§ 03 Trade wages
Painters in Manhattan, KS
Painters in the Manhattan, KS metro earned a median of $21.79 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), 8% lower than the national median of $23.75. The middle half earned $18.05 to $23.28. About 110 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 178 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, Manhattan, KS
25th pct$18.05per hour
Median$21.79per hour
75th pct$23.28per hour
10th pct$14.60
90th pct$26.78
Mean$21.48
Workers110
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 · Manhattan, KS · mean RSE 2.4%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.