§ 03 Trade wages
Painters in Columbia, MO
Painters in the Columbia, MO metro earned a median of $22.24 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), 6% lower than the national median of $23.75. The middle half earned $18.10 to $27.66. About 160 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 158 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, Columbia, MO
25th pct$18.10per hour
Median$22.24per hour
75th pct$27.66per hour
10th pct$17.82
90th pct$28.55
Mean$23.56
Workers160
Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $44/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 · Columbia, MO · mean RSE 2.7%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.