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§ TOOLSFederal Law · Worker Rights

Prevailing Wage
Lookup.

If you're working on a government-funded construction project, federal law says you must be paid the “prevailing wage” for your trade in your county. Most workers don't know what that rate is. Here's how to find out.

§ 01

What Is Prevailing Wage?

The Davis-Bacon Act (1931) requires contractors and subcontractors working on federally funded or federally assisted construction contracts over $2,000to pay workers the “prevailing wage” — the rate that is standard for that trade in the geographic area where the project is located.

The U.S. Department of Labor determines prevailing wages through surveys and publishes them in Wage Determinations — official documents that become part of every covered federal construction contract. If the contract has a Davis-Bacon Wage Determination attached, every worker on that project must be paid at least those rates for their trade classification.

In practice, prevailing wage rates are typically equal to or close to union scale in the area. In right-to-work states, prevailing wage on a federal project may be the only time non-union workers are paid union-equivalent rates.

$2,000
minimum federal contract value for Davis-Bacon to apply
28
states with their own 'Little Davis-Bacon' prevailing wage laws for state-funded projects
~7,000
wage determinations published by DOL — one for each county × trade × project type
§ 02

Find Your Rate

Prevailing wage rates are set at the county level — your county may have a different rate than the next county over. Select your state and trade to get to the official lookup.

Your state
Your trade
Federal Davis-Bacon Rate

The official source for all federal prevailing wage determinations is SAM.gov. Search for wage determinations in your state for electrician (inside wireman) work. Rates are indexed by state, county, and construction type (Building, Heavy, Highway, or Residential).

Search SAM.gov Wage Determinations →DOL Davis-Bacon Overview →
How to read a wage determination:Look for your trade classification (e.g., “ELEC0001” for electricians). The rate shown is the minimum hourly wage + fringe benefits. Both must be paid. Fringe benefits can be paid as cash (added to hourly) or through a bona fide benefit plan.
§ 03

Does It Apply to Your Job?

✓
Federal building or facility construction
Post offices, federal courthouses, VA hospitals, military bases, federal office buildings. Davis-Bacon applies.
✓
Federally-funded highway or bridge
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funded projects. Davis-Bacon applies under the Federal Aid Highway Act.
✓
HUD-funded housing construction
Section 8, public housing, Community Development Block Grants. Davis-Bacon applies.
?
State-funded road or public building
Depends entirely on whether your state has a 'Little Davis-Bacon' law. See the state lookup above.
✗
Private commercial or residential construction
No prevailing wage requirement unless state law applies (rare for private projects).
?
Public school or hospital construction
If funded with federal dollars (e.g., ESSER, CDBG), Davis-Bacon applies. State-funded only — depends on state law.
?
Solar or wind energy project
IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) projects may qualify for enhanced tax credits only if Davis-Bacon wages are paid. This created a new compliance regime for energy projects starting in 2023.
§ 04

If You're Being Underpaid.

Contractors who underpay workers on Davis-Bacon covered projects face contract termination, debarment from future federal contracts, and civil penalties. Workers are entitled to back wages for the difference between what they were paid and what they should have been paid.

1
Confirm the project is covered

Ask your employer or the general contractor: 'Is there a Davis-Bacon Wage Determination on this contract?' They are required to post it at the job site. If they won't show it, that's a signal.

2
Find your classification in the wage determination

Wage determinations list rates by trade classification code (e.g., ELEC0001 for electricians). Your classification should match your actual work. If you're doing journeyman work but classified as a helper, that's a violation.

3
File a complaint with the DOL Wage and Hour Division

File at dol.gov/agencies/whd or call 1-866-487-9243. The WHD investigates Davis-Bacon complaints. Complaints can be anonymous. Retaliation against workers who file complaints is illegal.

File a complaint →
4
Contact a labor attorney

For significant back wages (weeks or months of underpayment), an employment attorney working on contingency can recover the full amount owed plus penalties. The National Employment Law Project (nelp.org) can refer you to attorneys specializing in prevailing wage cases.

Sources
  • Davis-Bacon Act, 40 U.S.C. §§ 3141–3148. DOL Wage & Hour Division.
  • U.S. Department of Labor, “Davis-Bacon and Related Acts” — dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/construction
  • SAM.gov Wage Determinations database — sam.gov/wage-determinations
  • Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) prevailing wage requirements — IRS Notice 2022-61, effective Jan. 1, 2023.
  • State prevailing wage law summaries: individual state DOL agency pages cited above.