Prevailing wages are the rate of pay and fringe benefits determined by federal authorities to be the norm for each classification of laborers and mechanics in particular geographic areas for particular types of projects. Federal law required that employers with federal contracts pay the prevailing wage to their employees. These rates are determined by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) using local data and are equivalent to union rates in most areas. Prevailing minimum wages, on the other hand, tend to track statutory minimum wages in a geographic area.