§ 03 Trade wages
Painters in Eau Claire, WI
Painters in the Eau Claire, WI metro earned a median of $22.71 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), about the same as the national median of $23.75. The middle half earned $21.83 to $28.39. About 110 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 135 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, Eau Claire, WI
25th pct$21.83per hour
Median$22.71per hour
75th pct$28.39per hour
10th pct$17.65
90th pct$34.62
Mean$24.87
Workers110
Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $45/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 · Eau Claire, WI · mean RSE 2.4%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.