Maryland prevailing wage rates, by county
What contractors must pay each trade on federally funded jobs in Maryland, county by county. Wage plus fringe, next to what the same trade earns on private work.
Look up the prevailing wage in your Maryland county
Rates by county for the main trades
Rates are set by county, not by city. The Maryland metros with their own pay pages are Washington DC (Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George's); Philadelphia (Cecil); Baltimore (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and more). Click any county below for every trade on its determination.
Highest electrician rates
- 1Dorchester$83.92
- 2Montgomery$82.56
- 3Calvert, Charles and 2 more$79.15
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany | $62.56* | $59.06* | $53.25* | $47.69* | $53.72* | $56.40* | $59.06* | — |
| Anne Arundel | $70.64* | $73.71* | $50.49* | $28.24* | $50.30* | $64.08* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Baltimore | $69.39* | $73.71* | $50.49* | $24.34* | $50.30* | $68.54* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Baltimore | $69.51* | $73.71* | $50.49* | $30.38* | $50.30* | $64.08* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Calvert | $79.15* | $75.77* | $50.49* | $39.62* | $56.71* | $64.08* | $75.53* | $52.58* |
| Caroline | $63.16* | $73.71* | $52.30* | $24.91* | $35.38* | $26.52* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Carroll | $70.30* | $69.58* | $50.49* | $34.22* | $40.66* | $64.73* | $75.53* | $40.80* |
| Cecil | $63.16* | $73.71* | $62.56* | $24.19* | $47.30* | $26.52* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Charles | $79.15* | $74.35* | $50.49* | $34.00* | $56.71* | $64.08* | $75.53* | $52.58* |
| Dorchester | $83.92* | $70.77* | $52.30* | $21.73* | $32.28* | $34.64* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Frederick | $70.29* | $73.71* | $50.49* | $47.60* | $35.51* | $66.44* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Garrett | $60.20* | $60.06* | $53.25* | $47.69* | $53.72* | $56.40* | $60.06* | — |
| Harford | $70.45* | $73.71* | $50.49* | $34.53* | $50.30* | $64.73* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Howard | $70.30* | $66.24* | $50.49* | $27.56* | $40.66* | $66.44* | $75.53* | $40.80* |
| Kent | $63.16* | $73.71* | $52.30* | $27.47* | $32.14* | $61.79* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Montgomery | $82.56* | $74.35* | $50.49* | $36.60* | $35.51* | $66.44* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Prince George's | $79.15* | $74.35* | $50.49* | $39.57* | $35.51* | $66.44* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Queen Anne's | $63.16* | $73.71* | $62.56* | $24.19* | $47.30* | $26.52* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Somerset | $49.13* | $70.77* | $52.30* | $21.73* | $32.28* | $34.64* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| St. Mary's | $79.15* | $74.35* | $50.49* | $39.48* | $56.71* | $66.44* | $75.53* | $52.58* |
| Talbot | $63.16* | $73.71* | $52.30* | $24.91* | $35.38* | $26.52* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
| Washington | $63.11* | $62.06* | $53.25* | $21.00* | $53.72* | $56.40* | $62.06* | — |
| Wicomico | $49.13* | $70.77* | $50.80* | $19.56* | $33.76* | $34.64* | $75.53* | $29.00* |
| Worcester | $49.13* | $70.77* | $52.30* | $24.50* | $50.30* | $34.64* | $75.53* | $41.17* |
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 Maryland
The prevailing wage is what federally funded jobs must pay. The market median is what Maryland employers report paying across all work, with no benefits in it. Every trade in the state is ranked on the highest-paying trades in Maryland 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 Maryland | $35.33 | $69.45 | Survey | +$34.12 |
| Plumber in Maryland | $31.44 | $73.71 | Survey | +$42.27 |
| Carpenter in Maryland | $30.27 | $50.64 | Survey | +$20.37 |
| Construction laborer in Maryland | $22.58 | $27.90 | Survey | +$5.32 |
| Heavy equipment operator in Maryland | $29.53 | $47.30 | Survey | +$17.77 |
| Ironworker in Maryland | $34.49 | $62.94 | Survey | +$28.45 |
| Sheet metal worker in Maryland | $30.08 | $75.53 | Survey | +$45.45 |
| Painter in Maryland | $23.62 | $41.17 | Survey | +$17.55 |
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 Maryland?
On federally funded construction in Maryland, it is the Davis-Bacon rate: a wage plus a fringe amount for benefits, set by county and trade in 66 wage determinations covering Building, Residential, Heavy and Highway work. Electricians are on a union rate in 0 of the 24 counties with a Building rate, and the typical survey rate is $69.45 an hour, wage and fringe together.
How many Davis-Bacon wage determinations cover Maryland?
66 active determinations cover Maryland: 24 Building, 25 Heavy, 24 Highway, 17 Residential. The Building ones list rates for 24 counties, shown on this page. This page covers the federal rates; state-funded jobs may fall under Maryland's own prevailing wage law.
How often do the rates change?
The Department of Labor publishes changes most Thursdays. The latest change to a Maryland determination in our data is dated 2026-09-28. New determination numbers come out each January.
Sources and notes
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations for Maryland, current revisions as of 2026-11-13: Residential 17, Heavy 25, Highway 24, Building 24.
- 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.