OPERATING ENGINEERS — Prevailing Wage Rates

Davis-Bacon prevailing wages for OPERATING ENGINEERSs across all covered states and counties. Rates vary by location and construction type.

Quick Answer

Across 189 Davis-Bacon rate records nationwide, the median total package (base + fringe) for OPERATING ENGINEERS is $43.84/hr, with the middle 80% of counties paying between $11.17 and $46.77/hr. The highest state average is Tennessee at $46.19/hr; the lowest is Nebraska at $12.25/hr.

Bottom 10%
$11.17
Median
$43.84
Average
$30.70
Top 10%
$46.77

Range: $11.17 – $46.77/hr across 3 states. Total package = base hourly rate + fringe benefits.

Davis-Bacon vs. Market Median

Comparison of the Davis-Bacon national median total package against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) median for the comparable BLS occupation 47-2073Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.

Davis-Bacon median
$43.84/hr
National median total package (base + fringe)
BLS OEWS market median
$28.23/hr
All-industry hourly median, U.S. (2024)
Davis-Bacon premium
+55.3%
D-B rate exceeds market median

Davis-Bacon rates include required fringe benefits; OEWS reflects mean/median wages from the BLS establishment survey across all industries. Direct comparison is approximate — D-B rates target the construction-industry union/competitive-wage benchmark, while OEWS spans every industry that employs the occupation.

Average Rates by State

Georgia GA
Avg base: $28.32/hr
Avg total: $41.77/hr
2 rates
Nebraska NE
Avg base: $12.10/hr
Avg total: $12.25/hr
86 rates
Tennessee TN
Avg base: $32.70/hr
Avg total: $46.19/hr
101 rates

All Rates

189 county-level rates for OPERATING ENGINEERS, ordered by state and county.

County State Type Base $/hr Fringe $/hr Total
Dekalb GA residential $28.32 $13.45 $41.77 WD →
Dekalb GA residential $28.32 $13.45 $41.77 WD →
Adams NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Antelope NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Arthur NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Banner NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Blaine NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Boone NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Box Butte NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Boyd NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Brown NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Buffalo NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Burt NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Butler NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Cedar NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Chase NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Cherry NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Cheyenne NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Clay NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Colfax NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Cuming NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Custer NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Dakota NE highway $15.19 $6.75 $21.94 WD →
Dawes NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Dawson NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Deuel NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Dixon NE highway $15.19 $6.75 $21.94 WD →
Dodge NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Dundy NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Fillmore NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Franklin NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Frontier NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Furnas NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Gage NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Garden NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Garfield NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Gosper NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Grant NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Greeley NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Hall NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Hamilton NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Harlan NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Hayes NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Hitchcock NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Holt NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Hooker NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Howard NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Jefferson NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Johnson NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Kearney NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Keith NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Keya Paha NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Kimball NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Knox NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Lincoln NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Logan NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Loup NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Madison NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
McPherson NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Merrick NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Morrill NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Nance NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Nemaha NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Nuckolls NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Otoe NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Pawnee NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Perkins NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Phelps NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Pierce NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Platte NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Polk NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Red Willow NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Richardson NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Rock NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Saline NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Scotts Bluff NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Sheridan NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Sherman NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Sioux NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Stanton NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Thayer NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Thomas NE highway $11.17 $0.00 $11.17 WD →
Thurston NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Valley NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Wayne NE highway $11.79 $0.00 $11.79 WD →
Webster NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
Wheeler NE highway $12.96 $0.00 $12.96 WD →
York NE highway $12.74 $0.00 $12.74 WD →
Anderson TN heavy $33.23 $13.40 $46.63 WD →
Anderson TN heavy $30.44 $13.40 $43.84 WD →
Bedford TN heavy $33.15 $13.62 $46.77 WD →
Benton TN heavy $33.15 $13.62 $46.77 WD →
Bledsoe TN heavy $33.23 $13.40 $46.63 WD →
Blount TN heavy $30.44 $13.40 $43.84 WD →
Blount TN heavy $33.23 $13.40 $46.63 WD →
Bradley TN heavy $30.44 $13.40 $43.84 WD →
Bradley TN heavy $33.23 $13.40 $46.63 WD →
Campbell TN heavy $33.23 $13.40 $46.63 WD →
Carroll TN heavy $33.15 $13.62 $46.77 WD →
Carter TN heavy $30.44 $13.40 $43.84 WD →
Top-paying counties for OPERATING ENGINEERS →