Prevailing wage in New York

Who and what this applies to

Wage and registration duties for construction covered by New York Labor Law Article 8, including covered public work and covered private construction. This guide addresses those duties rather than deciding every project’s coverage; building-service contracts under Article 9 are a separate category.

Thresholds and scope

Use the applicable Article 8 project determination and wage schedule; this guide does not state a universal contract-value threshold.

The rules

• New York’s Bureau of Public Work and Prevailing Wage Enforcement enforces prevailing wages and supplements owed on public work and covered projects. Use the applicable construction wage schedule for the work. Source
• The Department of Labor posts corrections or updates to its annual wage determination on the first business day of each month and states that contractors are responsible for the updated rates retroactive to July 1. Source
• Since December 30, 2024, contractors and subcontractors submitting bids or performing construction on public work or private projects covered by Article 8 must register with the New York State Department of Labor. Source

Primary sources

• New York Department of Labor: Public Work and Prevailing Wage Enforcement
• New York Department of Labor: current Article 8 and Article 9 wage schedules

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

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