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How we check the rates
Each state publishes its rates differently, so each has its own reader and its own second check. The sections below cover California, Illinois, Washington and Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wyoming, and the federal Davis-Bacon rates, which are on every state's pages and are the only rates for the other 34 states and territories.
California: where the numbers come from
California's Department of Industrial Relations publishes general prevailing wage determinations twice a year, on February 22 and August 22 (DIR's index). Trades set county by county, such as electricians and plumbers, are HTML tables, one per county. Trades set by region, such as carpenters, laborers and operating engineers, are PDFs that list which counties fall in each area. We download every county page and every linked PDF for the current period (2026-2): 16,854 journeyperson rates in all.
California: how we check them
One program reads each table and PDF. A second program, written separately, re-reads the raw files a different way (regular expressions for the HTML, a different PDF library for the PDFs) and compares every value. The last full run found no mismatches across the straight-time and shift records. We also check that each county is named in the locality text for the area we put it in.
We add up each row's columns too. For 1,406 of the 16,854 rates they don't sum to DIR's total. Most of those carry a footnote that adds a percentage of base pay to the total, such as the 3% National Employees Benefit Board amount on many electrician rates, and the pages show that amount as "added by footnote". A few are inconsistencies in DIR's own figures. We publish DIR's numbers as printed and flag the gap on the page.
California: what we leave out
- Apprentice rates. DIR publishes them separately for each apprenticeship program, and we link to them.
- Special determinations issued for a single project.
- Shift rates. We've extracted them, but they aren't on the pages or in the downloads yet.
California: which rate applies to your job
A California public works project pays the rates in effect on its bid advertisement date for the life of the project, plus any increase DIR set in advance for work after a given date. A new determination takes effect 10 days after DIR issues it (DIR FAQ, Q10), so a job advertised on August 25 still uses the earlier rates. The determination in your bid documents controls. Use this site to find and read it faster, then check the DIR file linked on each page.
Illinois: where the numbers come from
The Illinois Department of Labor posts one PDF schedule per county on its current prevailing rates page. Each posting replaces all 102 county files in a new dated folder. The data here is the posting for work performed on or after October 19, 2026: 6,816 journeyworker rates. Revised rates apply to contracts already under way (820 ILCS 130/4(l)), and in 2026 IDOL posted on 8 dates, so we check its list for a new folder every week.
Illinois: how we check them
One program reads each PDF's ruled table and fails if the 17-column header isn't exactly as expected. A second program, written separately with a different PDF library, rebuilds every row from the text positions and compares the trade title, region, work type, class, all 13 numbers (a blank must stay blank), page and row order, plus the county and posting date printed on each page. The last run found 0 mismatches across all 6,816 rows in 102 counties. We also feed it deliberate errors (a cent added to a fringe, two counties' wages swapped, a row dropped) to confirm it catches them.
IDOL prints no total. Every Illinois total on this site is base plus the five fringe columns, re-added by the second program, and labelled "base + fringes". IDOL leaves some cells blank (2,234 rows have no "other insurance" figure); we count blank as zero in the sum and say so on the page. Overtime is printed as a multiple of the base wage, and two columns headed "Add OT 1.5x owed" and "Add OT 2.0x owed" aren't defined in IDOL's legend, so we copy them as printed and don't turn them into dollar rates. 85 of the 672 rows that cover part of a county have boundary text we couldn't match to the trade; those pages point to the county's full Explanations.
Washington: where the numbers come from
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries publishes rates through its prevailing wage lookup. We make the same requests the lookup makes, for every trade in all 39 counties, as of October 24, 2026: 21,143 journey-level rates for period 2026-2. The endpoint behind the lookup isn't a published API, so every page links to the lookup itself. L&I publishes in February and August, with corrections in between (WAC 296-127-011); 666 rates in this period already carry a correction.
Washington: how we check them
Every record is checked against two other L&I outputs: the CSV file L&I's own export produces for the same query, row by row, and a second query made trade by trade instead of county by county, matched on L&I's record numbers for the wage, each fringe, the total, dates and labels. The last run found 0 mismatches across all 21,143 records, and passed the same deliberate-error test as Illinois.
Wage plus fringes equals L&I's published total on every row except 1,263 survey-based rates, where the sum is below Washington's minimum wage and L&I publishes the total at $17.13, the 2026 minimum (L&I minimum wage). Those pages say so. L&I applies the 2027 minimum ($17.73) by date, so we re-check on January 1. Residential rates (780 listings) are shown apart from commercial rates, with the definition from WAC 296-127-010(9).
What the Illinois and Washington pages leave out
- Apprentice rates. Washington publishes them by program in its lookup; Illinois county schedules don't list them.
- Rate history. California pages show DIR releases since 2024; Illinois and Washington pages show the current rates only.
- Shared tools: the pay check is California only for now.
Alaska: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) publishes the rates on labor.alaska.gov. This site copies Pamphlet 600 Issue 53 (Sep 1, 2026): 482 records for 30 boroughs and census areas, 120 of them in force on October 25, 2026 and the rest dated steps or earlier issues. DOLWD publishes Pamphlet 600 twice a year, in effect April 1 and September 1, for bids 10 days later.
Alaska: how we check them
We read every rate in Pamphlet 600 Issues 50–53 and check every number with a second, separate PDF reader. Basic rate plus every benefit column equals DOLWD's printed total on all rows.
Download columns: Every Pamphlet 600 record for Issues 50–53: class code, title, region, basic hourly rate, each benefit, total, bid-date window, issue and source page.
Connecticut: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor (CTDOL) publishes the rates on portal.ct.gov. This site copies CTDOL schedules as of July 1, 2026: 38,854 records for 171 towns. CTDOL publishes new rates every July 1, and contractors adjust wages on existing contracts each July 1.
Connecticut: how we check them
We read every row of CTDOL's three July 1, 2026 schedules, town by town, and check every number with a second, separate reader. CTDOL prints no total; ours is the hourly rate plus the dollar benefit. 171 rows in force print no rate; their pages quote CTDOL's reason instead of a number. On 501 rows part of the fringe is a percentage of wages; our total leaves it out and the page calls it a floor.
Download columns: Every CTDOL row for every town and schedule: town, county, schedule, classification, hourly rate, hourly benefit (with letters and percentages as printed), our total and source page.
Delaware: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor (DOL) publishes the rates on industrialaffairs.delaware.gov. This site copies Delaware DOL determinations effective March 13, 2026: 183 records for 3 counties. Delaware DOL publishes one set a year, on or before March 15.
Delaware: how we check them
Delaware's determinations are scanned images. We read every cell by OCR and re-read every number independently. Each figure is the printed rate. DOL prints one rate with fringe benefits included on 179 rows, so those pages show no base and fringe split. 4 rows in force print no rate; their pages quote DOL's reason instead of a number.
Download columns: Every rate cell on Delaware's Building, Heavy and Highway determinations: county, classification, construction type, rate (fringes included) or DOL's note, and source.
Hawaii: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) publishes the rates on labor.hawaii.gov. This site copies Wage Rate Schedule WRS 511 with addenda 512 and 513 (Oct 2, 2026): 233 records for 5 counties, 139 of them in force on October 25, 2026 and the rest dated steps or earlier issues. DLIR issues schedules on or about February 15 and September 15, with addenda in between.
Hawaii: how we check them
We read every row of WRS 511, 512 and 513 and assemble the pages in force, then check every number with a second, separate PDF reader. Basic plus fringe equals DLIR's printed total on all rows.
Download columns: Every row of DLIR's Wage Rate Schedule in force (WRS 511 + 512 + 513), with each dated step: group, classification, basic rate, fringe, total, effective date, status, overtime figures and remarks.
Maine: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor (MDOL) publishes the rates on maine.gov. This site copies MDOL 2026 rates, effective January 10, 2026: 2,295 records for 17 counties. MDOL publishes one set a year; the 2026 set took effect January 10, 2026.
Maine: how we check them
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.
Download columns: Every MDOL 2026 row: county (or Statewide), construction type, occupation, minimum wage, minimum benefit, printed total, decrease-cap flag and source PDF.
Maryland: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor (DOL) publishes the rates on labor.maryland.gov. This site copies Maryland informational rates as printed October 25, 2026: 3,465 records for 24 counties and Baltimore City. Maryland DOL issues one determination a year per locality, on or about December 1, with supplemental rates and adjustments between.
Maryland: how we check them
We pull every locality's Building and Highway informational report from DOL's portal, read every row, and check every number with a second read and against DOL's rate workbook. DOL prints no total; ours is base plus fringe.
Download columns: Every row of DOL's informational reports: locality, Building or Highway, title, modification code, base, fringe, our total, borrowed-from county, adjustment and pause flags.
Michigan: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) publishes the rates on michigan.gov. This site copies LEO county rates, November 2025 edition: 4,259 records for 83 counties. LEO updates the county rates every November 1, and corrects clerical errors in between; the next edition is due November 1, 2026.
Michigan: how we check them
We read every county PDF in LEO's November 2025 edition and check every page with a second, separate read; the last run found no mismatches. Where LEO prints the same classification twice in a county without saying where each applies, both rows are shown. LEO prints one rate with fringe benefits included on 4,259 rows, so those pages show no base and fringe split.
Download columns: Every journeyman row of LEO's county PDFs: county, craft, classification, straight-time, time-and-a-half and double-time rates, the derived wage and fringe estimate (labelled), jurisdiction text, duplicate flag, edition and source page.
Minnesota: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) publishes the rates on dli.mn.gov. This site copies DLI certifications of Nov 3 and Dec 22, 2025 (revised to Feb 9, 2026): 8,002 records for 87 counties, 5,846 of them in force on October 25, 2026 and the rest dated steps or earlier issues. DLI certifies new rates at least once a year from a spring survey, and may revise them at any time.
Minnesota: how we check them
We read DLI's consolidated commercial and highway/heavy PDFs line by line and check every number with a second, separate reader. Basic plus fringe equals DLI's printed total on every priced row. 465 rows in force print no rate; their pages quote DLI's reason instead of a number.
Download columns: Every DLI line, commercial and highway/heavy, with each dated step: county or region, labor code, class, project-size tier, basic, fringe, total, status, adjacent-county flag and source page.
Missouri: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLS) publishes the rates on labor.mo.gov. This site copies Annual Wage Order 33 (final May 29, 2026): 8,406 records for 115 counties and the City of St. Louis. DLS files the initial Annual Wage Order by March 10, and the final order is due by July 1.
Missouri: how we check them
We read every county's AWO 33 PDF, including the replacement pages DLS issued by May 29, 2026, and check every rate with a second, separate reader. Each figure is the printed rate. DLS prints one rate with fringe benefits included on 8,406 rows, so those pages show no base and fringe split.
Download columns: Every AWO 33 line: county, building or heavy, occupational title or sub-title, rate (fringes included), contracting-minimum flag and source page.
Montana: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) publishes the rates on erd.dli.mt.gov. This site copies DLI 2026 rates, revised April 25, 2026: 179 records for 56 counties. DLI sets rates once a year, with mid-year revisions; the 2026 rates were revised effective April 25, 2026.
Montana: how we check them
We read every row of DLI's 2026 Building, Heavy and Highway PDFs and check every number with a second, separate reader. DLI prints no total; ours is base plus benefit. 5 rows in force print no rate; their pages quote DLI's reason instead of a number.
Download columns: Every row of DLI's 2026 schedules: schedule, district or statewide, occupation, base, benefit, our total, allowances text and source page.
Nevada: where the numbers come from
The Office of the Labor Commissioner (Labor Commissioner) publishes the rates on labor.nv.gov. This site copies Labor Commissioner 2026-2027 rates (Oct 1, 2026): 2,807 records for 17 counties. The Labor Commissioner issues rates every October 1, with amendments when a union agreement changes.
Nevada: how we check them
We read every row of the four 2026-2027 region PDFs (and the current amendments) and check every number with a second, separate reader. Each figure is the printed rate. Labor Commissioner prints one rate with fringe benefits included on 2,807 rows, so those pages show no base and fringe split.
Download columns: Every row of the four 2026-2027 region schedules: region, county, craft, classification, rate (fringes included), union or survey basis, zone pay and source page.
New Jersey: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) publishes the rates on nj.gov. This site copies NJDOL county packages of October 19, 2026: 3,084 records for 21 counties. NJDOL reissues a county's rates whenever a union agreement changes, on no fixed calendar.
New Jersey: how we check them
We read every county package of October 19, 2026, including its statewide pages, and check every number with a second, separate reader. Wage plus benefit equals NJDOL's printed total on every step that prints both. 1 rows in force print no rate; their pages quote NJDOL's reason instead of a number.
Download columns: Every NJDOL row in the October 19, 2026 county packages, county and statewide: craft, classification, wage, fringe, total, every dated step, region note and source page.
New Mexico: where the numbers come from
The Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS) publishes the rates on dws.state.nm.us. This site copies 11.1.2.20 NMAC rates for decisions issued from July 1, 2026: 843 records for 33 counties, 285 of them in force on October 25, 2026 and the rest dated steps or earlier issues. DWS adopts a statewide rate table each fall, effective January 1, with amendments during the year.
New Mexico: how we check them
We read 11.1.2.20 NMAC's rate tables as published in the New Mexico Register and check every number with a second, separate read. The rule prints no total; ours is base plus fringe, and the apprenticeship contribution is inside the fringe.
Download columns: Every row of 11.1.2.20 NMAC for 2026 (both sets) and 2027: construction type, trade, county or zone, base, fringe, apprenticeship contribution, our total and Register page.
New York: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor (NYSDOL) publishes the rates on dol.ny.gov. This site copies 2026-27 schedules, with the October 1, 2026 updates: 11,229 records for 63 counties and New York City. NYSDOL issues the annual determination for July 1 to June 30, and posts corrections on the first business day of each month.
New York: how we check them
We read every NYSDOL job description and county schedule for 2026-27, with the monthly updates through October 1, 2026, and the NYC Comptroller's schedule, and check every number with a second read. Neither agency prints a total; ours is wage plus supplements. 270 rows in force print no rate; their pages quote NYSDOL's reason instead of a number. On 3,044 rows part of the fringe is a percentage of wages; our total leaves it out and the page calls it a floor.
Download columns: Every NYSDOL and NYC Comptroller row for 2026-27: county or NYC, schedule, job description, classification, wage, supplements (flat or %), our total, steps, overtime codes and source.
Oregon: where the numbers come from
The Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) publishes the rates on oregon.gov. This site copies BOLI book of September 3, 2026 with the October 5, 2026 amendment: 2,775 records for 36 counties. BOLI publishes rate books and amendments about quarterly; this set is the September 3, 2026 book with the October 5, 2026 amendment.
Oregon: how we check them
We read every row of BOLI's September 3, 2026 book and October 5, 2026 amendment and check every number with a second, separate reader. BOLI prints no total; ours is base plus fringe.
Download columns: Every row of BOLI's September 3, 2026 book and October 5, 2026 amendment: county, trade, Area, zone, base, fringe, our total, overtime and source page.
Pennsylvania: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) publishes the rates on dliweb.pa.gov. This site copies PPWS county schedules from each county's newest determination (Oct 25, 2026): 10,480 records for 67 counties, 6,111 of them in force on October 25, 2026 and the rest dated steps or earlier issues. L&I issues a determination for each project on request, and a craft's rate changes when its collective bargaining agreement steps, so there is no annual publication date.
Pennsylvania: how we check them
We read each county's newest PPWS determination from L&I's site and check every number with a second read. The totals are the ones L&I prints.
Download columns: Every row of each county's newest PPWS determination: county, determination number and date, project, Building or Heavy/Highway, classification, base, fringe, total, effective date and step status.
Rhode Island: where the numbers come from
The Department of Labor and Training (DLT) publishes the rates on dlt.ri.gov. This site copies Davis-Bacon RI20260001 Mod 5 (Oct 1, 2026) and related decisions: 547 records for 5 counties. Rhode Island uses the federal Davis-Bacon determinations, modified a few times a year, and re-rates open contracts every July 1.
Rhode Island: how we check them
We read every active Rhode Island Davis-Bacon decision from SAM.gov's API and DLT's retirement schedule, and check every number with a second read. Davis-Bacon prints no total; ours is base plus fringe.
Download columns: Every row of Rhode Island's active Davis-Bacon decisions: county, decision and modification, rate identifier, classification, base, fringe, our total and DLT's retirement minimum.
Wyoming: where the numbers come from
The Department of Workforce Services (DWS) publishes the rates on dws.wyo.gov. This site copies DWS 2026 rates (effective May 1, 2026): 90 records for 23 counties. DWS sets the rates once a year from its wage survey, and unless someone objects they take effect May 1.
Wyoming: how we check them
We read DWS's 2026 rate sheet and check every number with a second read, and the heavy and highway figures against WYDOT's separately hosted copy; the last run found no mismatches. DWS prints no total; ours is wage plus fringe.
Download columns: Every row of DWS's 2026 sheet: column (statewide building; heavy and highway statewide, Laramie, Natrona, rest of state), craft, survey code, classification, wage, fringe, method codes and our total.
Davis-Bacon: where the numbers come from
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division publishes the Davis-Bacon general wage determinations (WDs) on SAM.gov. We read every active WD and every 2026 revision of each from SAM.gov's own data: 4,235 WDs and 124,463 rate rows nationwide as of October 25, 2026. For 34 states and territories (Alabama, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin) these are the only rates on the site: 76,198 rows from 2,969 WDs. Each county page lists the WDs that cover it by construction type (building, residential, highway, heavy), and each rate names its WD, modification number and publication date, with a link to the WD on SAM.gov.
Davis-Bacon: how we check them
One program reads each WD line by line. A second program, written separately, re-reads every cached WD by fixed column positions and compares the rate identifier, its date, the classification, the base and the fringe of every row, the row counts per WD, the modification number and date, and the counties. The last run found no mismatches, and it catches deliberate errors (a cent added to a base, a changed fringe, an edited classification, a dropped county). DOL prints no total: ours is the base plus the fringe where the fringe is a dollar amount. Where DOL prints the fringe as a percentage or a footnote, or prints a rate per day, the page shows the base and DOL's wording and no total. A WD row that names particular counties (for example "LABORER (COLLETON)") is shown only in those counties. Specialty WDs (dredging only, sewer lines only and the like) are listed on county pages but never stand in for the county's rate.
Davis-Bacon next to a state's own rate
On the rate pages of states with their own schedules, we put the federal rate next to the state's only when the match is clear: the state row and the federal row have to name the same trade's journeyperson classification (inside wireman, plumber, carpenter, bricklayer and so on), the federal row can't be limited to another kind of construction or another county, and exactly one federal rate has to fit. Trades that the schedules split into equipment or task groups (operating engineers, truck drivers, most laborer groups) and specialty rows (foremen, apprentices, tunnel, diving, shift) aren't compared. Otherwise the page lists the federal rows for the trade without a figure next to the state's. Whether a job pays the higher of the two depends on the state's law, and each state page says what its law does.
When the rates are updated
We re-run the download and the checks when an agency publishes new rates or a correction: DIR's February and August periods, each IDOL posting, L&I's February and August publications and mid-period corrections, each of the other states' releases and corrections described above, and DOL's weekly batches of Davis-Bacon modifications. Each page shows the date it was last checked. The current data was checked on October 24, 2026.