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Cowlitz County · Ironworker

Ironworker prevailing wage in Cowlitz County, Washington

$85.13an hour, base wage + fringe benefits

$49.80 base wage + $35.33 fringe benefits

Cowlitz County uses the same ironworker rates as 4 other counties. See all of them on one page.

On Washington public works in Cowlitz County, an ironworker must be paid at least $85.13 an hour in total: $49.80 in wages plus $35.33 in fringe benefits for health, pension, vacation, training and other plans. L&I's rate took effect March 4, 2026.

L&I published this rate on February 2, 2026 and it took effect March 4, 2026. L&I hasn't changed it since, so it is still current in period 2026-2. Checked against L&I's wage lookup on October 24, 2026.

Base wage and fringe benefits: $49.80 + $35.33

The wage is the taxable hourly rate. The other lines are what Washington law calls "usual benefits": contributions to health, pension, vacation and holiday, apprenticeship and similar plans. A contractor that doesn't provide a benefit pays its value as wages instead (RCW 39.12.010).

Base wage (taxable)	$49.80
Health and welfare	$10.40
Pension	$19.50
Vacation and holiday	$4.00
Training	$1.12
Other benefits	$0.31
Total straight-time hourly rate	$85.13

Set from: collective bargaining agreement, Master Labor Agreement between Northwest Iron Workers Employers Association, Inc. and Iron Workers District Council of the Pacific Northwest. Local #29. Where a county has a collective bargaining agreement, L&I adopts its wage and benefits; with more than one, the higher rate prevails. Otherwise L&I uses wage surveys (RCW 39.12.015).

Overtime

L&I overtime code 11N:

Overtime Calculations are based on the hourly rate actually paid to the worker. On public works projects, the hourly rate must be not less than the prevailing rate of wage minus the hourly rate of the cost of fringe benefits actually provided for the worker.

ALL HOURS WORKED IN EXCESS OF EIGHT (8) HOURS PER DAY OR FORTY (40) HOURS PER WEEK SHALL BE PAID AT ONE AND ONE-HALF TIMES THE HOURLY RATE OF WAGE.

All work performed over twelve hours in a shift and all work performed on Sundays and Holidays shall be paid at double the straight time rate.

Any time worked over eight (8) hours on Saturday shall be paid double the straight time rate, except employees assigned to work six 10-hour shifts per week shall be paid double the straight time rate for any time worked on Saturday over 10 hours.

Washington has no single overtime rule for prevailing wage. Each rate carries its own L&I code, copied here as published.

Labor cost calculator: a crew's straight-time wage and fringe cost over the job dates.

When does this rate change?

Rates lock at the bid date. A project uses “the rates that are in effect on the date when bids by prime contractors are due”, and they stay for the life of the contract. If the contract isn't awarded within six months of the bid date, the award-date rates apply. Contracts without bids use the date they're signed (WAC 296-127-011).
L&I publishes on the first business day of February and August, and rates take effect 30 days later. Corrections can be published at any time and also take effect 30 days later (WAC 296-127-011(1); L&I publications and corrections). L&I's next set is due February 1, 2027, effective March 3, 2027.
L&I doesn't republish every rate each period. A rate stays until L&I changes it, so each one has its own date. This one was published February 2, 2026 and took effect March 4, 2026.

Davis-Bacon ironworker rate in Cowlitz County

Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. When a contract requires both the state rate and the Davis-Bacon rate, paying the higher of the two meets both. The contract documents say which apply.

For building work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is IRONWORKER at $92.46 ($57.94 base + $34.52 fringe), from WA20260105 modification 1, published May 18, 2026, rate IRON0086-006. Against L&I's $85.13: The Davis-Bacon rate is $7.33 an hour higher.

For highway work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is IRONWORKER (CLARK, COWLITZ, KLICKITAT, PACIFIC, SKAMANIA, AND WAHKAIKUM COUNTIES) at $82.83 ($48.31 base + $34.52 fringe), from WA20260001 modification 4, published June 16, 2026, rate IRON0029-002. Against L&I's $85.13: L&I's rate is $2.30 an hour higher.

For heavy work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is IRONWORKER at $68.92 ($43.29 base + $25.63 fringe), from WA20260123 modification 1, published May 18, 2026, rate SUWA2018-023. Against L&I's $85.13: L&I's rate is $16.21 an hour higher.

Construction	Federal classification	Base wage	Total rate	WD
Building	IRONWORKERIRON0086-006	$57.94	$92.46	WA20260105 Mod 1
Highway	IRONWORKER (CLARK, COWLITZ, KLICKITAT, PACIFIC, SKAMANIA, AND WAHKAIKUM COUNTIES)IRON0029-002	$48.31	$82.83	WA20260001 Mod 4
Heavy	IRONWORKERSUWA2018-023	$43.29	$68.92	WA20260123 Mod 1

Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Washington Davis-Bacon changes

Holidays

L&I holiday code 15K:

Holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day (8). Any holiday which falls on a Sunday shall be observed as a holiday on the following Monday. When Christmas falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be observed as a holiday.

How Cowlitz County compares

The main ironworker rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and in the nearest counties. All bars use the same scale.

Every county in Washington

Cowlitz $85.131915

$80.70Adams$94.82Clallam

CowlitzNearby: Clark $85.13, Lewis $94.82, Wahkiakum $85.13Each column is a group of counties with about the same main rate; its height is how many. 15 counties pay more than Cowlitz, 4 the same, 19 less.

Base wage and fringe benefits, nearby

Cowlitz Countybase $49.80$85.13
Clark Countybase $49.80$85.13
Lewis Countybase $59.93$94.82
Wahkiakum Countybase $49.80$85.13

Ironworker rates in nearby counties

Current L&I rates. You pay the rate for the county where the work is done. The statute defines “locality” as “the largest city in the county wherein the physical work is being performed”, and L&I publishes rates county by county (RCW 39.12.010).

L&I's ironworker rates for Cowlitz County are the same as in 4 other counties: Clark, Klickitat, Skamania, Wahkiakum.

County	Classification	Base wage	Total rate	vs Cowlitz County
Lewis County	Journeyman	$59.93	$94.82	+$9.69
Thurston County	Journeyman	$59.93	$94.82	+$9.69
Pacific County	Journeyman	$59.93	$94.82	+$9.69
Cowlitz County	Journey Level	$49.80	$85.13
Clark County	Journey Level	$49.80	$85.13	same
Wahkiakum County	Journey Level	$49.80	$85.13	same
Skamania County	Journey Level	$49.80	$85.13	same

Washington ironworker prevailing wage by county, with a map

Are you being paid this rate?

Add your wage to what your employer pays into health, pension and other plans for you, and compare it with $85.13. Each contractor files an L&I-approved Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages before it's paid, and an Affidavit of Wages Paid when the job is accepted (RCW 39.12.040). On contracts over $10,000 the approved intent and L&I's contact details are posted on the job site (RCW 39.12.020).

Source

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, prevailing wage lookup, Cowlitz County, Ironworkers (IRON), L&I wage record 149420, published February 2, 2026, effective March 4, 2026: secure.lni.wa.gov/wagelookup/

Each figure comes from L&I's lookup and is checked against L&I's CSV export and a second, separate query. How we check · Download Cowlitz County as CSV · Report an error