Prevailing wage rates · North Carolina · Wage determination
Prevailing wage rates: Cabarrus, Lincoln, Rowan and Union Counties, North Carolina
Building construction · NC20260017 modification 1, published May 18, 2026
The short answer
This sheet sets 23 classifications for building work in Cabarrus, Lincoln, Rowan and Union Counties, North Carolina. Each line is a basic hourly rate plus a fringe rate, and the sum is the minimum you must pay for that work, from $13.17 an hour (laborer: mason tender - brick) to $47.75 (ironworker). Your contract may lock an earlier modification.
What changed this year
First published January 2, 2026, this sheet is now on modification 1, and its rates have changed in 1 modification.
Latest change
May 18, 2026 · modification 1
1 fringe formula changed
- Electrician: 1 fringe formula changed
Every line that changed (1)
| Classification | Was | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICIAN | $32.31 + 15.5%+8.65 | $32.31 + $13.66 | changed |
Compared line by line from each modification as published on SAM.gov. A line we could not pair with certainty is left out rather than guessed.
Rates by classification
These are the rates in modification 1 as published on SAM.gov. The determination and modification written into your contract are the ones that bind you; check that number before relying on this table. Total is the basic rate plus the fringe. Source is the agreement or survey the rate came from and its year; a survey year long past means the rate has not been surveyed since. A marker means the group changed in this modification. In the Since column, a dash means SAM.gov reworded the line during the year and it cannot be matched to the first publication with certainty. A dagger (†) means the fringe carries a footnote or percentage the total does not include; read the group’s notes.
| Classification | Basic rate | Fringe | Total | Since Jan 2 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARP0312-003 · Carpenters agreement, June 1, 2025 | |||||
| DRYWALL HANGER | $29.00 | $11.20 | $40.20 | no change | Agreement, 2025 |
| ELEC0379-001 · Electrical Workers (IBEW) agreement, September 1, 2024 | |||||
| ELECTRICIAN | $32.31 | $13.66 | $45.97 | changed | Agreement, 2024 |
| IRON0848-003 · Ironworkers agreement, July 1, 2025 | |||||
| IRONWORKER | $29.75 | $18.00 | $47.75 | no change | Agreement, 2025 |
| PLUM0421-006 · Plumbers and Pipefitters agreement, July 1, 2023 | |||||
| PIPEFITTER | $33.96 | $13.48 | $47.44 | no change | Agreement, 2023 |
| SHEE0005-008 · Sheet Metal Workers agreement, May 1, 2023 | |||||
| SHEET METAL WORKER (HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY) | $30.74 | $16.51 | $47.25 | no change | Agreement, 2023 |
| SUNC2018-017 · Survey of contractors in NC, August 8, 2023 | |||||
| TRUCK DRIVER: DUMP TRUCK | $16.56 | $3.09 | $19.65 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| SPRINKLER FITTER | $18.35 | $3.06 | $21.41 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| SHEET METAL WORKER, EXCLUDES HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION | $19.67 | $13.27 | $32.94 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| ROOFER | $18.26 | $4.38 | $22.64 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| PLUMBER | $22.96 | $4.81 | $27.77 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| PAINTER | $15.55 | $1.05 | $16.60 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| OPERATOR: ROLLER | $15.31 | $1.46 | $16.77 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| OPERATOR: GRADER/BLADE | $22.68 | $3.27 | $25.95 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| OPERATOR: FORKLIFT | $16.75 | $0.00 | $16.75 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| OPERATOR: BULLDOZER | $17.54 | $2.63 | $20.17 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.50 | $0.08 | $16.58 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| LABORER: PIPELAYER | $15.00 | $2.46 | $17.46 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| LABORER: MASON TENDER - CEMENT/CONCRETE | $13.00 | $4.54 | $17.54 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| LABORER: MASON TENDER - BRICK | $13.17 | $0.00 | $13.17 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| LABORER: COMMON OR GENERAL | $14.12 | $2.79 | $16.91 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHER | $18.79 | $0.00 | $18.79 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| CARPENTER, EXCLUDES DRYWALL HANGING | $21.33 | $5.16 | $26.49 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
| BRICKLAYER | $19.00 | $0.00 | $19.00 | no change | Survey, 2023 |
Modification history
| Modification 0 | January 2, 2026 |
| Modification 1 | May 18, 2026 (current) |
Published by the Wage and Hour Division; read from sam.gov. The sheet is checked for a newer modification each day. Contracts awarded since January 1, 2017 also carry Executive Order 13706 paid sick leave (one hour per 30 worked, up to 56 a year).
Questions people ask
- Which rate do I pay on NC20260017?
- The line for the classification of work actually performed: the basic rate plus the fringe. You may pay the fringe into benefit plans, as cash on every hour, or a mix. Overtime after 40 hours is 1.5 times the basic rate; fringe is paid on every hour and never multiplied.
- My trade is not on this sheet. What do I do?
- Do not borrow the nearest name. Ask the contracting agency for a conformance on Standard Form 1444 before the first week of that work, and note it as pending on the payroll.
- Does modification 1 apply to my contract?
- Only if it was in force when your contract was awarded (generally at bid opening). An earlier modification locked into the contract keeps applying, except on option years, added scope and indefinite-quantity contracts. The number and modification are on the first page of the exhibit in your contract.
How to read a wage determination · Paying the fringe in cash or through plans · Overtime on these rates · Fringe credit calculator
Put these rates on a certified payroll.
Start here and NC20260017 is already filled in when you set up the job. CertifiedHours loads this sheet, checks every line against it as you type hours, and prints the WH-347. Free for one payroll a month.
Start a payroll on this sheetOn this sheet
- 23 classifications in 6 rate groups
- 5 from agreements, 1 from surveys
- Counties: Cabarrus, Lincoln, Rowan, Union