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Rhode Island commercial diver prevailing wage, county by county
A commercial diver's prevailing wage on Rhode Island public works is $91.33 an hour in every county that has one (5), for the main classification.
Main commercial diver classification in each county (Diver (when not diving or tending the diver, the diver and diver tender shall receive the piledriver rate. diver tenders shall receive $1.00 per hour above the pile driver rate when tending the diver.)), Davis-Bacon RI20260001 Mod 5 (Oct 1, 2026) and related decisions. Rates are set at award, then adjusted every July 1 for the life of the contract (RIGL 37-13-8). Checked October 25, 2026.
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County group, 5 localities: Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, Washington | DIVER (WHEN NOT DIVING OR TENDING THE DIVER, THE DIVER AND DIVER TENDER SHALL RECEIVE THE PILEDRIVER RATE. DIVER TENDERS SHALL RECEIVE $1.00 PER HOUR ABOVE THE PILE DRIVER RATE WHEN TENDING THE DIVER.) | $91.33 | $60.83 |
1 group of counties with identical DLT rates, and 0 counties with rates of their own.
Davis-Bacon schedules list journeyworker rates only. Registered apprentices (RIGL 28-45) may be paid a percentage of the base rate per their apprenticeship agreement, but the fringe may not be reduced (DLT FAQ); unregistered or out-of-ratio apprentices get the full journeyworker rate (260-RICR-30-15-3.4(E)).
Questions about Rhode Island commercial diver pay
What is the commercial diver prevailing wage in Providence County?
$91.33 an hour: a $60.83 base wage plus $30.50 in fringe benefits, under Davis-Bacon RI20260001 Mod 5 (Oct 1, 2026) and related decisions. Overtime and every commercial diver classification in Providence County.
Does commercial diver prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Providence County the $91.33 total is a $60.83 base wage plus $30.50 in fringe benefits, about 33% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does commercial diver prevailing wage pay overtime in Rhode Island?
Over 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week is overtime, "calculated on the base rate only and then the fringe benefit rate is added" (DLT FAQ; RIGL 37-13-10). Rhode Island sets no Saturday, Sunday or holiday premium.
Do apprentice commercial divers get this rate?
Davis-Bacon schedules list journeyworker rates only. Registered apprentices (RIGL 28-45) may be paid a percentage of the base rate per their apprenticeship agreement, but the fringe may not be reduced (DLT FAQ); unregistered or out-of-ratio apprentices get the full journeyworker rate (260-RICR-30-15-3.4(E)).
Why do some counties have the same commercial diver rate?
DLT often publishes the same commercial diver rates for several counties. Across Rhode Island, the 5 counties with a commercial diver rate fall into 1 distinct sets of rates, and 1 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 5 counties (the Providence County group).