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Salary Guides / Virginia
Signal Person Salary in Virginia
Virginia construction-laborer wages help you assess signaling offers by duties, paid time, crew responsibilities and the benefits included.
What Signal Persons Earn in Virginia
Virginia construction-laborer employee wages span $15.82–$27.46/hr, or $32,900–$57,110 a year. This broader benchmark covers workers assigned signaling among other construction duties. It does not isolate crane signal persons or measure a certification premium. For any offer, ask which signals, equipment and additional duties the employer expects. Compare paid hours and benefits alongside the rate. Request a written description separating crane communication from rigging and other construction tasks.
Hourly rates by level in Virginia
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 Virginia.
What are you making?
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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 Virginia
These national construction-laborer figures describe three industries relevant to Virginia lift crews. Ask employers how much of each opening involves signaling.
Highway and Bridge Construction
Road and bridge projects place crane communication alongside moving equipment. Discuss access arrangements and transfers between work areas with Virginia employers. Ask where your paid shift starts and who supplies the communication equipment.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Commercial building crews coordinate deliveries and load placement. Ask Virginia contractors whether signaling assignments continue between lifts or include general laboring. A mixed assignment calls for clear expectations about supervision and paid assessment time.
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
Site preparation and other specialist work bring different crane support needs. Discuss travel and assignment length when approaching Virginia specialty contractors. Identify the equipment involved and the signals used before discussing your assessment record.
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 77 Operating Engineer Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$3.14 | $6,531 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$0.65 | $1,352 | $159 | 7 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.22 | $458 | $59 | 7 weeks |
| American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED | +$0.08 | $166 | $102 | 32 weeks |
| NCCCO Signalperson | +$0.17 | $354 | $225 | 34 weeks |
| NCCCO Rigger Level I | +$0.52 | $1,082 | $1,750 | 85 weeks |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $20.94/hr.
Questions workers ask
Can my pay be cut for reporting an unsafe lift?▾
Where can I see prevailing wage rates on a state-funded lift job?▾
How much of my pay does workers' comp replace after a lift injury?▾
See Open Signal Person Jobs in Virginia
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS Virginia employee wages for Construction Laborers, SOC 47-2061; a broader benchmark for workers assigned signaling, excluding premium pay and benefits.
Last updated October 26, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.