Prevailing Wage Laws by State: 2026 Interactive Map and Guide

The Two-Layer System

Prevailing wage in the United States works on two levels. At the federal level, the Davis-Bacon Act requires prevailing wages on federally funded construction projects over $2,000. At the state level, about 28 states (plus DC) have their own prevailing wage laws that apply to state and locally funded public works, with varying thresholds and requirements.

If you only do federal work, you only need to worry about Davis-Bacon. But if you do state or locally funded public construction in a state that has its own law, you are subject to that state's prevailing wage requirements regardless of whether federal money is involved.

States With Their Own Prevailing Wage Laws

As of 2026, the following states have active prevailing wage laws for public works construction. Thresholds and requirements vary significantly.

Major Construction States

State	Threshold	Key Details
California	$1,000 (new), $15,000 (maint.)	DIR eCPR electronic filing required. One of the strictest.
New York	All public works	NYCDOL certified payroll required. Bureau of Public Work sets rates.
Illinois	All public works	Monthly certified transcript. IDOL sets rates by county.
Massachusetts	All public works	M.G.L. Ch. 149. Weekly certified payroll. DLS sets rates.
Texas	All covered public works	Gov. Code Ch. 2258. Local subdivisions choose Davis-Bacon or state rates.
Pennsylvania	$25,000	Prevailing Wage Act. L&I sets rates.
Ohio	$250,000 (new), $75,000 (reno)	Ohio Prevailing Wage Law. ODOC sets rates.
Washington	All public works	L&I sets rates. Apprenticeship requirements.

Recent Changes Contractors Should Know

Michigan Reinstated Prevailing Wage (2024)

Michigan repealed its prevailing wage law in 2018. In 2023, Governor Whitmer signed Act 10 of 2023 reinstating prevailing wage requirements for state-funded public works. The law took effect February 13, 2024. If you do public construction in Michigan, prevailing wage is back in play.

Colorado Reestablished Prevailing Wage (2021)

Colorado repealed its prevailing wage law in 1985 but reestablished it through the Quality Apprenticeship Training Act in 2019, effective July 1, 2021. The new law applies to state-funded projects over $500,000 and includes apprenticeship utilization requirements.

Indiana Repealed (2015)

Indiana repealed its Common Construction Wage Act effective July 1, 2015. Indiana is now federal Davis-Bacon only for any prevailing wage requirements.

States With NO State Prevailing Wage Law

The following states have no active state prevailing wage law. On public works in these states, prevailing wage only applies if the project receives federal funding (triggering Davis-Bacon):

Alabama, Arizona (repealed 1984), Colorado*, Florida (repealed 1979), Georgia, Idaho (repealed 1985), Indiana (repealed 2015), Iowa, Kansas (repealed 1987), Louisiana (repealed 1988), Michigan*, Mississippi, New Hampshire (repealed 1985), North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma (repealed 1995), South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah (repealed 1981), Virginia, Wisconsin (repealed 2017).

* Colorado and Michigan have reestablished prevailing wage. See sections above.

When Both Federal and State Rates Apply

On a project that receives both federal and state funding (which is common with highway, transit, school, and infrastructure projects), both Davis-Bacon and the state's prevailing wage law may apply simultaneously. When this happens, the contractor must pay whichever rate is higher for each classification.

This comparison must be done classification by classification, not as a blanket rule. In major metro areas, state rates often exceed federal rates. In rural areas, Davis-Bacon rates may be higher. The safest practice is to compare both determinations before the project starts and document which rate applies to each trade.

How to Look Up Rates for Any State

For federal Davis-Bacon rates, all wage determinations are published on SAM.gov. Search by state, county, and construction type (building, heavy, highway, or residential).

For state-specific rates, each state publishes rates through its own labor department or industrial relations board. The format and accessibility varies widely. California and New York have searchable online databases. Other states publish PDF rate sheets that you have to download and read manually.