California prevailing wage rates, by county
What contractors must pay each trade on federally funded jobs in California, county by county. Wage plus fringe, next to what the same trade earns on private work.
Look up the prevailing wage in your California county
Rates by county for the main trades
Rates are set by county, not by city. The California metros with their own pay pages are Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Orange); San Francisco (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and more); Riverside (Riverside, San Bernardino). Click any county below for every trade on its determination.
Highest electrician rates
- 1Alameda, Calaveras and 15 more$111.42
- 2Los Angeles$92.39
- 3Ventura$90.12
Lowest
Building construction, wage + fringe per hour. Counties sharing one rate are grouped. Solid is a union rate, hatched is a survey rate. Click a county for every trade.
| County | Electrician | Plumber | Carpenter | Construction laborer | Heavy equipment operator | Ironworker | Sheet metal worker | Painter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Alpine | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Amador | $20.17* | $28.38* | $25.04* | $19.12* | $25.36* | $27.85* | $25.63* | $19.24* |
| Butte | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Calaveras | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Colusa | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Contra Costa | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Del Norte | $23.46* | $42.37* | $26.00* | $22.57* | $33.87* | $28.08* | $34.34* | $25.46* |
| El Dorado | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Fresno | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Glenn | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Humboldt | $23.46* | $42.37* | $26.00* | $22.57* | $33.87* | $28.08* | $34.34* | $25.46* |
| Imperial | $63.96 | $72.42 | $78.42 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $82.37 | $57.16 |
| Inyo | $82.22 | $72.42 | $68.41 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $89.74 | $60.46 |
| Kern | $82.22 | $72.42 | $68.41 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $89.74 | $60.46 |
| Kings | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Lake | $23.46* | $42.37* | $26.00* | $22.57* | $33.87* | $28.08* | $34.34* | $25.46* |
| Lassen | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Los Angeles | $92.39 | $72.42 | $78.42 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $46.20 | $57.16 |
| Madera | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Marin | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Mariposa | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Mendocino | $23.46* | $42.37* | $26.00* | $22.57* | $33.87* | $28.08* | $34.34* | $25.46* |
| Merced | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Modoc | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Mono | $82.22 | $72.42 | $68.41 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $89.74 | $60.46 |
| Monterey | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Napa | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Nevada | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Orange | $88.10 | $72.42 | $78.42 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $89.74 | $57.16 |
| Placer | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Plumas | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Riverside | $90.09 | $72.42 | $78.42 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $89.74 | $57.16 |
| Sacramento | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| San Benito | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| San Bernardino | $82.22 | $72.42 | $78.42 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $89.74 | $57.16 |
| San Diego | $85.39 | $72.42 | $75.12 | $74.37 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $84.37 | $57.16 |
| San Francisco | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| San Joaquin | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| San Luis Obispo | $79.92 | $72.42 | $78.42 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $91.19 | $60.46 |
| San Mateo | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Santa Barbara | $79.77 | $72.42 | $78.42 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $91.19 | $55.02 |
| Santa Clara | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Santa Cruz | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Shasta | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Sierra | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Siskiyou | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Solano | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Sonoma | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Stanislaus | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Sutter | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Tehama | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Trinity | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Tulare | $80.15 | $97.04 | $17.60* | $10.69* | $10.27* | $85.85 | $96.88 | $9.87* |
| Tuolumne | $111.42 | $97.04 | $93.91 | $67.91 | $74.87 | $85.85 | $89.34 | $85.04 |
| Ventura | $90.12 | $72.42 | $78.42 | $75.43 | $98.45 | $85.85 | $91.19 | $60.46 |
| Yolo | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
| Yuba | $68.88 | $97.19 | $86.68 | $66.44 | $84.41 | $78.20 | $95.59 | $66.25 |
Building construction, wage + fringe per hour, current revision. * = survey rate. Not the official determination: the lookup gives the determination number and a link to the official text.
Prevailing wage vs market pay in California
The prevailing wage is what federally funded jobs must pay. The market median is what California employers report paying across all work, with no benefits in it. Every trade in the state is ranked on the highest-paying trades in California page, and every state is compared on the prevailing wage rates by state page.
| Trade | Market median $/hr | Prevailing wage $/hr (wage + fringe) | Rate type | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician in California | $36.62 | $80.15 | Union | +$43.53 |
| Plumber in California | $35.01 | $97.04 | Union | +$62.03 |
| Carpenter in California | $36.50 | $86.68 | Union | +$50.18 |
| Construction laborer in California | $28.98 | $67.91 | Union | +$38.93 |
| Heavy equipment operator in California | $41.90 | $84.41 | Union | +$42.51 |
| Ironworker in California | $36.72 | $85.85 | Union | +$49.13 |
| Sheet metal worker in California | $36.82 | $91.19 | Union | +$54.37 |
| Painter in California | $28.38 | $66.25 | Union | +$37.87 |
Prevailing wage is the typical Davis-Bacon rate across counties with one, Building construction. The market median has no benefits in it, so the gap is bigger than the difference in take-home pay. Not the official determination.
Questions this page answers
What is the prevailing wage in California?
On federally funded construction in California, it is the Davis-Bacon rate: a wage plus a fringe amount for benefits, set by county and trade in 28 wage determinations covering Building, Residential, Heavy and Highway work. Electricians are on a union rate in 53 of the 58 counties with a Building rate, and the typical union rate is $80.15 an hour, wage and fringe together.
How many Davis-Bacon wage determinations cover California?
28 active determinations cover California: 15 Building, 14 Heavy, 14 Highway, 12 Residential. The Building ones list rates for 58 counties, shown on this page. This page covers the federal rates; state-funded jobs may fall under California's own prevailing wage law.
How often do the rates change?
The Department of Labor publishes changes most Thursdays. The latest change to a California determination in our data is dated 2026-10-15. New determination numbers come out each January.
Sources and notes
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations for California, current revisions as of 2026-11-13: Building 15, Heavy 14, Highway 14, Residential 12.
- BLS OEWS May 2025 for market medians.
- Trade names simplified from the official classification labels by Skilled Wages; where a determination lists several electrician or laborer classes, the journeyman or general class is shown. The official text governs.