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Massachusetts laborer prevailing wage, county by county
A laborer's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage in Massachusetts runs from $51.88 an hour in Worcester County to $75.95 in Barnstable County. The median county is $75.95.
Main laborer 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.
How much does a laborer make on prevailing wage in Massachusetts?
1 group of counties with identical rates and 12 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- Dukes County group2 counties$75.95
- Barnstable County1 county$75.95
- Bristol County1 county$75.95
- Essex County1 county$75.95
- Middlesex County1 county$75.95
- Norfolk County1 county$75.95
- Suffolk County1 county$75.95
- Plymouth County1 county$68.76
- Franklin County1 county$63.87
- Hampden County1 county$63.87
- Hampshire County1 county$63.87
- Berkshire County1 county$57.17
- Worcester County1 county$51.88
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dukes County group, 2 localities: Dukes, Nantucket | LABORERS:, WRECKING: GROUP 1 ADZEMAN, WRECKING LABORER. (BARNSTABLE, BRISTOL, DUKES, ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, NANTUCKET NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES) | $75.95 | $46.25 |
| Barnstable County | LABORERS:, WRECKING: GROUP 1 ADZEMAN, WRECKING LABORER. (BARNSTABLE, BRISTOL, DUKES, ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, NANTUCKET NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES) | $75.95 | $46.25 |
| Bristol County | LABORERS:, WRECKING: GROUP 1 ADZEMAN, WRECKING LABORER. (BARNSTABLE, BRISTOL, DUKES, ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, NANTUCKET NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES) | $75.95 | $46.25 |
| Essex County | LABORERS:, WRECKING: GROUP 1 ADZEMAN, WRECKING LABORER. (BARNSTABLE, BRISTOL, DUKES, ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, NANTUCKET NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES) | $75.95 | $46.25 |
| Middlesex County | LABORERS:, WRECKING: GROUP 1 ADZEMAN, WRECKING LABORER. (BARNSTABLE, BRISTOL, DUKES, ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, NANTUCKET NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES) | $75.95 | $46.25 |
| Norfolk County | LABORERS:, WRECKING: GROUP 1 ADZEMAN, WRECKING LABORER. (BARNSTABLE, BRISTOL, DUKES, ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, NANTUCKET NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES) | $75.95 | $46.25 |
| Suffolk County | LABORERS:, WRECKING: GROUP 1 ADZEMAN, WRECKING LABORER. (BARNSTABLE, BRISTOL, DUKES, ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, NANTUCKET NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES) | $75.95 | $46.25 |
| Plymouth County | LABORER: COMMON OR GENERAL | $68.76 | $38.95 |
| Franklin County | LABORERS: GROUP 1 LABORERS, CARPENTER TENDERS, WRECKING LABORERS (HAMPDEN COUNTY, HAMPSHIRE COUNTY (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHESTERFIELD, CUMMINNGTON, GOSHEN, MIDDLEFIELD, PLAINFIELD, AND WORTHINGTON) FRANKLIN COUNTY (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ASHFIELD, BUCKLAND, CHARLEMONT, HAULY, HEATH, ORANGE,ROWE AND WARWICK)) | $63.87 | $35.00 |
| Hampden County | LABORERS: GROUP 1 LABORERS, CARPENTER TENDERS, WRECKING LABORERS (HAMPDEN COUNTY, HAMPSHIRE COUNTY (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHESTERFIELD, CUMMINNGTON, GOSHEN, MIDDLEFIELD, PLAINFIELD, AND WORTHINGTON) FRANKLIN COUNTY (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ASHFIELD, BUCKLAND, CHARLEMONT, HAULY, HEATH, ORANGE,ROWE AND WARWICK)) | $63.87 | $35.00 |
| Hampshire County | LABORERS: GROUP 1 LABORERS, CARPENTER TENDERS, WRECKING LABORERS (HAMPDEN COUNTY, HAMPSHIRE COUNTY (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHESTERFIELD, CUMMINNGTON, GOSHEN, MIDDLEFIELD, PLAINFIELD, AND WORTHINGTON) FRANKLIN COUNTY (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ASHFIELD, BUCKLAND, CHARLEMONT, HAULY, HEATH, ORANGE,ROWE AND WARWICK)) | $63.87 | $35.00 |
| Berkshire County | LABORERS: (BERKSHIRE COUNTY, FRANKLIN COUNTY, (THE TOWNS OF ASHFIELD, BUCKLAND, CHARLEMONT, HAWLEY, HEATH, AND ROWE ONLY) HAMPSHIRE COUNTY (THE TOWNS OF CHESTERFIELD, CUMMINGTON, GOSHEN, MIDDLEFIELD, PLAINFIELD, AND WORTHINGTON ONLY)) | $57.17 | $31.54 |
| Worcester County | LABORER: COMMON OR GENERAL | $51.88 | $39.84 |
1 group of counties with identical DOL rates, and 12 counties with rates of their own.
Questions about Massachusetts laborer pay
What is the laborer prevailing wage in Middlesex County?
$75.95 an hour: a $46.25 base wage plus $29.70 in fringe benefits, under wage determination MA20260001, modification 1. Overtime and every laborer classification in Middlesex County.
Does laborer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Middlesex County the $75.95 total is a $46.25 base wage plus $29.70 in fringe benefits, about 39% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does laborer 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 laborers 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 laborer rate?
DOL often publishes the same laborer rates for several counties. Across Massachusetts, the 14 counties with a laborer rate fall into 13 distinct sets of rates, and 1 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 2 counties (the Dukes County group).