Home / Maryland / Howard County / Painter
Howard County, MD · Painter
Painter prevailing wage in Howard County, Maryland
$40.80an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum)
$28.86 base wage + $11.94 fringe benefits · Building Construction · AD
On Maryland public works in Howard County, a painter must be paid at least $40.80 an hour: a $28.86 base wage plus $11.94 in fringe benefits. DOL prints no total, so $40.80 is our sum of the two.
Maryland informational rates as printed October 25, 2026. A determination applies to a project advertised before it expires, and mid-year changes apply only to newly issued determinations (SFP 17-209; DOL FAQ #47). Checked against labor.maryland.gov on October 25, 2026.
DOL lists 3 painter rates for Howard County, from $40.80 to $62.01 an hour. See all of them.
These are DOL's informational rates. The binding rates are in the project's wage determination, in the bid documents.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $28.86 + $11.94
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DOL prints the fringe benefits as one hourly figure, not itemized; it can go to health, pension, vacation and training plans, or be paid as cash where the state allows.
| Base wage (taxable) | $28.86 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $11.94 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $40.80 |
When does this rate change?
- A determination applies to a project whose call for bids is published before it expires. Mid-year changes apply only to newly issued determinations: "Wage determinations that have already been issued will not be affected" (SFP 17-209(c)(4); DOL notice).
- DOL publishes rates on or about December 1 each year, effective for one year, and adds supplemental rates in between (DOL FAQ #11, #20). The portal prints no issue or effective date, so this page shows the date it was printed.
Every painter rate in Howard County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- PAINTER - BRIDGEHighway Construction (includes heavy) · CR$62.01
- PAINTER-INDUSTRIALBuilding Construction · AD$52.58
- PAINTERBuilding Construction · AD$40.80
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAINTERBuilding ConstructionAD | $28.86 | $11.94 | $40.80 | — |
| PAINTER-INDUSTRIALBuilding ConstructionAD | $36.37 | $16.21 | $52.58 | — |
| PAINTER - BRIDGEHighway Construction (includes heavy)CR | $45.00 | $17.01 | $62.01 | — |
Davis-Bacon painter rate in Howard County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. Maryland's law excludes the federally funded part of a contract that already pays Davis-Bacon rates (MD Labor FAQ).
For building work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is PAINTER at $40.80 ($28.86 base + $11.94 fringe), from MD20260118 modification 2, published June 4, 2026, rate SAMD2025-001. Against DOL's $40.80: The two totals are the same.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | PAINTERSAMD2025-001 | $28.86 | $40.80 | MD20260118 Mod 2 |
| Building | PAINTER-INDUSTRIALSAMD2025-001 | $36.37 | $52.58 | MD20260118 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | PAINTER - BRIDGESAMD2025-001 | $45.00 | $62.01 | MD20260041 Mod 3 |
| Residential | PAINTER (BRUSH AND ROLLER), EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPINGSUMD2012-024 | $15.12 | $16.00 | MD20260064 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Maryland Davis-Bacon changes
How Howard County compares
The main painter rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Maryland
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Howard Countybase $28.86$40.80
- Montgomery Countybase $29.16$41.17
- Baltimore Citybase $29.16$41.17
- Baltimore Countybase $29.16$41.17
Painter rates in nearby counties
Current DOL rates. "Locality" is the county where the work is done (SFP 17-201(g)).
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Howard County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | PAINTER | $29.16 | $41.17 | +$0.37 |
| Baltimore City | PAINTER | $29.16 | $41.17 | +$0.37 |
| Baltimore County | PAINTER | $29.16 | $41.17 | +$0.37 |
| Anne Arundel County | PAINTER | $29.16 | $41.17 | +$0.37 |
| Frederick County | PAINTER | $29.16 | $41.17 | +$0.37 |
| Howard County | PAINTER | $28.86 | $40.80 | |
| Carroll County | PAINTER | $28.86 | $40.80 | same |
More from DOL on this rate
- DOL DOL informational rates report, page 2
- Maryland DOL's prevailing wage portal
- These are journeyworker rates. Apprentices registered with the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council get the Council's percentage; helpers and trainees aren't allowed (SFP 17-205).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base wage to what your employer pays for bona fide benefits for you (or in cash), and compare it with the total. Certified payrolls go to the Commissioner within 14 days of each payroll, and underpayment is fined up to $250 per worker per day (SFP 17-220). Prevailing Wage Unit: 410-767-2342.
Source
Department of Labor (DOL), DOL informational rates report MD-INFO-2026-10-25-B-027, page 2: www.dllr.state.md.us/PrevWage/web/content/PWRequestRates.aspx
We pull every locality's Building and Highway informational report from DOL's portal, read every row, and check every number with a second read and against DOL's rate workbook. DOL prints no total; ours is base plus fringe. How we check · Download Howard County as CSV · Report an error