§ 03 Trade wages
Painters in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Painters in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro earned a median of $25.64 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), 8% higher than the national median of $23.75. The middle half earned $22.56 to $30.81. About 750 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 61 of 225 metros with a reliable estimate for this trade. These are employee wages, not what a contractor bills you per hour.
BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 47-2141
Painters, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
25th pct$22.56per hour
Median$25.64per hour
75th pct$30.81per hour
10th pct$18.77
90th pct$46.12
Mean$28.21
Workers750
Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $51/hr
OEWS reports what employers pay these workers per hour. A contractor’s bill also covers the business: insurance, licensing, vehicles, tools, office staff, warranty callbacks, unbilled travel time and profit. The wage is a floor for understanding a quote, never a price. You set the multiplier; we publish no typical markup because we have no citable source for one.What else is in a bill for this trade
- Prep time (scraping, patching, priming) often exceeds painting time
- EPA lead-safe certification and containment for pre-1978 homes
- Paint and supplies, sometimes billed separately
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY · mean RSE 3.2%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.