Skilled Wages

Painter salary in Louisiana

Median $22.31 an hour for 4,090 painters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$22.31/hrMedian hourly wageLouisiana, May data
$46,410/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$15.39 – $28.5210th to 90th percentilehourly range
4,090Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-06

Painter pay in Louisiana: the full range

Wage percentiles, LouisianaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrLouisiana: 10th $15.39 · 25th $18.74 · median $22.31 · 75th $24.26 · 90th $28.52Louisiana$22.31$15.39$28.52United States: 10th $18.00 · 25th $21.46 · median $23.75 · 75th $29.65 · 90th $37.89United States$23.75
Hourly wage percentiles for painters: Louisiana vs United States, May 2025.

Louisiana ranks 37th of 51 states for median painter pay, and 27th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $25.29). 4,090 painters work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$15.39 – $18.74$32,000 – $38,970roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$18.74 – $24.26$38,970 – $50,460the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$24.26 – $28.52$50,460 – $59,330the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Painter pay by metro in Louisiana

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrBaton Rouge: $23.62Baton Rouge$23.62Houma: $22.93Houma$22.93Lake Charles: $22.50Lake Charles$22.50New Orleans: $22.11New Orleans$22.11Slidell: $21.15Slidell$21.15Alexandria: $20.92Alexandria$20.92Lafayette: $20.90Lafayette$20.90Shreveport: $20.51Shreveport$20.51Monroe: $18.26Monroe$18.26
Median hourly wage for painters by metro area in Louisiana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Baton Rouge$17.14$23.62$26.01$28.521,1106% above
Houma$17.27$22.93$26.94$27.623503% above
Lake Charles$17.45$22.50$26.19$22.925301% above
New Orleans$16.73$22.11$23.88$28.597001% below
Slidell$13.89$21.15$22.82$29.421005% below
Alexandria$13.05$20.92$24.41$31.66606% below
Lafayette$16.45$20.90$23.97$28.272906% below
Shreveport$14.76$20.51$24.19$26.082708% below
Monroe$13.33$18.26$21.84$25.0011018% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Painter wages in Louisiana over time

Louisiana, 1999-2025LouisianaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$23.75United States$22.31Louisiana
Median hourly wage for painters, Louisiana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearLouisiana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$11.87$22.94$12.867,800
2000$12.54$23.44$13.106,570
2001$12.99$23.61$13.666,350
2002$13.24$23.69$13.986,550
2003$13.19$23.08$14.126,350
2004$13.41$22.85$14.556,670
2005$13.51$22.27$14.815,710
2006$13.99$22.34$15.005,330
2007$14.21$22.06$15.425,930
2008$14.87$22.24$15.855,860
2009$15.24$22.87$16.215,930
2010$15.43$22.78$16.485,370
2011$15.90$22.76$17.045,030
2012$15.88$22.27$16.925,100
2013$16.31$22.54$17.014,620
2014$16.95$23.05$17.296,110
2015$16.78$22.79$17.595,520
2016$17.74$23.80$18.064,930
2017$18.31$24.05$18.255,330
2018$19.37$24.83$18.725,430
2019$20.28$25.54$19.375,820
2020$18.94$23.56$20.253,810
2021$18.50$21.98$21.924,080
2022$19.15$21.07$22.164,140
2023$20.48$21.64$22.944,150
2024$21.01$21.56$23.404,050
2025$22.31$22.31$23.754,090

In today's dollars, the median painter wage in Louisiana changed by -2.1% over the last ten years of data and by -12.6% since 2019.

Are there more painter jobs in Louisiana?

-29.7%Jobs since 20195,820 then, 4,090 in 2025
-25.9%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
2.1Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.5× the US share, 10th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of painters counted in Louisiana has changed by -47.6%, against -13.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by -29.7%.

Painters, construction and maintenance in Louisiana vs United States, 1999 = 100LouisianaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages40608010012020002005201020152020202586United States52Louisiana
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Louisiana vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearLouisiana jobsLouisiana indexUS index
19997,800100100
20006,57084100
20016,3508198
20026,5508499
20036,3508195
20046,6708696
20055,7107396
20065,33068101
20075,93076100
20085,8607596
20095,9307682
20105,3706973
20115,0306471
20125,1006571
20134,6205974
20146,1107878
20155,5207182
20164,9306383
20175,3306885
20185,4307088
20195,8207589
20203,8104984
20214,0805282
20224,1405383
20234,1505383
20244,0505286
20254,0905286

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for painters in Louisiana

+4.2%Projected growth in Louisiana2024–2034, state agency
510Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
6,200Jobs in 20246,460 projected for 2034
+3.0%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Louisiana's labor market agency projects the number of painters in the state to change by +4.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 6,200 to 6,460, with about 510 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.0% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 4,090 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Louisiana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for painters in Louisiana

On federally funded construction in Louisiana, contractors must pay painters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 35 of the 35 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $28.31 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $22.31.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, LAAcadia: $28.31 (union)Allen: n/aAscension: $28.31 (union)Assumption: n/aAvoyelles: n/aBeauregard: n/aBienville: n/aBossier: $28.31 (union)Caddo: $28.31 (union)Calcasieu: $28.31 (union)Caldwell: n/aCameron: $28.31 (union)Catahoula: n/aClaiborne: n/aConcordia: n/aDe Soto: $28.31 (union)East Baton Rouge: $28.31 (union)East Carroll: n/aEast Feliciana: $28.31 (union)Evangeline: n/aFranklin: n/aGrant: $28.31 (union)Iberia: $28.31 (union)Iberville: $28.31 (union)Jackson: n/aJefferson: $28.31 (union)Jefferson Davis: n/aLafayette: $28.31 (union)Lafourche: $28.31 (union)LaSalle: n/aLincoln: n/aLivingston: $28.31 (union)Madison: n/aMorehouse: n/aNatchitoches: n/aOrleans: $28.31 (union)Ouachita: $28.31 (union)Plaquemines: $28.31 (union)Pointe Coupee: $28.31 (union)Rapides: $28.31 (union)Red River: n/aRichland: n/aSabine: n/aSt. Bernard: $28.31 (union)St. Charles: $28.31 (union)St. Helena: $28.31 (union)St. James: $28.31 (union)St. John the Baptist: $28.31 (union)St. Landry: n/aSt. Martin: $28.31 (union)St. Mary: n/aSt. Tammany: $28.31 (union)Tangipahoa: $28.31 (union)Tensas: n/aTerrebonne: $28.31 (union)Union: $28.31 (union)Vermilion: $28.31 (union)Vernon: n/aWashington: n/aWebster: $28.31 (union)West Baton Rouge: $28.31 (union)West Carroll: n/aWest Feliciana: $28.31 (union)Winn: n/aUnion / prevailing package, $/hrn/a
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for painters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$15$20$25$30/hrOuachita (Monroe): market median $18.26, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$10.05Ouachita (Monroe)+$10.05Bossier (Shreveport): market median $20.51, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$7.80Bossier (Shreveport)+$7.80Acadia (Lafayette): market median $20.90, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$7.41Acadia (Lafayette)+$7.41Grant (Alexandria): market median $20.92, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$7.39Grant (Alexandria)+$7.39St. Tammany (Slidell): market median $21.15, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$7.16St. Tammany (Slidell)+$7.16Jefferson (New Orleans): market median $22.11, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$6.20Jefferson (New Orleans)+$6.20Tangipahoa (Louisiana): market median $22.31, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$6.00Tangipahoa (Louisiana)+$6.00Calcasieu (Lake Charles): market median $22.50, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$5.81Calcasieu (Lake Charles)+$5.81Lafourche (Houma): market median $22.93, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$5.38Lafourche (Houma)+$5.38Ascension (Baton Rouge): market median $23.62, prevailing (union) $28.31, gap +$4.69Ascension (Baton Rouge)+$4.69
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for painters, metro counties in Louisiana.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AcadiaUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260029
AscensionUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260049
BossierUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260030
CaddoUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260031
CalcasieuUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260032
CameronUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260033
De SotoUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260034
East Baton RougeUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260035
East FelicianaUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260050
GrantUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260051
IberiaUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260036
IbervilleUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260037
JeffersonUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260038
LafayetteUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260039
LafourcheUnion PAIN1244-011 2021-12-01$18.83$9.48$28.31LA20260040

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Louisiana prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Louisiana?

153.5kConstruction jobsLouisiana, 2026-09
+13.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202680k100k120k140k160k180k19901995200020052010201520202025154kSep 2026
Construction employment in Louisiana (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Painter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Louisiana

More on Louisiana

Questions this page answers

How much do painters make in Louisiana?

The median painter in Louisiana earned $22.31 an hour ($46,410 a year) in May 2025, 6% below the national median of $23.75. The middle half earn $18.74–$24.26; the top 10% earn more than $28.52.

Where does Louisiana rank for painter pay?

Louisiana ranks 37th of 51 states for painter pay, with a median of $22.31 an hour, and 27th after adjusting for Louisiana's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.2, US = 100).

What is the union painter rate in Louisiana?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for painters in 35 counties, with a typical package of $28.31 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many painters work in Louisiana?

BLS counted 4,090 painters in Louisiana in May 2025, 2.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.46; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is painter work growing in Louisiana?

The BLS employer survey count of painters in Louisiana went from 5,520 in 2015 to 4,090 in 2025, -25.9%, and -29.7% since 2019. Louisiana's labor market agency projects +4.2% growth for painters between 2024 and 2034, from 6,200 to 6,460 jobs.

How many painter openings a year are there in Louisiana?

Louisiana projects about 510 openings a year for painters over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 24,900 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Louisiana and metro areas, SOC 47-2141. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Louisiana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.