> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.civiccontracts.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Labor pricing

> Benchmark GSA MAS hourly labor ceiling rates in Civic AI — filter CALC+ data by labor category, education, experience, SIN, and business size.

Civic AI **Labor Pricing** helps you research awarded GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) hourly labor ceiling rates — the same public CALC+ data behind [buy.gsa.gov/pricing](https://buy.gsa.gov/pricing/).

<Card title="Open Labor Pricing" icon="chart-bar" href="https://www.civiccontracts.com/labor-pricing">
  Search ceiling rates, view the distribution, and compare vendor LCATs.
</Card>

## What the data means

Rates in Labor Pricing are **not-to-exceed (NTE) ceiling rates** on MAS contracts:

* Fully burdened (fringe, overhead, G\&A, profit included)
* Worldwide (no geographic adjustment)
* Master-contract level (not task-order prices paid)

Task-order competition often drives actual prices **below** these ceilings. Use the tool for market research, proposal benchmarking, and IGCE support — not as a substitute for negotiation or legal review.

## How to search

1. Open [Labor Pricing](https://www.civiccontracts.com/labor-pricing).
2. Enter a **keyword** (labor category, vendor, or contract number).
3. Narrow with **education**, **experience**, **price range**, **business size**, **clearance**, and **SIN**.
4. Read the **histogram** — average, median, and 25–75th percentile for the filtered set.
5. Scan the **results table** for comparable vendor rates.

Shareable URLs keep your filters in the query string so teammates can open the same view.

## Reading the distribution

| Stat        | Use it for                                    |
| ----------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| **Median**  | Typical rate when the distribution is skewed  |
| **25–75%**  | Practical fair-and-reasonable band            |
| **Average** | Secondary check; sensitive to outliers        |
| **Count**   | Sample size — small samples are less reliable |

## Common workflows

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add an LCAT to your Schedule">
    Search close title matches, filter to your education and experience floors, and bring median + IQR into negotiations.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build or review an IGCE">
    Use MAS ceilings as a conservative benchmark. Document filters and sample size when you cite the data.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check fair and reasonable pricing">
    Compare a proposed rate to the 25–75% band for similar categories. Investigate outliers before accepting or rejecting.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Data source

| Source          | Detail                                                             |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **GSA CALC+**   | Public Labor Ceiling Rates API (`api.gsa.gov/acquisition/calc/v3`) |
| **Refresh**     | Weekly ingest into Civic AI Postgres                               |
| **Official UI** | [buy.gsa.gov/pricing](https://buy.gsa.gov/pricing/)                |

See [Data sources](/reference/data-sources) for how this fits alongside SAM.gov and USAspending.

<Warning>
  Always verify critical pricing decisions on the official GSA source. Ceiling rates are not legal advice and are not a guarantee of prices paid on task orders.
</Warning>

## Related pages

* [Vendor intelligence](/business-dev/vendor-intelligence)
* [Contract awards](/find-opportunities/contract-awards)
* [Glossary](/reference/glossary)
* [Blog: GSA labor pricing guide](https://www.civiccontracts.com/blog/gsa-labor-pricing-calc-guide)