Scaffold Worker Salary in Virginia

$27/hr

Virginia carpenter wages give scaffold applicants a starting range for comparing erection duties, paid hours and benefits.

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What Scaffold Workers Earn in Virginia

Virginia's broader carpenter employee benchmark spans $18.38–$35.70/hr, or $38,230–$74,250 a year. It includes scaffold builders alongside other carpenters. Offers for scaffold erection need their own discussion of systems, supervision and paid hours. Premium pay and benefits sit outside these figures. Ask how material staging, alterations and dismantling fit into the working day when comparing two crew offers. Keep the agreed base range separate from allowances when reviewing the written offer.

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 Worker
Virginia · Day Shift
Base rate$25.92
+ EAS Carpenters Technical Centers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$4.43
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$0.92
+ Supported Scaffold User$0.12
Effective hourly$31.38
Straight · 40 hrs$1,255
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$377
Weekly gross$1,632
Annualised · 50 weeks
$81,601
8 OT hrs/week · Virginia

Who pays the most in Virginia

These national carpenter medians cover three construction settings relevant to scaffold crews. Ask Virginia employers about their actual scaffold assignments, crew responsibilities and schedules.

01 / 03$30.66/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building crews coordinate scaffold access with several trades. Richmond suppliers serve this work. Ask who pays for waiting and who authorizes alterations as the building moves through its construction phases.

+ Large projects
+ Trade coordination
– Access delays
– Schedule changes
02 / 03$29.13/hr

Residential Building Construction

House construction and remodeling bring smaller access layouts. Virginia presumes employee status unless independence is demonstrated. Discuss loading, site transfers and dismantling hours when a building contractor offers work as a subcontractor.

+ Varied layouts
+ Housing projects
– Changing addresses
– Outdoor exposure
03 / 03$28.80/hr

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

Scaffold erection and dismantling sit within this broad specialty group. Norfolk's scaffold service firms offer a local starting point for employer inquiries. Ask which systems you will handle and how travel affects the working week.

+ Scaffold focus
+ System variety
– Travel demands
– Physical handling

Which states pay scaffold workers 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
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.31$645$595 weeks
Supported Scaffold User+$0.12$250$358 weeks
Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator+$0.08$166$5919 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

How must a registered scaffold apprenticeship raise my pay?▾
Through a written progressive wage schedule. Virginia Works requires every registered program to state wage increases as skills advance, with entry pay at least the higher of the federal or state minimum. Ask the sponsor for that schedule before you enroll.
Who pays for fall-arrest gear on suspended scaffolds?▾
Your employer. VOSH, Virginia's state OSHA plan, requires employers to provide required protective equipment, including the personal fall-arrest systems suspended scaffolds demand, at no cost to you. Ask your supervisor to replace worn harnesses or lanyards before the next shift.
Does a day rate cancel overtime on scaffold jobs?▾
No. Covered nonexempt construction employees receive time and a half after 40 weekly hours, even on a day rate, and Virginia DOLI enforces overtime earned from July 1, 2026. Include staging and dismantling time in your records.

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Current BLS Virginia employee wages for Carpenters, SOC 47-2031; a broader benchmark that includes scaffold builders, excludes premium pay and benefits, and is not scaffold-only.

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