§ 03 Trade wages
Painters in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Painters in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro earned a median of $27.92 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), 18% higher than the national median of $23.75. The middle half earned $23.59 to $28.87. About 1,670 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 39 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, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
25th pct$23.59per hour
Median$27.92per hour
75th pct$28.87per hour
10th pct$22.32
90th pct$38.93
Mean$28.70
Workers1,670
Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $56/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 · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO · mean RSE 3.4%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.