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New Mexico operating engineer prevailing wage, county by county
An operating engineer's prevailing wage on New Mexico public works is $34.83 an hour in every county that has one (33), for the main classification.
Main operating engineer classification in each county (Operators – group i), 11.1.2.20 NMAC rates for decisions issued from July 1, 2026. Each project is governed by one wage rate decision "which shall remain effective for the duration of the project" (11.1.2.14 NMAC). Checked October 25, 2026.
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernalillo County group, 33 localities: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Luna, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union, Valencia | Operators – Group I | $34.83 | $26.61 |
1 group of counties with identical DWS rates, and 0 counties with rates of their own.
11.1.2.20 NMAC lists journeyworker (and some helper) rates. Apprentices are paid the rate set by their registered apprenticeship program (11.1.2.19(B) NMAC). The 'Apprenticeship' column is the employer contribution to the public works apprentice and training fund, which the rule says is included in the fringe rate (11.1.2.19(C) NMAC).
Questions about New Mexico operating engineer pay
What is the operating engineer prevailing wage in Bernalillo County?
$34.83 an hour: a $26.61 base wage plus $8.22 in fringe, under 11.1.2.20 NMAC rates for decisions issued from July 1, 2026. Overtime and every operating engineer classification in Bernalillo County.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Bernalillo County the $34.83 total is a $26.61 base wage plus $8.22 in fringe, about 24% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage pay overtime in New Mexico?
New Mexico's rate table sets no overtime premium or hours. The general rule applies: 1½ times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a week. The rule doesn't say whether the premium applies to base only or base plus fringe, so we don't compute overtime dollars.
Do apprentice operating engineers get this rate?
11.1.2.20 NMAC lists journeyworker (and some helper) rates. Apprentices are paid the rate set by their registered apprenticeship program (11.1.2.19(B) NMAC). The 'Apprenticeship' column is the employer contribution to the public works apprentice and training fund, which the rule says is included in the fringe rate (11.1.2.19(C) NMAC).
Why do some counties have the same operating engineer rate?
DWS often publishes the same operating engineer rates for several counties. Across New Mexico, the 33 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 33 counties (the Bernalillo County group).