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Massachusetts · Tunnel Worker · 9 counties
Tunnel Worker prevailing wage, Middlesex County group, Massachusetts (9 counties)
DOL sets the same tunnel worker rates, row for row, in 9 counties: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk. Every figure on this page applies in each of them.
$77.18an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum) · GROUP 5
$47.48 base wage + $29.70 fringe benefits · LABO0022-013
On federally funded or assisted heavy construction in each of these 9 counties, a tunnel worker working as group 5 must be paid at least $77.18 an hour: a $47.48 base wage plus $29.70 in fringe benefits, under wage determination MA20260008 (modification 1). DOL prints no total, so $77.18 is our sum of the two.
Wage determination MA20260008, modification 1, published May 18, 2026, for heavy construction; rate identifier LABO0022-013 (December 1, 2024). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
Massachusetts also sets its own rates; on jobs covered by both, pay the higher. The Department of Labor Standards issues them per project, by wage request number, and they must be re-requested after 90 days (M.G.L. c. 149 ss. 26-27), so there is no county schedule to show here.
DOL lists 25 tunnel worker rates for each of these counties, from $72.63 to $88.13 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $47.48 + $29.70
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) | $47.48 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $29.70 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $77.18 |
When does this rate change?
- 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 Massachusetts change log lists what each one changed.
Every tunnel worker rate in the Middlesex County group
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LABORERS:(TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR), GROUP 6 HAZARDOUS WASTE WORK WITHIN THE "HOT" ZONE. (A PREMIUM OF TWO DOLLARS $2.00 PER HOUR OVER THE BASIC WAGE RATE. FOOTNOTE FOR LABORERS: A. PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY, WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY, PATRIOT'S DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, LABOR DAY, COLUMBUS DAY, VETERAN'S DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY, AND CHRISTMAS DAYLABO0022-013 | $58.43 | $29.70 | $88.13 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 5 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $47.48 | $29.70 | $77.18 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 5 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $52.50 | $29.70 | $82.20 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 5 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $53.41 | $29.70 | $83.11 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 5 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $58.43 | $29.70 | $88.13 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 4 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $45.48 | $29.70 | $75.18 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 4 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $50.50 | $29.70 | $80.20 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 4 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $53.41 | $29.70 | $83.11 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 4 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $58.43 | $29.70 | $88.13 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 3 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $45.48 | $29.70 | $75.18 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 3 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $50.50 | $29.70 | $80.20 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 3 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $53.41 | $29.70 | $83.11 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 3 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $58.43 | $29.70 | $88.13 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 2 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $45.48 | $29.70 | $75.18 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 2 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $50.50 | $29.70 | $80.20 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 2 (CLEANING CONCRETE AND CAULKING TUNNEL (Both New & Existing))LABO0022-013 | $45.48 | $29.70 | $75.18 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 2 (CLEANING CONCRETE AND CAULKING TUNNEL (Both New & Existing))LABO0022-013 | $50.50 | $29.70 | $80.20 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 2 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $53.41 | $29.70 | $83.11 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 2 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $58.43 | $29.70 | $88.13 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 1 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $42.93 | $29.70 | $72.63 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 1 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR)LABO0022-013 | $47.95 | $29.70 | $77.65 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 1 (CLEANING CONCRETE AND CAULKING TUNNEL (Both New & Existing))LABO0022-013 | $45.48 | $29.70 | $75.18 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 1 (CLEANING CONCRETE AND CAULKING TUNNEL (Both New & Existing))LABO0022-013 | $50.50 | $29.70 | $80.20 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 1 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $42.93 | $29.70 | $72.63 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
| LABORERS: GROUP 1 ((TUNNELS, CAISSON & CYLINDER WORK IN COMPRESSED AIR))LABO0022-013 | $47.95 | $29.70 | $77.65 | MA20260008 Mod 1 |
How the Middlesex County group compares
The main tunnel worker rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Massachusetts
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Middlesex County groupbase $47.48$77.18
- Suffolk Countybase $47.48$77.18
- Norfolk Countybase $47.48$77.18
- Essex Countybase $47.48$77.18
Which county is in which tunnel worker group
Every Massachusetts county with a tunnel worker rate. Counties DOL treats alike share one page; the rest have their own.
| Counties | Main classification | Base wage | Total rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County group, 9 localities: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk | LABORERS: GROUP 5 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR) | $47.48 | $77.18 |
| Worcester County | LABORERS: GROUP 5 (ROCK SHAFT, CONCRETE LINING OF SAME AND TUNNEL IN FREE AIR) | $47.48 | $77.18 |
1 group of counties with identical DOL rates, and 1 county with rates of its own.
Massachusetts tunnel worker prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from DOL on this rate
- 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)).
Every trade's rates, county by county: Barnstable · Bristol · Dukes · Essex · Middlesex · Nantucket · Norfolk · Plymouth · Suffolk
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), Davis-Bacon wage determinations on SAM.gov, as of October 25, 2026. For the row this page leads with:
- Barnstable: MA20260008 Mod 1
- Bristol: MA20260008 Mod 1
- Dukes: MA20260008 Mod 1
- Essex: MA20260008 Mod 1
- Middlesex: MA20260008 Mod 1
- Nantucket: MA20260008 Mod 1
- Norfolk: MA20260008 Mod 1
- Plymouth: MA20260008 Mod 1
- Suffolk: MA20260008 Mod 1
We read every active Massachusetts 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 every Massachusetts rate as CSV · Report an error