes the same utility lineman rates for several counties. Across Massachusetts, the 14 counties with a utility lineman rate fall into 4 distinct sets of rates, and 2 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 8 counties (the Middlesex County group).