New Jersey prevailing wage rates, by county
What contractors must pay each trade on federally funded jobs in New Jersey, county by county. Wage plus fringe, next to what the same trade earns on private work.
Look up the prevailing wage in your New Jersey county
Rates by county for the main trades
Rates are set by county, not by city. The New Jersey metros with their own pay pages are New York City (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon and more); Philadelphia (Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem). Click any county below for every trade on its determination.
Highest electrician rates
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | $103.81 | $107.06 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $92.64 | $106.14 | $75.41 |
| Bergen | $119.58 | $107.14 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $102.85 | $75.41 |
| Burlington | $103.81 | $75.46 | $91.59 | $31.69* | $97.63 | $92.64 | $106.14 | $75.41 |
| Camden | $80.90 | $107.06 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $94.64 | $113.28 | $75.41 |
| Cape May | $103.81 | $107.06 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $92.64 | $106.14 | $75.41 |
| Cumberland | $103.81 | $107.06 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $92.64 | $106.14 | $75.41 |
| Essex | $102.21 | $107.14 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $102.85 | $75.41 |
| Gloucester | $103.81 | $107.06 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $94.64 | $113.28 | $75.41 |
| Hudson | $102.21 | $107.14 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $102.85 | $75.41 |
| Hunterdon | $105.81 | $106.02 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $106.14 | $75.41 |
| Mercer | $105.81 | $75.46 | $91.59 | $52.42 | $97.63 | $94.64 | $106.14 | $75.41 |
| Middlesex | $100.54 | $75.46 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $106.14 | $75.41 |
| Monmouth | — | $75.46 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $106.14 | — |
| Morris | $108.29 | $107.14 | $91.59 | $37.47* | $97.63 | $102.56 | $102.85 | $75.41 |
| Ocean | — | $75.46 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $106.14 | $75.41 |
| Passaic | $108.29 | $107.14 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $102.85 | $75.41 |
| Salem | — | $107.06 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $94.64 | $59.89 | $75.41 |
| Somerset | $102.16 | $106.02 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $102.85 | $75.41 |
| Sussex | $108.29 | $107.14 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $102.85 | $75.41 |
| Union | $108.29 | $107.14 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $102.56 | $54.72* | $75.41 |
| Warren | $108.29 | $107.14 | $91.59 | $65.97 | $97.63 | $100.11 | $89.11 | $75.41 |
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 New Jersey
The prevailing wage is what federally funded jobs must pay. The market median is what New Jersey employers report paying across all work, with no benefits in it. Every trade in the state is ranked on the highest-paying trades in New Jersey 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 New Jersey | $37.14 | $103.81 | Union | +$66.67 |
| Plumber in New Jersey | $37.61 | $107.06 | Union | +$69.45 |
| Carpenter in New Jersey | $30.77 | $91.59 | Union | +$60.82 |
| Construction laborer in New Jersey | $30.80 | $65.97 | Union | +$35.17 |
| Heavy equipment operator in New Jersey | $43.11 | $97.63 | Union | +$54.52 |
| Ironworker in New Jersey | $54.43 | $102.56 | Union | +$48.13 |
| Sheet metal worker in New Jersey | $44.64 | $106.14 | Union | +$61.50 |
| Painter in New Jersey | $28.49 | $75.41 | Union | +$46.92 |
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 New Jersey?
On federally funded construction in New Jersey, it is the Davis-Bacon rate: a wage plus a fringe amount for benefits, set by county and trade in 65 wage determinations covering Building, Residential, Heavy and Highway work. Electricians are on a union rate in 18 of the 18 counties with a Building rate, and the typical union rate is $103.81 an hour, wage and fringe together.
How many Davis-Bacon wage determinations cover New Jersey?
65 active determinations cover New Jersey: 21 Building, 22 Heavy, 2 Highway, 20 Residential. The Building ones list rates for 21 counties, shown on this page. This page covers the federal rates; state-funded jobs may fall under New Jersey's own prevailing wage law.
How often do the rates change?
The Department of Labor publishes changes most Thursdays. The latest change to a New Jersey determination in our data is dated 2026-10-01. New determination numbers come out each January.
Sources and notes
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations for New Jersey, current revisions as of 2026-11-13: Highway 2, Heavy 22, Residential 20, Building 21.
- 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.