Skilled Wages

Painter salary in Louisiana

Median $22.31 an hour for 4,090 painters, construction and maintenance, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$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 2026-09-28

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, construction and maintenance: 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, construction and maintenance work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$15.39 – $18.74$32,000 – $38,970roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$18.74 – $24.26$38,970 – $50,460the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$24.26 – $28.52$50,460 – $59,330the 75th–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, construction and maintenance by metro area in Louisiana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Baton Rouge$17.14$23.62$28.521,1106% above
Houma$17.27$22.93$27.623503% above
Lake Charles$17.45$22.50$22.925301% above
New Orleans$16.73$22.11$28.597001% below
Slidell$13.89$21.15$29.421005% below
Alexandria$13.05$20.92$31.66606% below
Lafayette$16.45$20.90$28.272906% below
Shreveport$14.76$20.51$26.082708% below
Monroe$13.33$18.26$25.0011018% below

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, construction and maintenance, 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.

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: —Ascension: $28.31 (union)Assumption: —Avoyelles: —Beauregard: —Bienville: —Bossier: $28.31 (union)Caddo: $28.31 (union)Calcasieu: $28.31 (union)Caldwell: —Cameron: $28.31 (union)Catahoula: —Claiborne: —Concordia: —De Soto: $28.31 (union)East Baton Rouge: $28.31 (union)East Carroll: —East Feliciana: $28.31 (union)Evangeline: —Franklin: —Grant: $28.31 (union)Iberia: $28.31 (union)Iberville: $28.31 (union)Jackson: —Jefferson: $28.31 (union)Jefferson Davis: —Lafayette: $28.31 (union)Lafourche: $28.31 (union)LaSalle: —Lincoln: —Livingston: $28.31 (union)Madison: —Morehouse: —Natchitoches: —Orleans: $28.31 (union)Ouachita: $28.31 (union)Plaquemines: $28.31 (union)Pointe Coupee: $28.31 (union)Rapides: $28.31 (union)Red River: —Richland: —Sabine: —St. 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: —St. Martin: $28.31 (union)St. Mary: —St. Tammany: $28.31 (union)Tangipahoa: $28.31 (union)Tensas: —Terrebonne: $28.31 (union)Union: $28.31 (union)Vermilion: $28.31 (union)Vernon: —Washington: —Webster: $28.31 (union)West Baton Rouge: $28.31 (union)West Carroll: —West Feliciana: $28.31 (union)Winn: —Union / 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 2026-09-28. 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?

152.6kConstruction jobsLouisiana, 2026-08
+12.6%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202680k100k120k140k160k180k19901995200020052010201520202025153kAug 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

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, construction and maintenance in Louisiana in May 2025, 2.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.46; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Louisiana and metro areas, SOC 47-2141.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.