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New York operating engineer prevailing wage, county by county
An operating engineer's prevailing wage on New York public works runs from $50.19 an hour in Suffolk County to $131.26 in New York City. The median county is $89.92.
Main operating engineer classification in each county, 2026-27 schedules, with the October 1, 2026 updates. New York doesn't lock rates at bid: contractors pay the current prevailing rate, including the dated steps in the schedule, and monthly corrections retroactive to July 1 (NYSDOL). Checked October 25, 2026.
How much does an operating engineer make on prevailing wage in New York?
10 groups of counties with identical rates and 3 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- New York City1 county$131.26
- Kings County group5 counties$122.77
- Orange County group5 counties$105.47
- Westchester County group2 counties$96.62
- Dutchess County1 county$96.62
- Albany County group17 counties$92.16
- Erie County group4 counties$89.92
- Cattaraugus County group2 counties$89.92
- Genesee County1 county$89.92
- Chenango County group3 counties$87.31
- Onondaga County group11 counties$84.24
- Monroe County group9 counties$82.75
- Suffolk County group2 counties$50.19
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties and New York City | Main classification | Wage + supplements | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | Engineer - Heavy Construction Operating Engineer I | $131.26 | $79.50 |
| Kings County group, 5 localities: Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond | Operating Engineer - Building, Maintenance, Steel Erection & Heavy Construction: Group 1 | $122.77 | $83.44 |
| Orange County group, 5 localities: Delaware, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster | Operating Engineer - Building / Heavy&Highway: Class A | $105.47 | $68.72 |
| Westchester County group, 2 localities: Putnam, Westchester | Operating Engineer - Building: GROUP I-A | $96.62 | $62.20 |
| Dutchess County* | Operating Engineer - Building: GROUP I-A | $96.62 | $62.20 |
| Albany County group, 17 localities: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, Washington | Operating Engineer - Building: Class A (CLASS C) | $92.16 | $57.78 |
| Erie County group, 4 localities: Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Orleans | Operating Engineer - Building: Class A | $89.92 | $52.53 |
| Cattaraugus County group, 2 localities: Cattaraugus, Wyoming | Operating Engineer - Building: Class A | $89.92 | $52.53 |
| Genesee County* | Operating Engineer - Building: Class A | $89.92 | $52.53 |
| Chenango County group, 3 localities: Broome, Chenango, Tioga | Operating Engineer - Building: Class A (CLASS C) | $87.31 | $53.01 |
| Onondaga County group, 11 localities: Cayuga, Cortland, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Tompkins | Operating Engineer - Building: Class A | $84.24 | $51.21 |
| Monroe County group, 9 localities: Allegany, Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Yates | Operating Engineer - Building: CLASS A | $82.75 | $46.24 |
| Suffolk County group, 2 localities: Nassau, Suffolk | Operating Engineer - Building / Heavy&Highway: Well Driller | $50.19 | $45.63 |
10 groups of counties with identical NYSDOL rates, and 3 counties with rates of their own. * Part of the county has a rate of its own; its page lists each part's rate.
NYSDOL schedules list registered-apprentice wages as a percentage of the journeyworker rate, with their own supplement amounts, under REGISTERED APPRENTICES (verbatim in `apprentice_text`). Only registered apprentices may be paid those rates.
Questions about New York operating engineer pay
What is the operating engineer prevailing wage in New York City?
$131.26 an hour: a $79.50 base wage plus $51.76 in supplements, under 2026-27 schedules, with the October 1, 2026 updates. Overtime and every operating engineer classification in New York City.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In New York City the $131.26 total is a $79.50 base wage plus $51.76 in supplements, about 39% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage pay overtime in New York?
Work over eight hours in a day or more than five days in a week is overtime at "a premium wage commensurate with the premium wages prevailing in the area" (Labor Law §220(2)). Each trade's rules are NYSDOL codes, copied here; they combine, so we don't compute overtime dollars.
Do apprentice operating engineers get this rate?
NYSDOL schedules list registered-apprentice wages as a percentage of the journeyworker rate, with their own supplement amounts, under REGISTERED APPRENTICES (verbatim in `apprentice_text`). Only registered apprentices may be paid those rates.
Why do some counties have the same operating engineer rate?
NYSDOL often publishes the same operating engineer rates for several counties. Across New York, the 63 counties with an operating engineer rate fall into 13 distinct sets of rates, and 10 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 17 counties (the Albany County group).