Massachusetts prevailing wage rates, by county
What contractors must pay each trade on federally funded jobs in Massachusetts, county by county. Wage plus fringe, next to what the same trade earns on private work.
Look up the prevailing wage in your Massachusetts county
Rates by county for the main trades
Rates are set by county, not by city. The Massachusetts metros with their own pay pages are Boston (Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and more). Click any county below for every trade on its determination.
| County | Electrician | Plumber | Carpenter | Construction laborer | Heavy equipment operator | Ironworker | Sheet metal worker | Painter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable | $84.36 | $106.27 | $81.55 | $75.80 | $90.88 | $91.13 | $82.09 | $80.32 |
| Berkshire | $81.72 | $83.31 | $71.15 | $63.87 | $71.81 | $75.79 | $79.94 | $67.35 |
| Bristol | $84.36 | $106.27 | $81.55 | $75.80 | $90.88 | $91.13 | $82.09 | $80.32 |
| Dukes | $84.36 | $106.27 | $81.55 | $75.80 | $90.88 | $91.13 | $82.09 | $80.32 |
| Essex | $84.36 | $106.27 | $81.55 | $75.80 | $90.88 | $91.13 | $82.09 | $80.32 |
| Franklin | $81.72 | $83.31 | $71.15 | $63.87 | $71.81 | $75.79 | $79.94 | $67.35 |
| Hampden | $81.72 | $83.31 | $71.15 | $63.87 | $71.81 | $75.79 | $79.94 | $67.35 |
| Hampshire | $81.72 | $83.31 | $71.15 | $63.87 | $71.81 | $75.79 | $79.94 | $67.35 |
| Middlesex | $84.36 | $106.27 | $81.55 | $75.80 | $90.88 | $91.13 | $82.09 | $80.32 |
| Nantucket | $84.36 | $106.27 | $81.55 | $75.80 | $90.88 | $91.13 | $82.09 | $80.32 |
| Norfolk | $84.36 | $106.27 | $81.55 | $75.80 | $90.88 | $91.13 | $82.09 | $80.32 |
| Plymouth | $81.07 | $86.09 | $81.55 | $68.76 | $91.53 | $95.54 | $108.78 | $82.26 |
| Suffolk | $84.36 | $106.27 | $81.55 | $75.80 | $90.88 | $91.13 | $82.09 | $80.32 |
| Worcester | $84.36 | $86.57 | $81.55 | $51.88* | $91.53 | $95.24 | $79.94 | $82.26 |
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 Massachusetts
The prevailing wage is what federally funded jobs must pay. The market median is what Massachusetts employers report paying across all work, with no benefits in it. Every trade in the state is ranked on the highest-paying trades in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts | $38.18 | $84.36 | Union | +$46.18 |
| Plumber in Massachusetts | $45.14 | $106.27 | Union | +$61.13 |
| Carpenter in Massachusetts | $36.16 | $81.55 | Union | +$45.39 |
| Construction laborer in Massachusetts | $30.48 | $75.80 | Union | +$45.32 |
| Heavy equipment operator in Massachusetts | $36.93 | $90.88 | Union | +$53.95 |
| Ironworker in Massachusetts | $58.10 | $91.13 | Union | +$33.03 |
| Sheet metal worker in Massachusetts | $39.47 | $82.09 | Union | +$42.62 |
| Painter in Massachusetts | $27.65 | $80.32 | Union | +$52.67 |
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 Massachusetts?
On federally funded construction in Massachusetts, it is the Davis-Bacon rate: a wage plus a fringe amount for benefits, set by county and trade in 24 wage determinations covering Building, Residential, Heavy and Highway work. Electricians are on a union rate in 14 of the 14 counties with a Building rate, and the typical union rate is $84.36 an hour, wage and fringe together.
How many Davis-Bacon wage determinations cover Massachusetts?
24 active determinations cover Massachusetts: 4 Building, 4 Heavy, 13 Highway, 3 Residential. The Building ones list rates for 14 counties, shown on this page. This page covers the federal rates; state-funded jobs may fall under Massachusetts's own prevailing wage law.
How often do the rates change?
The Department of Labor publishes changes most Thursdays. The latest change to a Massachusetts determination in our data is dated 2026-08-06. New determination numbers come out each January.
Sources and notes
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations for Massachusetts, current revisions as of 2026-11-13: Building 4, Heavy 4, Residential 3, Highway 13.
- 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.