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New Jersey operating engineer prevailing wage, county by county
An operating engineer's prevailing wage on New Jersey public works is $104.08 an hour in every county that has one (21), for the main classification.
Main operating engineer classification in each county (Operating engineers: backhoe (combination)), NJDOL county packages of October 19, 2026. Rates are those in effect when the contract is awarded, plus every pre-determined increase listed then, from its date (NJDOL FAQ). Checked October 25, 2026.
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Total | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen County group, 21 localities: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren | OPERATING ENGINEERS: Backhoe (combination) | $104.08 | $61.63 |
1 group of counties with identical NJDOL rates, and 0 counties with rates of their own.
NJDOL county packages print an apprentice schedule per craft (percent of the journeyman wage, benefit rule and apprentice:journeyman ratio); see the craft's apprentice text in counties.json. With no schedule listed, an apprentice is paid the journeyman rate; with no ratio listed, the ratio is 1 apprentice to 4 journeymen (NJDOL package preamble).
Questions about New Jersey operating engineer pay
What is the operating engineer prevailing wage in Bergen County?
$104.08 an hour: a $61.63 base wage plus $42.45 in fringe benefits, under NJDOL county packages of October 19, 2026. Overtime and every operating engineer classification in Bergen County.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Bergen County the $104.08 total is a $61.63 base wage plus $42.45 in fringe benefits, about 41% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage pay overtime in New Jersey?
New Jersey's Act sets no overtime formula. Each craft's notes in NJDOL's package define its workday, overtime, shifts and holidays, and unless they say otherwise the fringe for overtime hours stays at the straight-time amount (NJDOL).
Do apprentice operating engineers get this rate?
NJDOL county packages print an apprentice schedule per craft (percent of the journeyman wage, benefit rule and apprentice:journeyman ratio); see the craft's apprentice text in counties.json. With no schedule listed, an apprentice is paid the journeyman rate; with no ratio listed, the ratio is 1 apprentice to 4 journeymen (NJDOL package preamble).
Why do some counties have the same operating engineer rate?
NJDOL often publishes the same operating engineer rates for several counties. Across New Jersey, the 21 counties with an operating engineer rate fall into 1 distinct sets of rates, and 1 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 21 counties (the Bergen County group).