Prevailing wage in Nevada

Who and what this applies to

Nevada public-work wage requirements under NRS 338.020–338.090. The ordinary exemptions in NRS 338.080 are subject to NRS 226.826.

Thresholds and scope

NRS 338.080 exempts a public-work contract with an estimated cost below $100,000 and apprentices recorded under NRS Chapter 610, subject to the statute’s cross-reference to NRS 226.826. A project may not be divided to avoid the $100,000 threshold.

The rules

• Covered public-work contracts must state the hourly and daily rates for each worker classification at no less than the prevailing regional rates determined under NRS 338.030. The rates must be posted where workers can see them. Source
• NRS 338.020(3) ordinarily requires at least one and one-half times the prevailing rate for covered public-work hours beyond 40 in a week or eight in a day, counting other work for the same employer. It permits a mutually agreed four-day, ten-hour schedule. Subsection (4) provides a separate rule for qualifying collective bargaining agreements. Source
• The exemption for work estimated below $100,000 cannot be obtained by separating a unit from the whole project, even if that unit will be completed later. Source

Primary sources

• NRS 338.020(1)–(4): wage, posting, overtime and exceptions
• NRS 338.080: exemptions and anti-splitting rule

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

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