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Utah operating engineer prevailing wage, county by county
An operating engineer's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage in Utah runs from $14.48 an hour in Tooele County to $17.38 in Beaver County. The median county is $17.38.
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.
How much does an operating engineer make on prevailing wage in Utah?
29 counties, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- Beaver County1 county$17.38
- Carbon County1 county$17.38
- Daggett County1 county$17.38
- Duchesne County1 county$17.38
- Emery County1 county$17.38
- Grand County1 county$17.38
- Iron County1 county$17.38
- Kane County1 county$17.38
- Millard County1 county$17.38
- Piute County1 county$17.38
- Rich County1 county$17.38
- San Juan County1 county$17.38
- Sanpete County1 county$17.38
- Sevier County1 county$17.38
- Summit County1 county$17.38
- Uintah County1 county$17.38
- Wasatch County1 county$17.38
- Wayne County1 county$17.38
- Garfield County1 county$17.20
- Box Elder County1 county$16.92
- Cache County1 county$16.92
- Davis County1 county$16.92
- Juab County1 county$16.92
- Morgan County1 county$16.92
- Utah County1 county$16.92
- Washington County1 county$16.92
- Weber County1 county$16.92
- Salt Lake County1 county$14.48
- Tooele County1 county$14.48
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Carbon County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Daggett County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Duchesne County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Emery County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Grand County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Iron County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Kane County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Millard County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Piute County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Rich County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| San Juan County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Sanpete County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Sevier County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Summit County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Uintah County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Wasatch County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Wayne County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.38 | $16.59 |
| Garfield County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $17.20 | $16.41 |
| Box Elder County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.92 | $16.92 |
| Cache County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.92 | $16.92 |
| Davis County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.92 | $16.92 |
| Juab County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.92 | $16.92 |
| Morgan County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.92 | $16.92 |
| Utah County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.92 | $16.92 |
| Washington County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.92 | $16.92 |
| Weber County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.92 | $16.92 |
| Salt Lake County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $14.48 | $14.48 |
| Tooele County | OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $14.48 | $14.48 |
No two counties have identical DOL rates for this trade.
Questions about Utah operating engineer pay
What is the operating engineer prevailing wage in Salt Lake County?
$14.48 an hour: a $14.48 base wage plus $0.00 in fringe benefits, under wage determination UT20260085, modification 1. Overtime and every operating engineer classification in Salt Lake County.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Salt Lake County the $14.48 total is a $14.48 base wage plus $0.00 in fringe benefits, about 0% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage pay overtime in Utah?
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)).
Which county pays operating engineers the most in Utah?
Beaver County, at $17.38 an hour for the main classification. The lowest is Tooele County at $14.48, and the median county is $17.38.