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Prevailing wage lookup

On state-funded construction projects in Minnesota, the law sets a minimum wage for each trade in each county: the prevailing wage (Minnesota Statutes sections 177.41 to 177.44). If you swing a hammer, pull wire, or run equipment on a project with state money in it, these certified rates are your floor. Pick your county and find your labor class.

Project type

Who the prevailing wage covers

Covered: workers on state-funded building projects (commercial rates, set county by county) and state-funded highway and heavy work like roads, bridges, and sewers (set by region). The rate for your labor class on the certified schedule is the minimum for every hour on that project, and hours past 8 in a day or 40 in a week on the project earn time and a half.

Not covered: purely private jobs with no state money. Federally funded projects follow the similar federal Davis-Bacon law instead, with its own rate schedules.

Paid less than the certified rate on a covered project? That is enforceable. DLI's Prevailing Wage unit takes reports at 651-284-5091 and DLI.PrevWage@state.mn.us, and the wage theft checkup can help you sort the rest of the paycheck too.

Browse rates by trade

laborer, commonlaborer, skilledlaborer, landscapingflag personwatch personpipelayerunderground and open ditch laborersurvey field technicianarticulated haulerboom trucklandscaping equipment, includes hydro seeder or mulcher, sod roller, farm tractor with attachment specifically seeding, sodding, or plant, and two-framed forkliftpavement marking or marking removal equipment

Browse rates by county

AitkinAnokaBeckerBeltramiBentonBig StoneBlue EarthBrownCarltonCarverCassChippewaChisagoClayClearwaterCookCottonwoodCrow WingDakotaDodgeDouglasFaribaultFillmoreFreebornGoodhueGrantHennepinHoustonHubbardIsantiItascaJacksonKanabecKandiyohiKittsonKoochichingLac Qui ParleLakeLake Of The WoodsLesueurLincolnLyonMahnomenMarshallMartinMcleodMeekerMille LacsMorrisonMowerMurrayNicolletNoblesNormanOlmstedOttertailPenningtonPinePipestonePolkPopeRamseyRed LakeRedwoodRenvilleRiceRockRoseauScottSherburneSibleySt. LouisStearnsSteeleStevensSwiftToddTraverseWabashaWadenaWasecaWashingtonWatonwanWilkinWinonaWrightYellow Medicine

Bidding public work in Minnesota?

These are the certified rates your bid has to carry. If you are a licensed contractor, you may already have a profile on our network: we publish Minnesota's contractor license records, and license holders can claim and manage their listing.

Find and claim your contractor profile

Frequently asked questions

What is a prevailing wage?
On state-funded construction and public works projects in Minnesota, the law (Minnesota Statutes sections 177.41 to 177.44) requires workers to be paid at least the wage rates certified by the Department of Labor and Industry for their trade in that county or region. These are minimums for those projects, not general market rates.
Does the prevailing wage apply to my job?
It applies when you work on a covered project: state-funded building construction (commercial rates, set by county) or state-funded highway and heavy work like roads and bridges (set by region). Private jobs with no state money are not covered, though federally funded projects have a similar federal law (Davis-Bacon).
Where do these numbers come from?
Directly from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's certified rate pages, which we fetch on a schedule and republish with the date we last checked them. If our copy and DLI's page ever disagree, DLI's page controls.
What if I was paid less than the certified rate on a covered project?
The rate on the certified schedule is the legal minimum for your labor class on that project, and hours over 8 in a day or 40 in a week on the project must be paid at time and a half. Underpayment can be reported to DLI's Prevailing Wage unit at 651-284-5091 or DLI.PrevWage@state.mn.us.