§ 03 Trade wages
Painters in Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Painters in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro earned a median of $21.45 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), 10% lower than the national median of $23.75. The middle half earned $17.93 to $22.56. About 590 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 188 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, Memphis, TN-MS-AR
25th pct$17.93per hour
Median$21.45per hour
75th pct$22.56per hour
10th pct$17.61
90th pct$30.41
Mean$21.87
Workers590
Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $43/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 · Memphis, TN-MS-AR · mean RSE 2.9%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.