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Salary Guides / California
Signal Person Salary in California
Read California construction-laborer wage ranges alongside signaling duties, lift conditions and the hours included in each offer.
What Signal Persons Earn in California
California construction-laborer employee wages span $19.69–$45.01/hr, or $40,950–$93,620 a year. These figures provide a broader benchmark for workers assigned signalling. BLS has no separate signal-person occupation. Discuss the actual lifting duties when comparing offers, especially if the employer also expects rigging or crane operation. Premium pay and benefits sit outside these figures. Read the bands as wage comparisons for the broader occupation, without assuming that experience determines qualification.
Hourly rates by level in California
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
Where do you stand?
Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other signal persons in California.
What are you making?
Type your hourly rate. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere — it stays in your browser.
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.
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
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
Who pays the most in California
These national construction-laborer medians describe three employer settings for signaling work. Discuss local assignments, crew responsibilities and paid hours when comparing written California job offers.
Highway and Bridge Construction
Bridge and road crews coordinate lifts around traffic and changing access. Ask how closure schedules affect signaling shifts and paid hours. Include the work required to prepare communication before the crane starts moving.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Commercial building deliveries bring lifting crews alongside other trades. Discuss who controls placement areas and how delivery delays affect paid time. Clarify whether the job includes rigging loads as well as directing movements.
Which states pay signal 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.
What each certification is worth
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IUOE Local 12 Operating Engineer Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$6.62 | $13,770 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$4.83 | $10,046 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$2.18 | $4,534 | $159 | 2 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.73 | $1,518 |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $28.98/hr.
Questions workers ask
Do the experience bands set my pay?▾
How should I compare public works offers?▾
What should I ask about long lifting shifts?▾
See Open Signal Person Jobs in California
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS California employee wages for Construction Laborers, SOC 47-2061; broader benchmark for workers assigned signalling, excluding premium pay and benefits.
Last updated October 21, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
