§ 03 Trade wages
Painters in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Painters in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro earned a median of $27.60 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), 16% higher than the national median of $23.75. The middle half earned $21.91 to $30.95. About 620 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 45 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, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
25th pct$21.91per hour
Median$27.60per hour
75th pct$30.95per hour
10th pct$18.54
90th pct$33.75
Mean$26.73
Workers620
Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $55/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 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA · mean RSE 1.9%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.