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Dawson County, MT · Carpenter
Carpenter prevailing wage in Dawson County, Montana
$48.38an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum)
$32.05 base wage + $16.33 fringe benefits · Building Construction · District 4 (Billings, Miles City and Sidney)
Dawson County uses the same carpenter rates as 20 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On Montana public works in Dawson County, a carpenter must be paid at least $48.38 an hour: a $32.05 base wage plus $16.33 in benefits. DLI prints no total, so $48.38 is our sum of the two.
DLI 2026 rates, revised April 25, 2026; this rate, effective April 25, 2026. "The wage rates applicable to a particular public works project are those in effect at the time the bid specifications are advertised" (ARM 24.17.127). Checked against erd.dli.mt.gov on October 25, 2026.
DLI lists 3 carpenter rates for Dawson County, from $48.38 to $54.38 an hour. See all of them.
- DLI allowances (verbatim): Zone Pay:; 0-30 mi. free zone; >30-60 mi. + $4.00/hr.; >60mi. + $6.00/hr.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $32.05 + $16.33
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DLI prints the 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) | $32.05 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $16.33 |
| Base + benefits (our sum; DLI prints no total) | $48.38 |
When does this rate change?
- Montana rates lock when the bid specifications are advertised, so a later revision doesn't change an advertised project (ARM 24.17.127; section E of each 2026 schedule). Contracts of more than 30 months add 3% a year (MCA 18-2-417).
- DLI sets rates once a year and revises them mid-year when needed. The 2026 rates were revised effective April 25, 2026; the 2027 drafts are out for comment until November 15, 2026 (DLI rates page).
Every carpenter rate in Dawson County
As DLI lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- CARPENTERSHeavy Construction · Statewide$54.38
- CARPENTERSHighway Construction · Statewide$54.38
- CARPENTERSBuilding Construction · District 4 (Billings, Miles City and Sidney)$48.38
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARPENTERSBuilding ConstructionDistrict 4 (Billings, Miles City and Sidney) | $32.05 | $16.33 | $48.38 | Apr 25, 2026 |
| CARPENTERSHeavy ConstructionStatewide | $38.05 | $16.33 | $54.38 | Apr 25, 2026 |
| CARPENTERSHighway ConstructionStatewide | $38.05 | $16.33 | $54.38 | Apr 25, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon carpenter rate in Dawson County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. Montana's law doesn't apply where federal law sets the rate, so a Davis-Bacon job uses the federal schedule (DLI FAQ).
We don't put a federal figure next to DLI's here, because the federal determination for this county has no matching classification. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY) ZONE DEFINITION: THE HOURLY RATE APPLICABLE TO EACH PROJECT IS DETERMINED BY MEASURING THE ROAD MILES OVER THE SHORTEST PRACTICAL …CARP0082-012 | $32.05 | $47.07 | MT20260029 Mod 1 |
| Building | CARPENTER, EXCLUDES DRYWALL HANGING, AND FORM WORKSUMT2011-005 | $16.70 | $19.01 | MT20260029 Mod 1 |
| Highway | CARPENTER: CarpenterSAMT2026-001 | $43.78 | $60.85 | MT20260080 Mod 3 |
| Heavy | CARPENTER, EXCLUDES FORM WORKSUMT2011-052 | $21.13 | $28.13 | MT20260076 Mod 1 |
| Heavy | CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY)SUMT2011-052 | $24.30 | $32.10 | MT20260076 Mod 1 |
| Residential | CARPENTERSUMT1992-014 | $7.25 | $7.25 | MT20260019 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Montana Davis-Bacon changes
How Dawson County compares
The main carpenter rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Montana
Wage and benefits, nearby
- Dawson Countybase $32.05$48.38
- Prairie Countybase $32.05$48.38
- Wibaux Countybase $32.05$48.38
- Richland Countybase $32.05$48.38
Carpenter rates in nearby counties
Current DLI rates. Building rates apply "to the district in which the work is being performed"; heavy and highway rates are statewide (MCA 18-2-403).
DLI's carpenter rates for Dawson County are the same as in 20 other counties: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Daniels, Fallon, Garfield, McCone and 12 more.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Dawson County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County | CARPENTERS | $32.05 | $48.38 | |
| Prairie County | CARPENTERS | $32.05 | $48.38 | same |
| Wibaux County | CARPENTERS | $32.05 | $48.38 | same |
| Richland County | CARPENTERS | $32.05 | $48.38 | same |
| McCone County | CARPENTERS | $32.05 | $48.38 | same |
| Fallon County | CARPENTERS | $32.05 | $48.38 | same |
| Roosevelt County | CARPENTERS | $32.05 | $48.38 | same |
More from DLI on this rate
- DLI DLI 2026 schedule, page 7
- DLI's state prevailing wage rates
- DLI lists journey-level rates. Registered apprentices get their program's percentage of the rate plus the full benefit (MCA 18-2-416).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base wage to what your employer pays into benefit plans for you (or in cash), and compare it with the total. Contractors post the wages and benefits on site from day one and keep payroll records 3 years (MCA 18-2-422). DLI: (406) 444-6543.
Source
Department of Labor & Industry (DLI), DLI 2026 schedule MTDLI-BLD-2026-04-25, effective April 25, 2026, page 7: erd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/labor-standards/Prevailing-Wage/2026-Building-Construction.pdf
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. How we check · Download Dawson County as CSV · Report an error