Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rates in California
Rates as of September 17, 2026, from the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations on SAM.gov
California has 28 active Davis-Bacon wage determinations covering building, residential, highway and heavy construction in 58 counties. Each one sets the minimum hourly rate and fringe benefit a contractor must pay each trade on federal and federally assisted jobs there.
Typical rates by trade
The lowest and highest basic hourly rate for each trade across the state's current determinations, the total with fringe, and the BLS median wage for the same occupation statewide (May 2025). Per-day rows and figures DOL printed outside the usual range are left out of the spread.
| Trade | Hourly rate | With fringe | Determinations | BLS median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $7.73 – $104.68 | $7.73 – $154.14 | 27 | $36.62 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $8.25 – $91.00 | $8.25 – $140.49 | 28 | $35.01 |
| Carpenters | $7.25 – $60.54 | $7.25 – $95.60 | 28 | $36.50 |
| Laborers | $7.25 – $55.88 | $7.25 – $80.81 | 28 | $28.98 |
| Power equipment operators | $8.53 – $68.08 | $9.15 – $108.85 | 20 | $41.90 |
| Ironworkers | $18.01 – $55.83 | $26.94 – $90.98 | 24 | $36.72 |
| Sheet metal workers | $9.00 – $86.31 | $9.00 – $133.06 | 25 | $36.82 |
| Painters | $8.19 – $57.00 | $8.19 – $85.04 | 28 | $28.38 |
| Roofers | $7.25 – $57.17 | $7.25 – $78.68 | 26 | $30.58 |
| Cement masons | $8.50 – $47.70 | $8.50 – $74.77 | 28 | $30.15 |
| Bricklayers | $15.18 – $58.81 | $15.18 – $85.52 | 20 | $33.20 |
| Truck drivers | $7.50 – $45.31 | $8.12 – $79.74 | 19 | not published |
Rates by county
- Alameda County
- Contra Costa County
- Fresno County
- Kern County
- Los Angeles County
- Marin County
- Merced County
- Monterey County
- Orange County
- Placer County
- Riverside County
- Sacramento County
- San Bernardino County
- San Diego County
- San Francisco County
- San Joaquin County
- San Luis Obispo County
- San Mateo County
- Santa Barbara County
- Santa Clara County
- Santa Cruz County
- Solano County
- Sonoma County
- Stanislaus County
- Tulare County
- Ventura County
Pages for more counties are coming. The determinations below also cover Alpine County, Amador County, Butte County, Calaveras County, Colusa County, Del Norte County, El Dorado County, Glenn County, Humboldt County, Imperial County, Inyo County, Kings County, Lake County, Lassen County, Madera County, Mariposa County, Mendocino County, Modoc County, Mono County, Napa County, Nevada County, Plumas County, San Benito County, Shasta County, Sierra County, Siskiyou County, Sutter County, Tehama County, Trinity County, Tuolumne County, Yolo County, Yuba County.
Active determinations
| Number | Type | Counties | Mod. | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA20260001 | Building, Heavy, Highway, Residential | San Diego | 3 | May 18, 2026 |
| CA20260002 | Building, Heavy, Highway | Imperial | 4 | July 14, 2026 |
| CA20260005 | Building | Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino | 2 | May 20, 2026 |
| CA20260007 | Building, Heavy, Highway | Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn and 18 more | 5 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260012 | Building, Heavy, Highway | San Luis Obispo | 5 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260014 | Building, Heavy, Highway | Santa Barbara | 6 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260015 | Building, Heavy, Highway | Ventura | 5 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260016 | Building | Tulare | 4 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260018 | Building, Heavy, Highway | Alameda, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kings, Madera and 11 more | 8 | September 17, 2026 |
| CA20260020 | Building, Heavy, Highway | Inyo, Kern, Mono | 5 | July 30, 2026 |
| CA20260022 | Building, Heavy, Highway | Los Angeles | 5 | August 6, 2026 |
| CA20260023 | Building | Amador | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| CA20260024 | Building, Heavy, Highway | Orange | 4 | July 14, 2026 |
| CA20260025 | Building, Heavy, Highway | Riverside | 4 | July 14, 2026 |
| CA20260026 | Building, Heavy, Highway | San Bernardino | 4 | July 14, 2026 |
| CA20260008 | Residential | Butte | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| CA20260009 | Residential | Fresno, Kern, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and 1 more | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| CA20260011 | Residential | Kings | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| CA20260013 | Residential | Shasta | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| CA20260017 | Residential | Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo and 2 more | 4 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260019 | Residential | Alameda, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Marin, Monterey, Napa and 12 more | 6 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260027 | Residential | Humboldt | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| CA20260028 | Residential | Tuolumne | 2 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260029 | Residential | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono | 2 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260030 | Residential | Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas and 4 more | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| CA20260031 | Residential | Del Norte, Lake, Mendocino | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| CA20260004 | Heavy, Highway | Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino | 4 | September 3, 2026 |
| CA20260021 | Heavy, Highway | Tulare | 2 | May 18, 2026 |
Federal work only
Davis-Bacon rates apply to federal and federally assisted construction. California may set its own prevailing wages for state-funded work; see the Department of Labor's list of state prevailing wage laws. The determination attached to a contract governs, not the current one here. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Questions
- Which Davis-Bacon rate applies to my job in California?
- The determination for the county where the work is and for its construction type (building, residential, highway and heavy). The contracting agency attaches it to the bid documents and the contract; the one attached governs, even after a newer modification is published.
- Does this cover California's own prevailing wage law?
- No. These are federal Davis-Bacon determinations, for federal and federally assisted construction. State-funded work follows the state's own law and rates where it has one; the Department of Labor keeps a list of state prevailing wage laws.
- Why do survey rates look low or old?
- A row marked survey comes from a Department of Labor wage survey, and its identifier's date says when; some are more than ten years old. Union rows follow the collective bargaining agreement and update with it. Both are what contractors must pay at minimum today.