Scaffold Competent Person Salary in Virginia

$27/hr

Virginia carpenter wages help scaffold erectors assess offers that include inspection, crew supervision and authority to correct hazards.

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What Scaffold Competent Persons Earn in Virginia

Virginia carpenter employee wages span $18.38–$35.70/hr, or $38,230–$74,250 a year. This broader benchmark covers scaffold erectors with competent-person duties, alongside other carpenter work. BLS measures no separate scaffold competent-person occupation or appointment premium. Match offers to the underlying work, inspection coverage and required reporting. Employee figures exclude premium pay and benefits, which need separate discussion. Years worked describe experience without proving competence for assigned systems.

Hourly rates by level in Virginia

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

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$18.38–$22.34/hr
▲ 10.85% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$22.34–$29.49/hr
▲ 10.85% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$29.49–$35.70/hr
▲ 10.85% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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$/ 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
Virginia · Day Shift
Base rate$25.92
+ EAS Carpenters Technical Centers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$4.43
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$0.92
+ Fall Protection Competent Person$0.25
Effective hourly$31.52
Straight · 40 hrs$1,261
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$378
Weekly gross$1,639
Annualised · 50 weeks
$81,939
8 OT hrs/week · Virginia

Who pays the most in Virginia

These national carpenter comparisons cover three building sectors. Ask Virginia employers how scaffold inspection, erection and travel fit the offered role and equipment.

01 / 03$30.66/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building crews coordinate scaffold access across trades. Ask how the employer assigns inspection coverage when work continues across shifts. Include handover time in discussions about the hours you will be expected to cover.

+ Larger crews
+ Coordinated access
– Shift coverage
– Schedule changes
02 / 03$29.13/hr

Residential Building Construction

Homebuilding and remodeling move scaffold work between properties. Discuss paid moves, equipment transport and who inspects each newly assembled setup. Separate employee wage discussions from transport reimbursement so equipment moves have clear payment terms.

+ Varied properties
+ Smaller crews
– Frequent moves
– Weather interruptions
03 / 03$29.27/hr

Building Finishing Contractors

Interior finishing puts scaffold platforms near ongoing trade work. Discuss access restrictions, material loads and inspection duties when platforms are altered. Ask who handles repairs and whether inspection responsibility includes directing changes to scaffold components.

+ Interior work
+ Trade coordination
– Shared access
– Changing loads

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. 01California$36.50/hr
  2. 02Virginiathis page$26.77/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
EAS Carpenters Technical Centers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$4.43$9,214$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$0.92$1,914$1595 weeks
Supported Scaffold User+$0.12$250$358 weeks
Fall Protection Competent Person+$0.25$520$14915 weeks
Scaffold Competent Person+$0.15$312$8915 weeks
Suspended Scaffold User (4-hr)+$0.12$250$10021 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $26.77/hr.

40 hr week
$1,071
No OT
50 hr week
$1,472
+$20,077/yr
60 hr week
$1,874
+$40,155/yr
70 hr week
$2,275
+$60,232/yr

Questions workers ask

Will a state license raise my competent-person pay?▾
No. Virginia issues no individual scaffold license, and DPOR's tradesman categories do not cover the role. Under VOSH, your employer designates competent persons by demonstrated knowledge, so ask how that designation and the systems you oversee affect your rate.
Does an inspection title remove overtime rights?▾
No. Covered nonexempt employees earn time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek, and Virginia DOLI enforces overtime earned from July 1, 2026. Actual duties and applicable pay tests decide exemption.
Who else owes my wages if a scaffold subcontractor stops paying?▾
The general contractor, on qualifying projects. For subcontracts made on or after July 1, 2026, Va. Code § 11-4.6 makes it jointly liable for unpaid subcontractor wages on non-single-family projects over $500,000 if it knew or should have known. Keep pay stubs and timesheets.

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

Last updated October 26, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.