POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFT — Prevailing Wage Rates
Davis-Bacon prevailing wages for POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFTs across all covered states and counties. Rates vary by location and construction type.
Quick Answer
Across 577 Davis-Bacon rate records nationwide, the median total package (base + fringe) for POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFT is $51.73/hr, with the middle 80% of counties paying between $20.59 and $61.58/hr. The highest state average is Iowa at $82.75/hr; the lowest is Montana at $11.42/hr.
Bottom 10%
$20.59
Median
$51.73
Average
$49.31
Top 10%
$61.58
Range: $10.47 – $82.75/hr across 16 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 47-2073 — Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Davis-Bacon median
$51.73/hr
National median total package (base + fringe)
BLS OEWS market median
$28.23/hr
All-industry hourly median, U.S. (2024)
Davis-Bacon premium
+83.2%
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
Alabama AL
Avg base: $30.76/hr
Avg total: $45.15/hr
56 rates
Arkansas AR
Avg base: $33.25/hr
Avg total: $48.25/hr
55 rates
Arizona AZ
Avg base: $32.61/hr
Avg total: $42.19/hr
30 rates
Colorado CO
Avg base: $17.56/hr
Avg total: $21.97/hr
55 rates
Iowa IA
Avg base: $41.50/hr
Avg total: $82.75/hr
5 rates
Idaho ID
Avg base: $36.28/hr
Avg total: $51.86/hr
12 rates
Kansas KS
Avg base: $40.36/hr
Avg total: $61.80/hr
26 rates
Kentucky KY
Avg base: $41.74/hr
Avg total: $61.34/hr
120 rates
Missouri MO
Avg base: $42.36/hr
Avg total: $72.62/hr
24 rates
Mississippi MS
Avg base: $35.50/hr
Avg total: $50.05/hr
16 rates
Montana MT
Avg base: $10.01/hr
Avg total: $11.42/hr
10 rates
North Dakota ND
Avg base: $34.85/hr
Avg total: $57.30/hr
53 rates
New Mexico NM
Avg base: $17.16/hr
Avg total: $17.42/hr
26 rates
Ohio OH
Avg base: $37.52/hr
Avg total: $55.32/hr
79 rates
Pennsylvania PA
Avg base: $35.62/hr
Avg total: $59.67/hr
3 rates
Texas TX
Avg base: $13.43/hr
Avg total: $13.43/hr
7 rates
All Rates
577 county-level rates for POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFT, ordered by state and county.
| County | State | Type | Base $/hr | Fringe $/hr | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbour | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Bibb | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Blount | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Bullock | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Butler | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Calhoun | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Chambers | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Cherokee | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Chilton | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Choctaw | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Clarke | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Clay | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Cleburne | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Coffee | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Colbert | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Conecuh | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Coosa | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Covington | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Crenshaw | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Cullman | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Dale | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Dallas | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| De Kalb | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Escambia | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Etowah | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Fayette | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Franklin | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Greene | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Hale | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Jackson | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Jefferson | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Lamar | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Lauderdale | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Lawrence | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Limestone | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Macon | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Madison | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Marengo | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Marion | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Marshall | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Monroe | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Morgan | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Perry | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Pickens | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Pike | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Randolph | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Shelby | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| St Clair | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Sumter | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Talladega | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Tallapoosa | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Tuscaloosa | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Walker | AL | building | $32.57 | $14.05 | $46.62 | WD → |
| Washington | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Wilcox | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Winston | AL | building | $29.90 | $14.55 | $44.45 | WD → |
| Arkansas | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Ashley | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Baxter | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Boone | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Bradley | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Calhoun | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Carroll | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Chicot | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Clark | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Clay | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Cleburne | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Columbia | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Conway | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Cross | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Dallas | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Desha | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Drew | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Franklin | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Fulton | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Greene | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Hempstead | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Hot Spring | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Howard | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Independence | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Izard | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Jackson | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Johnson | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Lafayette | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Lawrence | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Lee | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Logan | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Marion | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Mississippi | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Monroe | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Montgomery | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Nevada | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Newton | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Ouachita | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Phillips | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Pike | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Polk | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Pope | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Prairie | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |
| Randolph | AR | building | $33.25 | $15.00 | $48.25 | WD → |