West Virginia prevailing wage rates, by county
What contractors must pay each trade on federally funded jobs in West Virginia, county by county. Wage plus fringe, next to what the same trade earns on private work.
Look up the prevailing wage in your West Virginia county
Rates by county for the main trades
Rates are set by county, not by city. The West Virginia metros with their own pay pages are Washington DC (Jefferson). Click any county below for every trade on its determination.
Highest electrician rates
- 1Doddridge, Harrison and 5 more$71.49
- 2Brooke, Hancock and 2 more$70.48
- 3Pleasants, Ritchie and 3 more$69.76
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbour | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Berkeley | $62.59 | $62.20 | $49.65 | $41.14 | $28.87* | $56.15 | $54.76 | $32.28* |
| Boone | $62.45 | $78.63 | $59.35 | $42.87 | $67.26 | $60.75 | — | — |
| Braxton | $43.27* | $61.16* | $59.55 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Brooke | $70.48 | $77.76 | $56.56 | $41.14 | $28.87* | $60.85 | $64.62 | $48.19 |
| Cabell | $47.75 | $78.63 | $61.14 | $39.85* | $67.26 | $69.29 | $60.24 | — |
| Calhoun | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Clay | $62.45 | $78.63 | $59.35 | $42.87 | $67.26 | $60.75 | — | — |
| Doddridge | $71.49 | $75.10 | $59.55 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $60.85 | $59.59 | $48.19 |
| Fayette | $66.44 | $61.16* | $59.35 | $41.41 | $67.26 | $39.17* | $41.29* | $31.55* |
| Gilmer | $43.27* | $61.16* | $59.55 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Grant | $62.59 | $61.16* | $49.65 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $56.15 | $39.95* | $31.98* |
| Greenbrier | $66.44 | $61.16* | $59.35 | $28.27* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.22* |
| Hampshire | $62.59 | $47.37* | $49.65 | $27.51* | $28.87* | $56.15 | $54.76 | $32.28* |
| Hancock | $70.48 | $77.76 | $56.56 | $41.14 | $28.87* | $60.85 | $64.62 | $48.19 |
| Hardy | $62.59 | $61.16* | $51.15 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Harrison | $71.49 | $75.10 | $59.55 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $60.85 | $64.62 | $48.19 |
| Jackson | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $40.71 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Jefferson | $62.59 | $62.20 | $49.65 | $21.25* | $28.87* | $56.15 | $54.76 | $32.28* |
| Kanawha | $62.45 | $78.63 | $59.35 | $42.87 | $67.26 | $60.75 | $59.59 | — |
| Lewis | $43.27* | $61.16* | $59.55 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $42.12* | $52.61* | $31.98* |
| Lincoln | $47.75 | $78.63 | $59.35 | $42.87 | $67.26 | $60.75 | $59.59 | — |
| Logan | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $57.33 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Marion | $71.49 | $75.10 | $59.55 | $41.14 | $67.26 | $60.85 | $64.62 | $48.19 |
| Marshall | $70.48 | $77.76 | $56.56 | $41.14 | $28.87* | $60.85 | $64.62 | $48.19 |
| Mason | $47.75 | $61.16* | $59.35 | $57.33 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| McDowell | $43.27* | $61.16* | $59.35 | $39.51 | $67.26 | $60.75 | $41.29* | — |
| Mercer | $66.44 | $61.16* | $51.15 | $39.51 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $59.59 | $31.98* |
| Mineral | $62.59 | $75.10 | $49.65 | $24.79* | $28.87* | $56.15 | $54.76 | $32.28* |
| Mingo | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Monongalia | $71.49 | $75.10 | $56.56 | $41.14 | $28.87* | $60.85 | $64.62 | $49.65 |
| Monroe | $43.27* | $61.16* | $59.35 | $39.51 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Morgan | $62.59 | $47.37* | $49.65 | $27.51* | $28.87* | $56.15 | $54.76 | $32.28* |
| Nicholas | $66.44 | $61.16* | $59.35 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Ohio | $70.48 | $77.76 | $56.56 | $41.14 | $28.87* | $60.85 | $64.62 | — |
| Pendleton | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Pleasants | $69.76 | $78.63 | $59.55 | $44.82 | $67.26 | $42.22* | $60.24 | $50.63 |
| Pocahontas | $43.27* | $61.16* | $59.55 | $29.84* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Preston | $71.49 | $77.76 | $43.15 | $41.14 | $28.87* | $56.15 | $64.62 | $48.19 |
| Putnam | $62.45 | $78.63 | $59.35 | $42.03 | $67.26 | $60.75 | $59.59 | — |
| Raleigh | $66.44 | $78.63 | $59.35 | $39.51 | $67.26 | $60.75 | $59.59 | — |
| Randolph | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Ritchie | $69.76 | $61.16* | $51.15 | $40.71 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $52.19* | $31.98* |
| Roane | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Summers | $43.27* | $45.73* | $51.15 | $28.27* | $67.26 | $38.19* | — | $31.55* |
| Taylor | $71.49 | $75.10 | $59.55 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $60.85 | $64.62 | $48.19 |
| Tucker | $43.27* | $75.10 | $51.15 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $64.62 | $31.98* |
| Tyler | $69.76 | $75.10 | $59.55 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $60.85 | $64.62 | $48.19 |
| Upshur | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $40.18 | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Wayne | $47.75 | $78.63 | $61.14 | $39.85* | $67.26 | $69.29 | $60.24 | — |
| Webster | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
| Wetzel | $71.49 | $75.10 | $59.55 | $42.80 | $67.26 | $60.85 | $64.62 | $48.19 |
| Wirt | $69.76 | $78.63 | $59.55 | $44.82 | $67.26 | $42.22* | $60.24 | $50.63 |
| Wood | $69.76 | $78.63 | $59.55 | $44.82 | $67.26 | $42.22* | $60.24 | $50.63 |
| Wyoming | $43.27* | $61.16* | $51.15 | $29.44* | $67.26 | $38.19* | $41.29* | $31.98* |
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 West Virginia
The prevailing wage is what federally funded jobs must pay. The market median is what West Virginia employers report paying across all work, with no benefits in it. Every trade in the state is ranked on the highest-paying trades in West Virginia 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 West Virginia | $31.16 | $66.44 | Union | +$35.28 |
| Plumber in West Virginia | $27.39 | $77.76 | Union | +$50.37 |
| Carpenter in West Virginia | $23.42 | $56.56 | Union | +$33.14 |
| Construction laborer in West Virginia | $20.51 | $41.14 | Union | +$20.63 |
| Heavy equipment operator in West Virginia | $24.66 | $67.26 | Union | +$42.60 |
| Ironworker in West Virginia | $34.54 | $60.75 | Union | +$26.21 |
| Sheet metal worker in West Virginia | $34.81 | $60.24 | Union | +$25.43 |
| Painter in West Virginia | $21.26 | $48.19 | Union | +$26.93 |
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 West Virginia?
On federally funded construction in West Virginia, it is the Davis-Bacon rate: a wage plus a fringe amount for benefits, set by county and trade in 112 wage determinations covering Building, Residential, Heavy and Highway work. Electricians are on a union rate in 36 of the 55 counties with a Building rate, and the typical union rate is $66.44 an hour, wage and fringe together.
How many Davis-Bacon wage determinations cover West Virginia?
112 active determinations cover West Virginia: 48 Building, 28 Heavy, 33 Highway, 3 Residential. The Building ones list rates for 55 counties, shown on this page. This page covers the federal rates; state-funded jobs may fall under West Virginia's own prevailing wage law.
How often do the rates change?
The Department of Labor publishes changes most Thursdays. The latest change to a West Virginia 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 West Virginia, current revisions as of 2026-11-13: Residential 3, Building 48, Heavy 28, Highway 33.
- 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.