Scaffold Competent Person Salary in California

$37/hr

California carpenter wage ranges help scaffold workers discuss inspection duties, corrective authority, paid coverage and the underlying job.

Change trade or state

What Scaffold Competent Persons Earn in California

California employee carpenter wages span $22.83–$57.67/hr, or $47,490–$119,950 a year. They provide a broader benchmark for scaffold erectors assigned safety responsibilities. BLS reports Carpenters, SOC 47-2031, and does not isolate scaffold-only pay or a competent-person premium. Discuss the hours spent inspecting, directing corrections and reporting, together with the erection work included in your job. Agree how daily inspection coverage continues when erection work finishes.

Hourly rates by level in California

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$22.83–$28.72/hr
▲ 1.47% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$28.72–$46.07/hr
▲ 1.47% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$46.07–$57.67/hr
▲ 1.47% from last year

Find Scaffold Competent Person jobs in California.

Browse open jobs

Where do you stand?

Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other scaffold competent persons in California.

What are you making?

Type your hourly rate. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere — it stays in your browser.

$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Scaffold Competent Person
California · Day Shift
Base rate$37.39
+ SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$4.83
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$1.62
+ Scaffold Competent Person$0.27
Effective hourly$44.11
Straight · 40 hrs$1,765
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$529
Weekly gross$2,294
Annualised · 50 weeks
$114,699
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

These national carpenter comparisons cover building employers and specialist scaffold contractors. Ask California employers how inspection coverage, erection supervision and reporting fit the paid assignment.

01 / 03$30.66/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building work brings several trades onto shared scaffolds. Discuss who controls alterations and how you will communicate restrictions under Cal/OSHA. Include handovers when another crew needs the same platform during your shift.

+ Larger crews
+ Shared planning
– Access conflicts
– Sequence changes
02 / 03$29.13/hr

Residential Building Construction

Housebuilding and remodeling require scaffold access around changing elevations. Ask how California crews maintain ties and safe access as work advances. Discuss paid inspection time when crews move equipment to another elevation.

+ Repeated layouts
+ Building variety
– Changing elevations
– Weather exposure
03 / 03$28.80/hr

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

Scaffold erection contractors move between customer sites. Discuss travel, handovers and responsibility for checking components against California scaffold requirements after delivery. Ask which sites you cover and who handles damaged equipment replacements.

+ Scaffold focus
+ System experience
– Site changes
– Travel demands

Which states pay scaffold competent persons the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01Californiathis page$36.50/hr
  2. 02Virginia$26.77/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$4.83$10,046$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$1.62$3,370$1593 weeks
Fall Protection Competent Person+$0.43$894$1499 weeks
Scaffold Competent Person+$0.27$562$899 weeks
Cal/OSHA Scaffold Erector/Dismantler Training (8 CCR 1637)+$0.43$894$19512 weeks
American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED+$0.11$229$10224 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $36.50/hr.

40 hr week
$1,460
No OT
50 hr week
$2,008
+$27,375/yr
60 hr week
$2,555
+$54,750/yr
70 hr week
$3,103
+$82,125/yr

Questions workers ask

Is scaffold work on public projects paid prevailing wage?▾
Yes, on public works projects over $1,000. DIR's Director issues general prevailing wage determinations each February 22 and August 22. Ask which craft classification and county rate apply to your scaffold work.
Do scaffold trainees on public works get apprentice rates?▾
No, only registered apprentices do. DIR's Public Works Manual says workers not enrolled in a DAS-approved apprenticeship program receive the journeyman rate. Confirm enrollment before payroll applies an apprentice rate.
What overtime questions belong in the offer discussion?▾
Ask how payroll records early inspections and late reports. Under IWC Wage Order 16, enforced by DIR's Labor Commissioner, construction overtime generally starts after eight daily or 40 weekly hours. Qualifying agreements and alternative schedules have specific rules. Get the applicable arrangement in writing.

See Open Scaffold Competent Person Jobs in California

Verified positions matching this trade and location.

See Open JobsBuild My Profile — Free

Current BLS California employee wages for Carpenters, SOC 47-2031; broader scaffold-erector benchmark, not scaffold-only pay, excluding premium pay and benefits.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.