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Stearns County, MN · Laborer
Laborer prevailing wage in Stearns County, Minnesota
$68.00an hour, total
$40.52 wage + $27.48 fringe
On Minnesota public works in Stearns County, a laborer must be paid at least $68.00 an hour: a $40.52 base wage plus $27.48 in fringe.
DLI certifications of Nov 3 and Dec 22, 2025 (revised to Feb 9, 2026); this rate, effective May 1, 2026. The rates "must be ascertained before the state asks for bids" and written into the contract, with their dated steps (Minn. Stat. 177.43). Checked against dli.mn.gov on October 25, 2026.
DLI lists 7 laborer rates for Stearns County, from $45.05 to $68.52 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe: $40.52 + $27.48
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DLI prints the fringe 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) | $40.52 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $27.48 |
| Total hourly rate, as printed | $68.00 |
Davis-Bacon laborer rate in Stearns County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. When a contract requires both the state rate and the Davis-Bacon rate, paying the higher of the two meets both. The contract documents say which apply.
We don't put a federal figure next to DLI's here, because this page leads with a classification the federal determinations don't list one to one. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base + fringe | Base | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | BLASTER -$950,000SAMN2025-001 | $45.05 | $27.36 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Building | BLASTER +$950,000SAMN2025-001 | $46.80 | $29.11 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Building | LABORER: COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK)SAMN2025-001 | $68.00 | $40.52 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Building | LABORER: SKILLED (ASSISTING SKILLED CRAFT JOURNEYMAN)SAMN2025-001 | $68.00 | $40.52 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Building | PIPELAYER (WATER, SEWER AND GAS)SAMN2025-001 | $68.52 | $42.51 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Building | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: COMMERCIAL GROUP 3 : ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE CRANES; CONCRETE PUMP 32-49 METERS/102-164 FEET; DERRICK (GUY & STIFFLEG); STATIONARY TOWER …SAMN2025-001 | $83.08 | $52.08 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Building | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: COMMERCIAL GROUP 5 : AIR COMPRESSOR 450 CFM OR OVER (TWO OR MORE MACHINES); CONCRETE MIXER; CONCRETE PUMP UP TO 31 METERS/101 FEET OF …SAMN2025-001 | $79.52 | $48.52 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Building | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: COMMERCIAL GROUP 7 : AIR COMPRESSOR 600 CFM OR OVER; BRAKEPERSON; CONCRETE PUMP/PUMPCRETE OR COMPLACO TYPE; FIREPERSON, TEMPORARY …SAMN2025-001 | $76.34 | $45.34 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Building | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: HIGHWAY/HEAVY GROUP 5 : BITUMINOUS ROLLER (UNDER EIGHT TONS); CONCRETE SAW (MULTIPLE BLADE) (POWER OPERATED); FORM TRENCH DIGGER …SAMN2025-001 | $61.81 | $32.64 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Building | UNDERGROUND AND OPEN DITCH LABORER (EIGHT FEET BELOW STARTING GRADE LEVEL)SAMN2025-001 | $66.52 | $40.51 | MN20260099 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | BLASTERSAMN2025-001 | $44.68 | $28.11 | MN20260235 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | LABORER: COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK)SAMN2025-001 | $70.12 | $44.00 | MN20260235 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | LABORER: SKILLED (ASSISTING SKILLED CRAFT JOURNEYMAN)SAMN2025-001 | $70.12 | $44.00 | MN20260235 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | PIPELAYER (WATER, SEWER AND GAS)SAMN2025-001 | $73.62 | $47.50 | MN20260235 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: HIGHWAY/HEAVY GROUP 2 : HELICOPTER PILOT; CONCRETE PUMP; ALL CRANES WITH OVER 135-FOOT BOOM, EXCLUDING JIB; DRAGLINE, CRAWLER, …SAMN2025-001 | $79.71 | $48.71 | MN20260235 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: HIGHWAY/HEAVY GROUP 5 : AIR COMPRESSOR, 600 CFM OR OVER; BITUMINOUS ROLLER (UNDER EIGHT TONS); CONCRETE SAW (MULTIPLE BLADE) (POWER …SAMN2025-001 | $75.06 | $44.06 | MN20260235 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | UNDERGROUND AND OPEN DITCH LABORER (EIGHT FEET BELOW STARTING GRADE LEVEL)SAMN2025-001 | $71.62 | $45.50 | MN20260235 Mod 2 |
| Residential | LABORERS: GROUP 2 PIPELAYER PROJECTS OVER $950,000: $1.75 ADDITIONAL PER HOURLABO0563-023 | $37.53 | $22.56 | MN20260021 Mod 1 |
| Residential | LABORER: COMMON OR GENERALSUMN2009-058 | $16.07 | $13.26 | MN20260021 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Minnesota Davis-Bacon changes
Dated rates for this classification
DLI prints more than one dated line for LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101). The one in force on October 25, 2026 leads this page; scheduled lines take effect on their date.
| Effective | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 22, 2025 | $65.00 ($39.27 + $25.73) | Earlier |
| May 1, 2026 | $68.00 ($40.52 + $27.48) | In force |
When this rate changes
- Minnesota rates are set before bids and written into the contract, including their dated steps (Minn. Stat. 177.43, subd. 3–4). The schedule in your bid documents controls.
- DLI certifies rates at least once a year from a survey of the previous 12 months, and may certify changes at any time (Minn. R. 5200.1020, 5200.1120). Highway/heavy was certified November 3, 2025 and commercial December 22, 2025, with revisions through February 9, 2026.
Every laborer rate in Stearns County
As DLI lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- PIPELAYER (WATER, SEWER AND GAS) (107)$68.52
- LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101)$68.00
- LABORER, SKILLED (ASSISTING SKILLED CRAFT JOURNEYMAN) (102)$68.00
- UNDERGROUND AND OPEN DITCH LABORER (EIGHT FEET BELOW STARTING GRADE LEVEL) (109)$66.52
- WATCH PERSON (105)Adjacent-county rate$57.42
- BLASTER (106)Adjacent-county rate · Project +$950,000$46.80
- BLASTER (106)Adjacent-county rate · Project -$950,000$45.05
| Classification | Total | Base | Fringe | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101) | $68.00 | $40.52 | $27.48 | May 1, 2026 |
| LABORER, SKILLED (ASSISTING SKILLED CRAFT JOURNEYMAN) (102) | $68.00 | $40.52 | $27.48 | May 1, 2026 |
| WATCH PERSON (105)Adjacent-county rate | $57.42 | $34.00 | $23.42 | Dec 22, 2025 |
| BLASTER (106)Adjacent-county rateProject +$950,000 | $46.80 | $29.11 | $17.69 | Dec 22, 2025 |
| BLASTER (106)Adjacent-county rateProject -$950,000 | $45.05 | $27.36 | $17.69 | Dec 22, 2025 |
| PIPELAYER (WATER, SEWER AND GAS) (107) | $68.52 | $42.51 | $26.01 | Dec 22, 2025 |
| UNDERGROUND AND OPEN DITCH LABORER (EIGHT FEET BELOW STARTING GRADE LEVEL) (109) | $66.52 | $40.51 | $26.01 | Dec 22, 2025 |
How Stearns County compares
The main laborer rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Minnesota
Wage and fringe, nearby
- Stearns Countybase $40.52$68.00
- Meeker Countybase $40.52$68.00
- Benton Countybase $37.66$62.07
- Kandiyohi Countybase $33.00$34.75
Laborer rates in nearby counties
Current DLI rates. Commercial rates are county by county, highway and heavy by area (Minn. R. 5200.1030, 5200.1035).
| County | Classification | Total | Base | vs Stearns County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stearns County | LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101) | $68.00 | $40.52 | |
| Meeker County | LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101) | $68.00 | $40.52 | same |
| Morrison County | LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101) | $68.00 | $40.52 | same |
| Todd County | LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101) | $68.00 | $40.52 | same |
| Benton County | LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101) | $62.07 | $37.66 | −$5.93 |
| Pope County | LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101) | $36.08 | $33.00 | −$31.92 |
| Kandiyohi County | LABORER, COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK) (101) | $34.75 | $33.00 | −$33.25 |
More from DLI on this rate
- DLI DLI schedule, page 658
- DLI's prevailing wage rates
- DLI lists journeyworker rates. Registered apprentices get their program's rate; "trainee" or "helper" titles are not substitutes (Minn. R. 5200.1070).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your basic rate to what your employer pays into fringe plans for you, and compare it with the total. Contractors post the rates on site and give payroll copies to the contracting agency within 14 days of each pay period (Minn. Stat. 177.43). DLI Prevailing Wage: 651-284-5091.
Source
Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), DLI schedule DLI-C-73-2025-12-22, issued December 22, 2025, effective May 1, 2026, page 658: workplace.doli.state.mn.us/prevwage/report/consolidated/commercial.pdf
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. How we check · Download Stearns County as CSV · Report an error