WH-347 Column 6A: The Complete Hourly Wage Rate Guide

What Column 6A Means on the WH-347 Form

Column 6 on the WH-347 certified payroll form is titled "Rate of Pay (Including Fringe Benefits)." It is subdivided into two sub-columns: 6A for the hourly wage rate and 6B for the gross amount earned. Column 6A captures the per-hour pay rate you used to compensate the worker for that pay period, broken out by straight time (ST) and overtime (OT).

Because Column 6A is the field the Department of Labor uses to verify that you paid at least the prevailing wage, it is one of the most scrutinized columns on the entire form. A wrong entry here can trigger back-wage liability even if the worker was actually paid correctly.

---

How to Find the Correct Wage Rate

Before you can fill in Column 6A, you need the applicable wage determination for your project. Wage determinations are published on SAM.gov and are assigned based on three factors: the geographic area (usually county), the type of construction (Building, Heavy, Highway, or Residential), and the date the contract was awarded.

Once you have the correct wage determination, locate the specific classification for each worker. The determination will list the basic hourly rate and the fringe benefit rate separately. For example:

• Electrician: Basic = $38.50/hr, Fringe = $22.15/hr, Total = $60.65/hr
• Laborer Group 1: Basic = $24.80/hr, Fringe = $14.40/hr, Total = $39.20/hr
• Carpenter: Basic = $32.10/hr, Fringe = $18.75/hr, Total = $50.85/hr

You can use our prevailing wage lookup tool to pull the current rates for your county and classification in seconds, or consult our guide on how to find and apply wage determinations.

---

Base Rate vs Fringe Rate vs Total

Understanding the three-part structure of a prevailing wage is critical to filling out Column 6A correctly:

• Base rate (basic hourly rate): The cash-in-pocket rate the worker receives for each hour worked. This is the rate used to calculate overtime.
• Fringe rate: The hourly value of benefits (health insurance, retirement, vacation, training). Can be paid as cash wages or as actual benefits.
• Total rate: The sum of base + fringe. This is the minimum total hourly compensation the worker must receive.

On Column 6A, contractors typically enter the rate being paid in cash for straight time and overtime hours. Many contractors write the rate as a fraction such as "$38.50 / $22.15" where the top number is the basic rate and the bottom is the fringe rate, or they write the total rate with a note referencing the fringe breakdown. The DOL accepts either format as long as both components are identifiable.

---

ST Rate and OT Rate Requirements

Column 6A asks you to list both the straight time and overtime hourly rates. The overtime rate is calculated as 1.5 times the basic hourly rate, NOT 1.5 times the total (basic + fringe). Fringe benefits are paid at their regular hourly value even during overtime hours.

Using our Electrician example with a $38.50 basic rate and $22.15 fringe:

• ST rate: $38.50 basic + $22.15 fringe = $60.65 total per hour
• OT rate: ($38.50 x 1.5) + $22.15 fringe = $57.75 + $22.15 = $79.90 total per hour

---

Handling Multiple Classifications Per Worker

Workers who perform work in more than one classification during a single pay week need a separate line for each classification on the WH-347. For example, if Jose Martinez worked 24 hours as a Carpenter and 16 hours as a Laborer in the same week, he gets two rows:

• Row 1: Jose Martinez | Carpenter | 24 ST hours | Column 6A rate = $32.10 / $18.75
• Row 2: Jose Martinez | Laborer | 16 ST hours | Column 6A rate = $24.80 / $14.40

Each row has its own Column 6A rate matching the classification performed. Do not average the rates or use a single blended rate, that would be a classification violation.

---

Worked Example with Real Numbers

Let's walk through a full Column 6A entry for an Electrician who worked 48 hours in a single week:

• Classification: Electrician
• Wage determination basic rate: $38.50/hr
• Wage determination fringe rate: $22.15/hr
• Straight time hours: 40
• Overtime hours: 8

Column 6A entries:

• ST rate: $38.50 / $22.15 (or $60.65 total)
• OT rate: $57.75 / $22.15 (or $79.90 total)

Column 6B (Gross Amount Earned on this project):

• ST pay: 40 x $60.65 = $2,426.00
• OT pay: 8 x $79.90 = $639.20
• Total: $3,065.20

---

Common Column 6A Mistakes

These are the errors we see most often in client reports:

• Using the wrong wage determination: Rates change annually, and an outdated PDF can cost you thousands per worker
• Calculating OT as 1.5 x total: Overpays but misaligns with pay stubs
• Missing fringe rate entirely: Listing only the basic rate without noting how fringes are paid
• Blending rates across classifications: A "carpenter-laborer" blended rate is not a valid classification
• Rounding down: Rates must be listed to the cent, not rounded to the nearest dollar
• Copying rates from last year: Failing to pull the current rate on contract award date

---

Compliance Risks of Getting It Wrong

A wrong Column 6A entry exposes you to significant liability. The DOL's Wage and Hour Division can assess back wages equal to the difference between what you paid and the prevailing rate, multiplied by every hour every worker worked, on every payroll in the project. On a multi-year project with a dozen workers, underpayment by even $2/hr can compound into six-figure liability.

Beyond back wages, contractors face withheld contract payments, contract termination, and, for willful violations, debarment from federal contracts for up to three years. For more examples of costly errors, see our guide on the top 10 certified payroll mistakes that lead to DOL violations.

---