Vermont prevailing wage rates, by county
What contractors must pay each trade on federally funded jobs in Vermont, county by county. Wage plus fringe, next to what the same trade earns on private work.
Look up the prevailing wage in your Vermont county
Rates by county for the main trades
| County | Electrician | Plumber | Carpenter | Construction laborer | Heavy equipment operator | Ironworker | Sheet metal worker | Painter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addison | $30.89* | $31.14* | $50.35 | $16.00* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Bennington | $27.51* | $31.14* | $55.82 | $13.75* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Caledonia | $27.51* | $31.14* | $38.08 | $16.11* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Chittenden | $42.85 | $56.42 | $30.77* | $16.63* | $17.95* | $59.77 | $55.38 | $16.82* |
| Essex | $27.51* | $31.14* | $38.08 | $16.11* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Franklin | $42.85 | $56.42 | $38.08 | $16.40* | $16.40* | $59.77 | $55.38 | $17.91* |
| Grand Isle | $42.85 | $56.42 | $38.08 | $11.00* | $16.40* | $59.77 | $55.38 | $17.91* |
| Lamoille | $27.51* | $31.14* | $38.08 | $16.11* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Orange | $27.51* | $31.14* | $38.08 | $16.11* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Orleans | $27.51* | $31.14* | $38.08 | $16.11* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Rutland | $27.51* | $31.14* | $50.35 | $11.83* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Washington | $27.51* | $31.14* | $38.08 | $15.88* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Windham | $27.51* | $31.14* | $55.82 | $16.11* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.25* |
| Windsor | $42.85 | $31.14* | $38.08 | $17.66* | — | $59.77 | $55.38 | $20.56* |
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 Vermont
The prevailing wage is what federally funded jobs must pay. The market median is what Vermont employers report paying across all work, with no benefits in it. Every trade in the state is ranked on the highest-paying trades in Vermont 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 Vermont | $30.49 | $42.85 | Union | +$12.36 |
| Plumber in Vermont | $29.89 | $56.42 | Union | +$26.53 |
| Carpenter in Vermont | $30.00 | $38.08 | Union | +$8.08 |
| Construction laborer in Vermont | $23.36 | $16.11 | Survey | $-7.25 |
| Heavy equipment operator in Vermont | $28.30 | $16.40 | Survey | $-11.90 |
| Ironworker in Vermont | $26.75 | $59.77 | Union | +$33.02 |
| Sheet metal worker in Vermont | $28.00 | $55.38 | Union | +$27.38 |
| Painter in Vermont | $25.54 | $20.25 | Survey | $-5.29 |
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 Vermont?
On federally funded construction in Vermont, it is the Davis-Bacon rate: a wage plus a fringe amount for benefits, set by county and trade in 48 wage determinations covering Building, Residential, Heavy and Highway work. Electricians are on a union rate in 4 of the 14 counties with a Building rate, and the typical union rate is $42.85 an hour, wage and fringe together.
How many Davis-Bacon wage determinations cover Vermont?
48 active determinations cover Vermont: 12 Building, 8 Heavy, 14 Highway, 14 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 Vermont's own prevailing wage law.
How often do the rates change?
The Department of Labor publishes changes most Thursdays. The latest change to a Vermont determination in our data is dated 2026-05-18. New determination numbers come out each January.
Sources and notes
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations for Vermont, current revisions as of 2026-11-13: Residential 14, Building 12, Highway 14, Heavy 8.
- 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.