Two kinds of prevailing wage in Pennsylvania
Federal (Davis-Bacon). Construction contracts over $2,000 paid for or assisted with federal money pay the rates in a federal wage determination for the county and construction type. Those rates are on this site, county by county, and the weekly certified payroll is usually the WH-347.
State (Pennsylvania law). State and local public works pay the state's rates under Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act (43 P.S. 165-1 and following) and 34 Pa. Code chapter 9, subchapter E [34 Pa. Code ch. 9]. The agency is the Department of Labor & Industry, Bureau of Labor Law Compliance.
Pennsylvania's act excludes projects where federal prevailing wages apply and the cost exceeds $2,000, so a federally funded project is usually Davis-Bacon only: the weekly federal certified payroll (WH-347) goes to your prime or agency. Check your contract for the determinations it lists.
Pennsylvania prevailing wage law at a glance
Which projects are covered
- Public work is construction, reconstruction, demolition, alteration or repair work other than maintenance, done under contract, paid for in whole or in part out of public funds, with a total project cost over $25,000; a project may not be split to get under it [L&I FAQ].
- Locally funded highway and bridge projects contracted after January 1, 2014 are covered only above $100,000. For private projects with public money, the total project cost, not the amount of public financing, decides coverage [L&I FAQ].
- Projects where federal prevailing wages apply and the cost exceeds $2,000 are excluded from the state act [L&I FAQ].
How state rates are set
L&I issues rates for each project, based on collective bargaining agreements and other data for the craft in the county, in four types: building, highway, heavy and residential [L&I FAQ].
The rates go into the bid specifications and the contract. If the contract is not awarded within 120 days of the determination date, a new determination must be requested [34 Pa. Code 9.104].
Overtime
L&I points to the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act for overtime over 40 hours a week at 1.5 times the regular rate, where the regular rate includes cash paid in lieu of fringe benefits; bona fide fringe contributions are excluded [L&I FAQ]. Note this differs from the federal rule, which leaves cash fringe out of the overtime rate.
Davis-Bacon wage rates by county in Pennsylvania
Select a county for its federal wage determinations by construction type (building, residential, heavy, highway), with every classification's base and fringe rate.
- Adams County
- Allegheny County
- Armstrong County
- Beaver County
- Bedford County
- Berks County
- Blair County
- Bradford County
- Bucks County
- Butler County
- Cambria County
- Cameron County
- Carbon County
- Centre County
- Chester County
- Clarion County
- Clearfield County
- Clinton County
- Columbia County
- Crawford County
- Cumberland County
- Dauphin County
- Delaware County
- Elk County
- Erie County
- Fayette County
- Forest County
- Franklin County
- Fulton County
- Greene County
- Huntingdon County
- Indiana County
- Jefferson County
- Juniata County
- Lackawanna County
- Lancaster County
- Lawrence County
- Lebanon County
- Lehigh County
- Luzerne County
- Lycoming County
- McKean County
- Mercer County
- Mifflin County
- Monroe County
- Montgomery County
- Montour County
- Northampton County
- Northumberland County
- Perry County
- Philadelphia County
- Pike County
- Potter County
- Schuylkill County
- Snyder County
- Somerset County
- Sullivan County
- Susquehanna County
- Tioga County
- Union County
- Venango County
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Westmoreland County
- Wyoming County
- York County
Federal data: SAM.gov general wage determinations, fetched October 7, 2026. For state rates, use the agency link above.
Certified payroll in Pennsylvania
Weekly certified payroll, under oath, to the public body. Every week, plus a final statement at the end of the work.
For Pennsylvania projects LevelWage prepares the WH-347 package with the federal checks. The LLC-25 state form is planned and not available yet.
Read the full Pennsylvania certified payroll guide
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Pennsylvania prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon?
Does Pennsylvania's form need to be notarized every week?
Does the Pennsylvania act apply to federally funded projects?
Where do the county rates on this page come from?
Sources
- PA L&I: Prevailing wage
- PA L&I: Prevailing wage FAQ
- 34 Pa. Code chapter 9, subchapter E
- PA L&I: Form LLC-25 (PDF)
LevelWage prepares reports for your review. This page explains the rules in plain words; it is not legal advice. When a rule matters to a decision, read the source and your contract.