New Jersey Prevailing Wage
A practical navigator for New Jersey contractors, subcontractors, public bodies, and owners on public works. What NJ prevailing wage is, how it differs from federal Davis-Bacon and from the DE and PA systems, and where to find the rates and the NJ Wage Hub reporting tool.
The short version
New Jersey's Prevailing Wage Act is administered by the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Wage and Hour and Contract Compliance. Rates for public works projects are published through the Wage and Hour Compliance portal, and certified payroll reporting happens through the NJ Wage Hub — a dedicated online system that public-works contractors must use on covered projects.
NJ's setup sits between Delaware's per-project request model and Pennsylvania's open rate database: NJ publishes rates for public works projects through its hub, and the certified-payroll reporting piece is fully digital via NJ Wage Hub.
Where to get the rates and file certified payroll
Primary source: NJ Department of Labor, Division of Wage and Hour Compliance — the canonical hubs are:
- Prevailing Wage Rates main page — the starting point for rates and the public works workflow.
- Public Works Projects — coverage rules and awarding-body / contractor duties.
- NJ Wage Hub: Certified Payroll Reporting Tool — the required reporting system for contractors on covered projects.
- Laws and Regulations — the NJ Prevailing Wage Act and implementing rules.
- File a Wage Complaint — intake channel for prevailing wage disputes, underpayment, or misclassification.
The primary-source library
- New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act (N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq.) — the governing statute, linked from the Laws and Regulations page above.
- Implementing regulations — also linked from the Laws and Regulations hub; cover rate determination, certified payroll, enforcement, and penalties.
- NJ Wage Hub — the operational system that replaces legacy paper certified payroll on covered projects. Contractors register and submit through the hub.
Which projects trigger New Jersey prevailing wage?
NJ prevailing wage applies to public works contracts above the statutory threshold defined in the Prevailing Wage Act. Coverage includes state, county, and municipal construction, alteration, and repair work under the Act's definition. The specific current threshold, the definition of "public works," and the reporting obligations on the awarding body and the contractor should be verified directly against the current statute and regulations on the Laws and Regulations page. Thresholds and definitions have been amended over time; do not rely on a general summary (including this one) for the coverage determination on a specific bid.
How New Jersey prevailing wage differs from federal Davis-Bacon
- Publication model. Davis-Bacon rates are published on sam.gov by county and construction type. NJ rates are published through the NJ DOL Wage and Hour prevailing-rates portal — different system, NJ-specific classifications.
- Jurisdiction trigger. Davis-Bacon follows federal funding and federal thresholds. NJ prevailing wage follows NJ state, county, or municipal funding and NJ's own statutory threshold.
- Classification schema. NJ uses its own craft classifications. Overlap with Davis-Bacon exists but is not 1:1.
- Certified payroll system. Federal uses WH-347. NJ uses the NJ Wage Hub digital system. Submit through the system the funding source requires — a WH-347 is not a substitute for an NJ Wage Hub filing on an NJ-covered project.
How New Jersey differs from Delaware and Pennsylvania
- Rate access. DE issues rates per-project by request form. PA has a publicly searchable rate database. NJ publishes rates through its Wage and Hour prevailing-rates portal.
- Certified payroll. NJ uniquely has a dedicated digital system (NJ Wage Hub) that's required for reporting on covered projects. DE and PA use their own forms.
- Act citations. NJ's governing statute is N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq. DE's and PA's are separate statutes with separate structures.
- For a project straddling states, file with each jurisdiction separately — an NJ Wage Hub submission does not satisfy PA L&I or DE DOL obligations, and vice versa.
See also: Delaware Prevailing Wage Navigator · Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Navigator.
The practical workflow (NJ)
- Confirm the project triggers the NJ Prevailing Wage Act — check current threshold and coverage in the statute/regulations linked above.
- The awarding public body includes prevailing wage rates in bid documents per the Act's requirements.
- The contractor registers for the NJ Wage Hub if not already registered.
- Pay the published rates; file certified payroll through NJ Wage Hub on the required schedule.
- Maintain records for the retention period specified in the regulations.
- If a dispute arises (misclassification, underpayment), file through the wage complaint channel linked above.
When to get direct help
If the Act is ambiguous for your specific project, or if a classification appears incorrect or missing from the published rates, contact the NJ Division of Wage and Hour Compliance directly. Current contact information lives on the Wage and Hour Compliance portal linked above.
Why we built this
The Hive builds tools for working construction and engineering professionals across the Delaware Valley. NJ's combination of a published rate system plus a required digital reporting tool (NJ Wage Hub) is different from both DE and PA — contractors working across the river from Wilmington or Philadelphia often miss the Wage Hub registration requirement until after they've already started work. This page makes the primary sources easier to find and the workflow easier to understand. It does not replace the Prevailing Wage Act, and it does not issue rates. Rates come from NJ DOL for your covered project.
If something is missing that an NJ public-works contractor would need, email us and we'll add it.