§ 03 Trade wages
Painters in Champaign-Urbana, IL
Painters in the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro earned a median of $40.56 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), 71% higher than the national median of $23.75. The middle half earned $26.56 to $41.65. About 160 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 1 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, Champaign-Urbana, IL
25th pct$26.56per hour
Median$40.56per hour
75th pct$41.65per hour
10th pct$20.30
90th pct$45.96
Mean$35.33
Workers160
Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $81/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 · Champaign-Urbana, IL · mean RSE 2.6%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.