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Pennsylvania operating engineer prevailing wage, county by county
An operating engineer's prevailing wage on Pennsylvania public works runs from $69.33 an hour in Potter County to $91.01 in Bucks County. The median county is $77.81.
Main operating engineer classification in each county, PPWS county schedules from each county's newest determination (Oct 25, 2026). Rates are set per project: the public body gets a determination before bidding, and once the contract is signed its rates "shall not be altered" while it is in force (Act § 4). A determination must be re-requested if the contract isn't awarded within 120 days (34 Pa. Code 9.104(a)). Checked October 25, 2026.
How much does an operating engineer make on prevailing wage in Pennsylvania?
8 groups of counties with identical rates and 41 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The top 40 are drawn. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- Philadelphia County group3 counties$91.01
- Chester County1 county$91.01
- Delaware County1 county$91.01
- Berks County group9 counties$77.81
- Lancaster County group3 counties$77.81
- Northampton County group3 counties$77.81
- Lackawanna County group2 counties$77.81
- Adams County1 county$77.81
- Carbon County1 county$77.81
- Juniata County1 county$77.81
- Montour County1 county$77.81
- Perry County1 county$77.81
- Pike County1 county$77.81
- Snyder County1 county$77.81
- Sullivan County1 county$77.81
- Susquehanna County1 county$77.81
- Union County1 county$77.81
- Wayne County1 county$77.81
- Wyoming County1 county$77.81
- Allegheny County group2 counties$69.62
- Cambria County group2 counties$69.62
- Armstrong County1 county$69.62
- Beaver County1 county$69.62
- Blair County1 county$69.62
- Centre County1 county$69.62
- Clarion County1 county$69.62
- Clearfield County1 county$69.62
- Crawford County1 county$69.62
- Elk County1 county$69.62
- Erie County1 county$69.62
- Fayette County1 county$69.62
- Greene County1 county$69.62
- Indiana County1 county$69.62
- Jefferson County1 county$69.62
- Lawrence County1 county$69.62
- McKean County1 county$69.62
- Mercer County1 county$69.62
- Venango County1 county$69.62
- Warren County1 county$69.62
- Washington County1 county$69.62
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County group, 3 localities: Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $91.01 | $55.67 |
| Chester County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $91.01 | $55.67 |
| Delaware County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $91.01 | $55.67 |
| Berks County group, 9 localities: Berks, Bradford, Columbia, Dauphin, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Schuylkill | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Lancaster County group, 3 localities: Lancaster, Tioga, York | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Northampton County group, 3 localities: Cumberland, Northampton, Northumberland | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Lackawanna County group, 2 localities: Lackawanna, Lebanon | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Adams County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Carbon County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Juniata County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Montour County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Perry County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Pike County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Snyder County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Sullivan County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Susquehanna County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Union County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Wayne County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Wyoming County | Operators (Building, Class 01 - See Notes) | $77.81 | $46.05 |
| Allegheny County group, 2 localities: Allegheny, Butler | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Cambria County group, 2 localities: Cambria, Somerset | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Armstrong County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Beaver County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Blair County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Centre County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Clarion County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Clearfield County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Crawford County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Elk County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Erie County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Fayette County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Greene County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Indiana County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Jefferson County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Lawrence County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| McKean County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Mercer County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Venango County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Warren County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Washington County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Westmoreland County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.62 | $44.96 |
| Bedford County group, 2 localities: Bedford, Franklin | Operators Class 1-A | $69.33 | $44.67 |
| Cameron County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.33 | $44.67 |
| Clinton County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.33 | $44.67 |
| Forest County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.33 | $44.67 |
| Fulton County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.33 | $44.67 |
| Huntingdon County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.33 | $44.67 |
| Mifflin County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.33 | $44.67 |
| Potter County | Operators Class 1-A | $69.33 | $44.67 |
8 groups of counties with identical L&I rates, and 41 counties with rates of their own.
PPWS determinations list journeyperson rates only. Apprentices may be paid less only when registered with the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Council and employed within its ratios (34 Pa. Code 9.103(9)); otherwise pay the journeyperson rate.
Questions about Pennsylvania operating engineer pay
What is the operating engineer prevailing wage in Philadelphia County?
$91.01 an hour: a $55.67 base wage plus $35.34 in fringe benefits, under PPWS county schedules from each county's newest determination (Oct 25, 2026). Overtime and every operating engineer classification in Philadelphia County.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Philadelphia County the $91.01 total is a $55.67 base wage plus $35.34 in fringe benefits, about 39% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage pay overtime in Pennsylvania?
The Act sets no overtime rule and determinations print no overtime rates. The state Minimum Wage Act requires 1½ times the regular rate over 40 hours in a workweek (L&I FAQ).
Do apprentice operating engineers get this rate?
PPWS determinations list journeyperson rates only. Apprentices may be paid less only when registered with the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Council and employed within its ratios (34 Pa. Code 9.103(9)); otherwise pay the journeyperson rate.
Why do some counties have the same operating engineer rate?
L&I often publishes the same operating engineer rates for several counties. Across Pennsylvania, the 67 counties with an operating engineer rate fall into 49 distinct sets of rates, and 8 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 9 counties (the Berks County group).