Prevailing wage in Massachusetts

Who and what this applies to

Workers in covered public-works classifications under M.G.L. c.149 §27.

Thresholds and scope

Use the project wage determination and annual updates rather than a single statewide dollar rate.

The rules

• Before award, the public body requests the wage determination; it requests annual updates thereafter. The contractor obtains updated rates annually, and contractors/subcontractors must not pay less than the established rates. Source
• The schedule and updates must be posted conspicuously at the job. Required health/welfare, pension and supplementary-unemployment amounts must be paid into the relevant plans or directly to employees as the section provides. Source
• An employee may sue within three years of the violation, ordinarily after 90 days from an Attorney General complaint or sooner with written assent. A prevailing employee receives treble lost wages/benefits and litigation costs and reasonable attorney fees. Source

Primary sources

• M.G.L. c.149 §27

Sources reviewed 2026-09-30. This guide covers the projects and rules stated above.

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