Home / Prevailing wage rates / California
California Prevailing Wage Rates (Davis-Bacon and SCA)
Updated
The federal prevailing wage rates in force today for California: 18 Davis-Bacon wage determinations for construction and 74 Service Contract Act wage determinations for services, with every rate, by county.
These rates apply to federal and federally funded contracts in California. Many states also set their own prevailing wage for state and local public works; those rates come from the state's labor department and are not listed here.
Davis-Bacon wage rates in California: the most common classifications
| Classification (base rate an hour) | Lowest | Median | Highest | Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | $17.41 | $53.63 | $91.25 | 10 |
| Laborer: Common or General | $20.49 | $23.05 | $25.62 | 2 |
| Plumber | $23.06 | $44.75 | $52.75 | 14 |
| Carpenter | $13.36 | $24.18 | $29.28 | 4 |
| Ironworker | $43.75 | $45.78 | $50.70 | 14 |
| Painter | $9.87 | $26.37 | $57.00 | 5 |
| Cement Mason/Concrete Finisher | $27.66 | $47.70 | $47.70 | 17 |
| Roofer | $10.05 | $42.80 | $55.30 | 9 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $27.17 | $57.06 | $86.31 | 9 |
| Pipefitter | $80.50 | $80.50 | $80.50 | 1 |
| Bricklayer; Marble Setter | $50.32 | $50.32 | $58.81 | 3 |
| Drywall Finisher/Taper | $45.20 | $49.33 | $63.76 | 10 |
| Marble Finisher | $15.22 | $43.38 | $46.97 | 15 |
| Tile Finisher | $16.17 | $37.96 | $41.55 | 15 |
| Tile Layer | $48.29 | $51.82 | $59.92 | 14 |
Base rates an hour, before fringe benefits, across all construction types; "areas" is how many wage determinations list the classification. Open a wage determination below for the exact rate and fringe in a county.
Service Contract Act wages in California: the most common occupations
| Occupation (hourly wage) | Lowest | Median | Highest | Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janitor | $18.20 | $20.25 | $22.08 | 41 |
| Guard I | $17.87 | $20.41 | $22.71 | 40 |
| Guard II | $19.99 | $23.05 | $30.14 | 40 |
| General Maintenance Worker | $22.99 | $25.20 | $30.59 | 40 |
| Laborer, Grounds Maintenance | $19.56 | $21.68 | $23.34 | 40 |
| Laborer | $17.96 | $20.71 | $23.27 | 41 |
| Truckdriver, Light | $16.00 | $22.29 | $25.05 | 41 |
| General Clerk I | $16.83 | $18.66 | $23.11 | 40 |
| Secretary I | $19.24 | $22.30 | $25.43 | 40 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $30.07 | $38.00 | $59.97 | 41 |
| Environmental Technician | $23.32 | $32.40 | $38.86 | 41 |
| Airplane Pilot | $35.43 | $41.72 | $44.73 | 41 |
| Truckdriver, Medium | $20.70 | $23.95 | $28.65 | 41 |
| Truckdriver, Heavy | $25.69 | $28.86 | $34.00 | 41 |
| Accounting Clerk I | $19.42 | $21.11 | $25.33 | 40 |
Building construction wage determinations (2)
- 4 Counties in California CA20260005
- Tulare County, California CA20260016
Building, Heavy and Highway construction wage determinations (11)
- 17 Counties in California CA20260018
- 24 Counties in California CA20260007
- 3 Counties in California CA20260020
- Imperial County, California CA20260002
- Los Angeles County, California CA20260022
- Orange County, California CA20260024
- Riverside County, California CA20260025
- San Bernardino County, California CA20260026
- San Luis Obispo County, California CA20260012
- Santa Barbara County, California CA20260014
- Ventura County, California CA20260015
Heavy and Highway construction wage determinations (1)
- 4 Counties in California CA20260004
Residential construction wage determinations (4)
- 18 Counties in California CA20260019
- 6 Counties in California CA20260029
- 8 Counties in California CA20260017
- Tuolumne County, California CA20260028
Service Contract Act wage determinations (74)
- 2015-5661 Mariposa County, California, 347 occupations
- 2015-5665 Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties, California, 347 occupations
- 2015-5673 4 Counties in California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5653 San Joaquin County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5617 Merced County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5619 Stanislaus County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5605 Butte County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5611 Kings County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5659 Sutter and Yuba Counties, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5615 Madera County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5677 6 Counties in California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5667 Alpine County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5609 Fresno County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5679 Lassen County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5663 Amador County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5675 3 Counties in California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5669 Inyo County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5671 Mono County, California, 346 occupations
- 2015-5635 San Diego County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5649 Santa Cruz County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5633 Monterey County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5651 Sonoma County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5607 Imperial County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5647 Santa Barbara County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5603 Kern County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5621 Napa County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5655 Solano County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5629 Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5643 San Luis Obispo County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5657 Tulare County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5627 Shasta County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5631 4 Counties in California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5625 Ventura County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5639 San Benito County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5637 San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5725 Marin County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5623 Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5641 Santa Clara County, California, 345 occupations
- 2015-5645 Orange County, California, 334 occupations
- 2015-5613 Los Angeles County, California, 334 occupations
- 1996-0223 149 Counties in 53 States, 25 occupations
- 1977-0727 58 Counties in California, 13 occupations
- 2000-0115 Solano County, California, 6 occupations
- 2000-0113 6 Counties in California, 5 occupations
- 1977-1297 Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California, 5 occupations
- 2004-0153 5 Counties in 5 States, 3 occupations
- 2019-0183 San Diego County, California, 2 occupations
- 2025-0057 Yolo County, California, 2 occupations
- 2020-0163 Inyo County, California, 2 occupations
- 2025-0055 San Joaquin County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0625 Orange County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0631 Tulare County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0613 Stanislaus County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0627 Santa Cruz County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0621 San Diego County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0607 Imperial County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0637 3 Counties in California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0619 4 Counties in California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0623 San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0611 Madera County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0629 San Joaquin County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0617 Shasta County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0615 Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0633 Marin County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0609 Kings County, California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0635 3 Counties in California, 2 occupations
- 2017-0605 Kern County, California, 2 occupations
- 1986-0879 Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California, 2 occupations
- 2022-0145 San Luis Obispo County, California, 1 occupations
- 2020-0087 Los Angeles County, California, 1 occupations
- 1980-0841 59 Counties in California and Nevada, 1 occupations
- 1986-0431 13 Counties in California and Nevada, 1 occupations
- 1974-1257 San Francisco County, California, 1 occupations
- 1999-0013 5 Counties in California, 0 occupations
Questions
What is the prevailing wage in California?
For federal construction it is the Davis-Bacon rate for the county and type of construction of the job. Across California's wage determinations the median base rate is $53.63 an hour for an electrician and $23.05 for a general laborer, plus fringe benefits. State-funded public works follow the state's own prevailing wage.
What is the SCA wage for a janitor in California?
The median Service Contract Act wage for a janitor (occupation 11150) across California's wage determinations is $20.25 an hour, plus health and welfare. The exact wage depends on the county in the wage determination attached to the contract.
Which wage determination applies to my bid?
The one included in the solicitation. Federal construction bids include a Davis-Bacon general decision for the county and construction type; service bids include an SCA wage determination for the place of performance. Our bid pages list the documents of each bid, the wage determination among them.
Open federal bids in California · Prevailing wage rates in every state