Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage for Electricians 2026

The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 (40 USC 3141-3148) requires contractors and subcontractors performing work on federally funded construction contracts above $2,000 to pay at least the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits to mechanics and laborers. The US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division publishes wage determinations by county and trade classification. For Electrician (BLS 47-2111), determinations are based on surveys of wages actually paid in the area, and in union-strong markets typically align closely with the IBEW Local agreement.

Visit sam.gov (System for Award Management) and use the Wage Determinations search. Filter by Construction Type (Building, Heavy, Highway, or Residential), State, and County. For Electrician, the classification is typically labeled 'Electrician' or 'Electrician (Inside Wireman)' in Building and Heavy schedules. The published determination shows the base hourly rate and fringe benefit amount separately. Both must be paid (cash or bona fide benefits) on covered federal projects in that county.

No. Davis-Bacon applies only to construction contracts with federal funding above $2,000. Common covered projects include: military base construction (Army Corps of Engineers contracts), VA hospitals, federal courthouses and office buildings (GSA contracts), federal housing (HUD), Bureau of Reclamation dams, Federal Highway Administration projects, and any project receiving federal grants subject to Davis-Bacon-related Act coverage. Most states also have parallel state prevailing wage laws (Little Davis-Bacon Acts) covering state public works.

In union-strong markets (Boston, NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, DC, San Francisco), the Davis-Bacon rate for Electrician typically matches or closely tracks the IBEW Local agreement because the union scale is what is actually paid in the area, which is what the DOL survey finds. In right-to-work states with low union density (Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida), the Davis-Bacon rate is typically a weighted average that falls between union and non-union rates and may be substantially below the IBEW figure. Always look up the specific county determination for the rate that applies to your project.

No. State prevailing wage laws are separate, with different thresholds, coverage, and rate-setting methodology. Common state prevailing wage states include California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii. Some have higher coverage thresholds (Connecticut: $400,000 for new construction); others are lower. State rates are usually set by the state Department of Labor and may use the IBEW agreement as the prevailing rate where union density is high enough to meet the state's threshold for adoption.