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South Carolina operating engineer prevailing wage, county by county

An operating engineer's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage in South Carolina runs from $17.29 an hour in Horry County to $23.16 in Berkeley County. The median county is $18.34.

Main operating engineer classification in each county (Operator: backhoe/excavator/trackhoe), Davis-Bacon wage determinations on SAM.gov, as of October 25, 2026. A contract keeps the wage determination in its bid documents. Modifications published before bid opening apply to it, though one published less than 10 days before can be left out if the agency finds there isn't time to tell bidders (29 CFR 1.6(c)). Checked October 25, 2026.

Greenville County operating engineer: $18.70 per hourBamberg County operating engineer: $18.22 per hourChester County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourUnion County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourFlorence County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourSaluda County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourAnderson County operating engineer: $18.01 per hourGreenwood County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourCharleston County operating engineer: $23.16 per hourYork County operating engineer: $18.01 per hourJasper County operating engineer: $18.78 per hourBeaufort County operating engineer: $21.76 per hourChesterfield County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourDorchester County operating engineer: $23.16 per hourClarendon County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourDarlington County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourDillon County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourGeorgetown County operating engineer: $18.78 per hourHampton County operating engineer: $18.78 per hourLancaster County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourLee County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourMcCormick County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourPickens County operating engineer: $18.47 per hourSumter County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourAllendale County operating engineer: $18.22 per hourAbbeville County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourWilliamsburg County operating engineer: $18.78 per hourAiken County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourHorry County operating engineer: $17.29 per hourColleton County operating engineer: $18.78 per hourLaurens County operating engineer: $18.47 per hourFairfield County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourKershaw County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourOconee County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourSpartanburg County operating engineer: $18.01 per hourBerkeley County operating engineer: $23.16 per hourEdgefield County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourOrangeburg County operating engineer: $18.22 per hourNewberry County operating engineer: $18.22 per hourLexington County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourMarlboro County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourBarnwell County operating engineer: $18.22 per hourCherokee County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourMarion County operating engineer: $17.93 per hourRichland County operating engineer: $19.48 per hourCalhoun County operating engineer: $19.48 per hour
$17$17$18$18$19$23Operating Engineer, main rate, base + fringe per hour. Each shade holds about a fifth of the counties.

How much does an operating engineer make on prevailing wage in South Carolina?

5 groups of counties with identical rates and 33 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.

  1. Berkeley County1 county$23.16
  2. Charleston County1 county$23.16
  3. Dorchester County1 county$23.16
  4. Beaufort County1 county$21.76
  5. Saluda County group2 counties$19.48
  6. Aiken County1 county$19.48
  7. Darlington County1 county$19.48
  8. Edgefield County1 county$19.48
  9. Fairfield County1 county$19.48
  10. Florence County1 county$19.48
  11. Kershaw County1 county$19.48
  12. Lexington County1 county$19.48
  13. Richland County1 county$19.48
  14. Sumter County1 county$19.48
  15. Georgetown County group2 counties$18.78
  16. Colleton County1 county$18.78
  17. Hampton County1 county$18.78
  18. Williamsburg County1 county$18.78
  19. Greenville County1 county$18.70
  20. Laurens County1 county$18.47
  21. Pickens County1 county$18.47
  22. Allendale County1 county$18.22
  23. Bamberg County1 county$18.22
  24. Barnwell County1 county$18.22
  25. Newberry County1 county$18.22
  26. Orangeburg County1 county$18.22
  27. Anderson County1 county$18.01
  28. Spartanburg County1 county$18.01
  29. York County1 county$18.01
  30. Marion County group4 counties$17.93
  31. Oconee County group3 counties$17.93
  32. Abbeville County group2 counties$17.93
  33. Chester County1 county$17.93
  34. Chesterfield County1 county$17.93
  35. Clarendon County1 county$17.93
  36. Greenwood County1 county$17.93
  37. Lancaster County1 county$17.93
  38. Horry County1 county$17.29

Which counties pay which rate

CountiesMain classificationBase + fringeBase
Berkeley CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$23.16 $19.62 
Charleston CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$23.16 $19.62 
Dorchester CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$23.16 $19.62 
Beaufort CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$21.76 $19.14 
Saluda County group, 2 localities: Calhoun, SaludaOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Aiken CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Darlington CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Edgefield CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Fairfield CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Florence CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Kershaw CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Lexington CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Richland CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Sumter CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$19.48 $16.81 
Georgetown County group, 2 localities: Georgetown, JasperOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.78 $16.95 
Colleton CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.78 $16.95 
Hampton CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.78 $16.95 
Williamsburg CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.78 $16.95 
Greenville CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.70 $16.68 
Laurens CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.47 $16.19 
Pickens CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.47 $16.19 
Allendale CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.22 $16.39 
Bamberg CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.22 $16.39 
Barnwell CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.22 $16.39 
Newberry CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.22 $16.39 
Orangeburg CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.22 $16.39 
Anderson CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.01 $16.05 
Spartanburg CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.01 $16.05 
York CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$18.01 $16.05 
Marion County group, 4 localities: Dillon, Lee, Marion, MarlboroOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$17.93 $16.17 
Oconee County group, 3 localities: Cherokee, Oconee, UnionOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$17.93 $16.17 
Abbeville County group, 2 localities: Abbeville, McCormickOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$17.93 $16.17 
Chester CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$17.93 $16.17 
Chesterfield CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$17.93 $16.17 
Clarendon CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$17.93 $16.17 
Greenwood CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$17.93 $16.17 
Lancaster CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$17.93 $16.17 
Horry CountyOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE$17.29 $17.04 

5 groups of counties with identical DOL rates, and 33 counties with rates of their own.

Questions about South Carolina operating engineer pay

What is the operating engineer prevailing wage in Greenville County?

$18.70 an hour: a $16.68 base wage plus $2.02 in fringe benefits, under wage determination SC20260025, modification 1. Overtime and every operating engineer classification in Greenville County.

Does operating engineer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?

Yes. In Greenville County the $18.70 total is a $16.68 base wage plus $2.02 in fringe benefits, about 11% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.

Does operating engineer prevailing wage pay overtime in South Carolina?

Davis-Bacon rates are straight time. On contracts over $100,000, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act requires 1½ times the basic rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (40 U.S.C. 3702). The fringe is owed for every hour at its straight-time amount.

Do apprentice operating engineers get this rate?

Davis-Bacon determinations list journeyworker rates. Apprentices in a program registered with DOL or a recognized state agency can be paid the program's percentage of the rate, within its ratio; anyone else gets the full rate (29 CFR 5.5(a)(4)).

Why do some counties have the same operating engineer rate?

DOL often publishes the same operating engineer rates for several counties. Across South Carolina, the 46 counties with an operating engineer rate fall into 38 distinct sets of rates, and 5 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 4 counties (the Marion County group).