Prevailing wage rates in Sussex County, DE
Davis-Bacon rates as of May 18, 2026, in the Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area BLS area
Electricians on federal building jobs in Sussex County must be paid at least $47.50 an hour plus $35.93 an hour in fringe benefits (DE20260009, modification 1, published May 18, 2026). Sussex County has 5 active determinations covering building, residential, highway and heavy construction; every rate is below.
Prevailing rate vs. market pay
The Davis-Bacon package (rate plus fringe) across the county's determinations, beside what the trade earns in the area according to the BLS (May 2025 median hourly wage for the nonmetro area).
| Trade | Davis-Bacon package | BLS median |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $9.12 – $83.43 | $28.29 an hour |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $8.92 – $99.78 | $27.27 an hour |
| Carpenters | $10.40 – $63.61 | $23.84 an hour |
| Power equipment operators | $10.15 – $80.96 | $25.15 an hour |
| Ironworkers | $51.00 | not published |
| Roofers | $9.79 – $69.86 | $27.75 an hour |
Building construction
Determination DE20260009, modification 1, published May 18, 2026. 29 classifications.
| Classification | Rate | Fringe | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | ||||
| ELECTRICIAN (INCLUDES LOW VOLTAGE WIRING AND INSTALLATION OF… | $47.50 | $35.93 | $83.43 | Union |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | ||||
| PIPEFITTER: INDUSTRIALFOOTNOTE A: PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY, MEMORIAL DAY,INDEPENDENCE DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY,LABOR DAY, CHRISTMAS DAY, AND GENERAL ELECTION DAY | $56.43 | $43.35 | $99.78 | Union |
| PIPEFITTER (INCLUDES HVAC PIPE INSTALLATION AND EXCLUDES… | $42.62 | $22.77 | $65.39 | Union |
| SPRINKLER FITTER (FIRE SPRINKLERS) | $46.47 | $29.56 | $76.03 | Union |
| PLUMBER | $45.40 | $16.23 | $61.63 | Survey |
| Carpenters | ||||
| CARPENTER (INCLUDES ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION, DRYWALL… | $32.87 | $18.98 | $51.85 | Union |
| Laborers | ||||
| LABORER: COMMON OR GENERAL | $24.45 | $8.65 | $33.10 | Survey |
| Power equipment operators | ||||
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFTFOOTNOTE: A. PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, LABOR DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY, CHRISTMAS DAY, AND ELECTION DAY (PROVIDED THE EMPLOYEE WORKS THE SCHEDULED WORK DAY FOLLOWING THE HOLIDAY.) | $48.73 | $32.23 | $80.96 | Union |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZER | $25.89 | $0.00 | $25.89 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $36.08 | $12.02 | $48.10 | Survey |
| Ironworkers | ||||
| IRONWORKER, STRUCTURAL | $43.59 | $7.41 | $51.00 | Survey |
| Sheet metal workers | ||||
| SHEET METAL WORKER (INCLUDES HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION) | $33.63 | $40.60 | $74.23 | Union |
| Painters | ||||
| PAINTER (BRUSH AND ROLLER) | $40.57 | $0.94 | $41.51 | Survey |
| Roofers | ||||
| ROOFER, EXCLUDES INSTALLATION OF METAL ROOFS | $27.98 | $27.90 | $55.88 | Survey |
| ROOFER (INSTALLATION OF METAL ROOFS ONLY) | $39.09 | $30.77 | $69.86 | Survey |
| Cement masons | ||||
| CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHER | $41.69 | $27.28 | $68.97 | Union |
| Bricklayers | ||||
| BRICKLAYER | $34.19 | $27.98 | $62.17 | Union |
Every other classification (12)
| Classification | Rate | Fringe | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOILERMAKER | $55.00 | $35.48 | $90.48 | Union |
| SOFT FLOOR LAYER | $38.02 | $25.39 | $63.41 | Union |
| MILLWRIGHT | $51.54 | $39.26 | $90.80 | Union |
| ELEVATOR MECHANICFOOTNOTES FOR ELEVATOR MECHANICS: A. PAID VACATION: EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTES 8% OF BASIC HOURLY RATE FOR 5 YEARS OR MORE OF SERVICE OR 6% FOR 6 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS OF SERVICE. B. EIGHT PAID HOLIDAYS (PROVIDED EMPLOYEE HAS WORK… | $71.85 | $38.44 | $110.29 | Union |
| IRONWORKER: ORNAMENTAL AND REINFORCINGTHE FOLLOWING HOLIDAYS SHALL BE OBSERVED, AND WHEN WORK IS PERFORMED THEREON IT SHALL BE PAID FOR AT TWICE THE BASE WAGE RATE: NEW YEAR'S DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, LABOR DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY AND CHRISTMAS DAY | $41.10 | $38.23 | $79.33 | Union |
| LABORER: BACKFILLER, JACK HAMMER, MASON TENDER - BRICK… | $29.45 | $25.70 | $55.15 | Union |
| LABORER (MASON TENDER - CEMENT/CONCRETE) | $31.45 | $25.70 | $57.15 | Union |
| GLAZIER | $49.96 | $37.56 | $87.52 | Union |
| PLASTERER: FIREPROOFER | $38.37 | $31.64 | $70.01 | Union |
| TILE SETTER | $57.98 | $1.11 | $59.09 | Survey |
| TILE FINISHER | $35.40 | $4.31 | $39.71 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: CRANE | $31.59 | $16.83 | $48.42 | Survey |
Rate and fringe are per hour unless a row says per day. Total is the rate plus the fringe. Union rows come from a collective bargaining agreement; survey rows from a Department of Labor wage survey, which can be years old.
Residential construction
Determination DE20260001, modification 1, published May 18, 2026. 16 classifications.
| Classification | Rate | Fringe | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | ||||
| ELECTRICIAN (NEW CASTLE COUNTY) | $9.12 | $0.00 | $9.12 | Survey |
| ELECTRICIAN (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES) | $10.00 | $0.00 | $10.00 | Survey |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | ||||
| PLUMBER (NEW CASTLE COUNTY) | $9.80 | $0.00 | $9.80 | Survey |
| PLUMBER (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES) | $8.92 | $0.00 | $8.92 | Survey |
| Carpenters | ||||
| CARPENTER, EXCLUDING DRYWALL HANGERS (NEW CASTLE COUNTY) | $10.59 | $2.05 | $12.64 | Survey |
| CARPENTER (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES) | $9.75 | $0.65 | $10.40 | Survey |
| Laborers | ||||
| LABORERS: UNSKILLED (NEW CASTLE COUNTY) | $7.25 | $0.00 | $7.25 | Survey |
| LABORERS: UNSKILLED (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES) | $7.25 | $0.00 | $7.25 | Survey |
| LABORERS: LANDSCAPE (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES) | $7.25 | $0.00 | $7.25 | Survey |
| Power equipment operators | ||||
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: BACKHOE (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES) | $10.15 | $0.00 | $10.15 | Survey |
| Painters | ||||
| PAINTER (NEW CASTLE COUNTY) | $9.00 | $0.00 | $9.00 | Survey |
| Roofers | ||||
| ROOFER (NEW CASTLE COUNTY) | $9.79 | $0.00 | $9.79 | Survey |
| Cement masons | ||||
| CONCRETE FINISHER (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES) | $9.69 | $0.00 | $9.69 | Survey |
| Bricklayers | ||||
| BRICKLAYER (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES) | $12.50 | $0.63 | $13.13 | Survey |
Every other classification (2)
| Classification | Rate | Fringe | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LABORERS: MASON TENDERS (BRICK) (KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES) | $7.25 | $0.63 | $7.88 | Survey |
| DRYWALL HANGER (NEW CASTLE COUNTY) | $10.79 | $0.00 | $10.79 | Survey |
Rate and fringe are per hour unless a row says per day. Total is the rate plus the fringe. Union rows come from a collective bargaining agreement; survey rows from a Department of Labor wage survey, which can be years old.
Highway construction
Determination DE20260006, modification 1, published May 18, 2026. 21 classifications.
| Classification | Rate | Fringe | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | ||||
| ELECTRICIAN | $65.86 | $0.00 | $65.86 | Survey |
| Carpenters | ||||
| FORM WORKER | $38.65 | $5.45 | $44.10 | Survey |
| CARPENTER | $39.67 | $5.08 | $44.75 | Survey |
| Laborers | ||||
| LABORER (ASPHALT, INCLUDES RAKER, SHOVELER, SPREADER AND… | $31.15 | $16.50 | $47.65 | Union |
| LABORER: COMMON OR GENERAL | $34.94 | $5.91 | $40.85 | Survey |
| Power equipment operators | ||||
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: ROLLER | $43.40 | $30.66 | $74.06 | Union |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: POUNDER | $43.76 | $30.77 | $74.53 | Union |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: DRILL | $43.76 | $30.77 | $74.53 | Union |
| OPERATOR: PAVER(ASPHALT, AGGREGATE, AND CONCRETE) | $35.07 | $17.17 | $52.24 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: MILLING MACHINE | $34.01 | $12.25 | $46.26 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: MECHANIC | $28.11 | $11.18 | $39.29 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: LOADER | $38.36 | $4.31 | $42.67 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZER | $35.18 | $14.27 | $49.45 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: BOBCAT/SKID STEER/SKID LOADER | $34.34 | $14.93 | $49.27 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $30.52 | $13.47 | $43.99 | Survey |
| Cement masons | ||||
| CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHER | $30.41 | $3.28 | $33.69 | Survey |
| Truck drivers | ||||
| TRUCK DRIVER: DUMP TRUCK | $28.07 | $7.38 | $35.45 | Survey |
Every other classification (4)
| Classification | Rate | Fringe | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: CRANE | $45.81 | $31.38 | $77.19 | Union |
| TRAFFIC CONTROL: FLAGGER | $40.33 | $0.00 | $40.33 | Survey |
| LABORER: MASON TENDER - CEMENT/CONCRETE | $43.30 | $2.06 | $45.36 | Survey |
| IRONWORKER, REINFORCING | $49.64 | $0.00 | $49.64 | Survey |
Rate and fringe are per hour unless a row says per day. Total is the rate plus the fringe. Union rows come from a collective bargaining agreement; survey rows from a Department of Labor wage survey, which can be years old.
Heavy construction (DE20260003)
Determination DE20260003, modification 2, published May 18, 2026. 7 classifications.
All classifications (7)
| Classification | Rate | Fringe | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DREDGING: CLASS DINCENTIVE PAY: (ADD TO HOURLY RATE) OPERATOR (NCCCO LICENSE/CERTIFICATION) $1.80 LICENSED TUG OPERATOR OVER 1000 HP (ASSIGNED AS MASTER) (USCG LICENSED MASTER OF TOWING VESSELS (MOTV) $1.80; LICENSED BOAT OPERATOR (ASSIG… | $30.86 | $14.15 | $45.01 | Union |
| DREDGING: CLASS C2INCENTIVE PAY: (ADD TO HOURLY RATE) OPERATOR (NCCCO LICENSE/CERTIFICATION) $1.80 LICENSED TUG OPERATOR OVER 1000 HP (ASSIGNED AS MASTER) (USCG LICENSED MASTER OF TOWING VESSELS (MOTV) $1.80; LICENSED BOAT OPERATOR (ASSIG… | $37.15 | $14.57 | $51.72 | Union |
| DREDGING: CLASS C1INCENTIVE PAY: (ADD TO HOURLY RATE) OPERATOR (NCCCO LICENSE/CERTIFICATION) $1.80 LICENSED TUG OPERATOR OVER 1000 HP (ASSIGNED AS MASTER) (USCG LICENSED MASTER OF TOWING VESSELS (MOTV) $1.80; LICENSED BOAT OPERATOR (ASSIG… | $38.38 | $14.66 | $53.04 | Union |
| DREDGING: CLASS B2INCENTIVE PAY: (ADD TO HOURLY RATE) OPERATOR (NCCCO LICENSE/CERTIFICATION) $1.80 LICENSED TUG OPERATOR OVER 1000 HP (ASSIGNED AS MASTER) (USCG LICENSED MASTER OF TOWING VESSELS (MOTV) $1.80; LICENSED BOAT OPERATOR (ASSIG… | $39.46 | $14.73 | $54.19 | Union |
| DREDGING: CLASS B1INCENTIVE PAY: (ADD TO HOURLY RATE) OPERATOR (NCCCO LICENSE/CERTIFICATION) $1.80 LICENSED TUG OPERATOR OVER 1000 HP (ASSIGNED AS MASTER) (USCG LICENSED MASTER OF TOWING VESSELS (MOTV) $1.80; LICENSED BOAT OPERATOR (ASSIG… | $41.93 | $14.90 | $56.83 | Union |
| DREDGING: CLASS A2INCENTIVE PAY: (ADD TO HOURLY RATE) OPERATOR (NCCCO LICENSE/CERTIFICATION) $1.80 LICENSED TUG OPERATOR OVER 1000 HP (ASSIGNED AS MASTER) (USCG LICENSED MASTER OF TOWING VESSELS (MOTV) $1.80; LICENSED BOAT OPERATOR (ASSIG… | $43.20 | $14.99 | $58.19 | Union |
| DREDGING: CLASS A1INCENTIVE PAY: (ADD TO HOURLY RATE) OPERATOR (NCCCO LICENSE/CERTIFICATION) $1.80 LICENSED TUG OPERATOR OVER 1000 HP (ASSIGNED AS MASTER) (USCG LICENSED MASTER OF TOWING VESSELS (MOTV) $1.80; LICENSED BOAT OPERATOR (ASSIG… | $48.48 | $15.34 | $63.82 | Union |
Rate and fringe are per hour unless a row says per day. Total is the rate plus the fringe. Union rows come from a collective bargaining agreement; survey rows from a Department of Labor wage survey, which can be years old.
Heavy construction (DE20260012)
Determination DE20260012, modification 1, published May 18, 2026. 13 classifications.
| Classification | Rate | Fringe | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | ||||
| ELECTRICIAN | $34.96 | $23.87 | $58.83 | Survey |
| Carpenters | ||||
| CARPENTER (INCLUDES FORM WORK) | $38.27 | $25.34 | $63.61 | Union |
| Laborers | ||||
| LABORER: TRENCHER HAND GUIDED | $29.45 | $25.70 | $55.15 | Union |
| LABORER: BACKFILLER AND TAMPER (HAND HELD) | $31.45 | $25.70 | $57.15 | Union |
| LABORER: PIPELAYER | $18.63 | $2.68 | $21.31 | Survey |
| LABORER: COMMON OR GENERAL | $16.42 | $4.06 | $20.48 | Survey |
| Power equipment operators | ||||
| OPERATOR: LOADER | $25.55 | $7.56 | $33.11 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZER | $26.46 | $7.56 | $34.02 | Survey |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $20.62 | $7.56 | $28.18 | Survey |
| Cement masons | ||||
| CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHER | $25.78 | $0.58 | $26.36 | Survey |
| Truck drivers | ||||
| TRUCK DRIVER: DUMP TRUCK | $22.32 | $7.56 | $29.88 | Survey |
Every other classification (2)
| Classification | Rate | Fringe | Total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN | $65.10 | $30.87 | $95.97 | Union |
| POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: CRANE, FORKLIFT, AND SCRAPERFOOTNOTE: A. PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, LABOR DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY, CHRISTMAS DAY, AND ELECTION DAY (PROVIDED THE EMPLOYEE WORKS THE SCHEDULED WORK DAY FOLLOWING THE HOLIDAY.) | $48.73 | $32.23 | $80.96 | Union |
Rate and fringe are per hour unless a row says per day. Total is the rate plus the fringe. Union rows come from a collective bargaining agreement; survey rows from a Department of Labor wage survey, which can be years old.
Before you rely on a rate
These are federal Davis-Bacon rates for federal and federally assisted construction; state-funded work may follow Delaware's own law. The contracting agency chooses which determination applies, and the one attached to the contract governs, even after a newer modification. Apprentices in registered programs may be paid a percentage of these rates. Nothing here is legal advice.
Source
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, general wage determinations DE20260009, DE20260001, DE20260006, DE20260003, DE20260012, as published on SAM.gov and refreshed here weekly. Rates are shown exactly as published; the construction types are building, residential, highway, heavy. TradeSalary is not affiliated with the Department of Labor.