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Washington commercial diver prevailing wage, county by county
A commercial diver's prevailing wage on Washington public works runs from $87.92 an hour in Wahkiakum County to $149.22 in Chelan County, wages and fringe benefits together. The median county is $149.22.
Main commercial diver classification in each county, L&I period 2026-2, commercial rates. Checked October 24, 2026.
How much does a commercial diver make on prevailing wage in Washington?
3 groups of counties with identical rates and 0 counties with rates of their own, highest main rate first, each split into wage and fringe benefits on one scale. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- King County group20 counties · Diver$149.22
- Spokane County group14 counties · Diver$137.01
- Clark County group5 counties · Diver Tender$87.92
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Total | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| King County group, 20 counties: Chelan, Clallam, Douglas, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Whatcom, Yakima | Diver | $149.22 | $128.44 |
| Spokane County group, 14 counties: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman | Diver | $137.01 | $119.23 |
| Clark County group, 5 counties: Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania, Wahkiakum | Diver Tender | $87.92 | $66.32 |
3 groups of counties with identical L&I rates, and 0 counties with rates of their own.
These are journey-level rates. Registered apprentices are paid L&I's apprentice rate for the trade (RCW 39.12.021), which L&I publishes in its wage lookup.
Questions about Washington commercial diver pay
What is the commercial diver prevailing wage in King County?
$149.22 an hour: a $128.44 base wage plus $20.78 in fringe benefits, under L&I period 2026-2. Overtime and every commercial diver classification in King County.
Does commercial diver prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In King County the $149.22 total is a $128.44 base wage plus $20.78 in fringe benefits, about 14% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Do apprentice commercial divers get this rate?
Registered apprentices get L&I's apprentice rate for the trade (RCW 39.12.021), which L&I publishes in its wage lookup. Anyone else on the job is paid as a journey-level worker.
Why do some counties have the same commercial diver rate?
L&I often publishes the same commercial diver rates for several counties. Across Washington, the 39 counties with a commercial diver rate fall into 3 distinct sets of rates, and 3 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 20 counties (the King County group).
Which county pays commercial divers the most in Washington?
Chelan County, at $149.22 an hour for the main classification. The lowest is Wahkiakum County at $87.92, and the median county is $149.22.