Prevailing Wage Act

Requires contractor and subcontractor to pay laborers, workers, and mechanics employed on public works projects, no less than the general prevailing rate of wages (consisting of hourly cash wages plus fringe benefits) for work ​of similar character in the locality where the work is performed.

Violators must pay workers the difference between the wage paid and the prevailing wage, and are subject to penalties and punitive damages. A contractor or subcontractor found to have violated the Act on two occasions in a five-year period may be disbarred from public works projects for four years. Contractors are required to post prevailing wage rates at job sites.

What are the Prevailing Wage rates?

The Prevailing Wage rates are covered under two separate laws: Prevailing Wage Act and Illinois Procurement Code. The following are the prevailing wage classifications and rates the Department of Labor ascertained for each county within the State of Illinois.