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Michigan painter prevailing wage, county by county

A painter's prevailing wage on Michigan public works runs from $45.29 an hour in Van Buren County to $57.02 in Hillsdale County. The median county is $48.48.

Main painter classification in each county, LEO county rates, November 2025 edition. The contracting agent gets LEO's rates before advertising and puts them in the specifications; if the contract isn't awarded or started within 90 days of LEO's determination, LEO must redetermine them (MCL 408.1103). Checked October 25, 2026.

Lapeer County painter: $50.90 per hourNewaygo County painter: $46.79 per hourIsabella County painter: $48.48 per hourSanilac County painter: $50.90 per hourManistee County painter: $48.48 per hourOgemaw County painter: $48.48 per hourClare County painter: $48.48 per hourCrawford County painter: $48.48 per hourMontmorency County painter: $48.48 per hourGladwin County painter: $48.48 per hourOscoda County: no rate for this tradeClinton County painter: $46.79 per hourBranch County painter: $45.29 per hourGratiot County painter: $48.48 per hourIonia County painter: $46.79 per hourKalamazoo County painter: $45.29 per hourLake County painter: $48.48 per hourMason County painter: $48.48 per hourMecosta County painter: $46.79 per hourMuskegon County painter: $46.79 per hourOtsego County painter: $48.48 per hourRoscommon County painter: $48.48 per hourWashtenaw County painter: $57.02 per hourBarry County painter: $45.29 per hourMenominee County: no rate for this tradeMidland County painter: $48.48 per hourLuce County: no rate for this tradeAntrim County painter: $48.48 per hourJackson County painter: $57.02 per hourSt. Joseph County painter: $45.29 per hourOsceola County painter: $48.48 per hourSaginaw County painter: $48.48 per hourHillsdale County painter: $57.02 per hourArenac County painter: $48.48 per hourKalkaska County painter: $48.48 per hourBay County painter: $48.48 per hourAlpena County painter: $48.48 per hourGogebic County: no rate for this tradeDickinson County: no rate for this tradeMissaukee County painter: $48.48 per hourMontcalm County painter: $46.79 per hourBaraga County: no rate for this tradeOceana County painter: $46.79 per hourAlger County: no rate for this tradeHoughton County: no rate for this tradeIngham County painter: $50.90 per hourIron County: no rate for this tradeOttawa County painter: $46.79 per hourGrand Traverse County painter: $48.48 per hourLivingston County painter: $46.79 per hourSt. Clair County painter: $50.90 per hourWayne County painter: $57.02 per hourCass County painter: $45.29 per hourKent County painter: $46.79 per hourCharlevoix County painter: $48.48 per hourLenawee County painter: $57.02 per hourChippewa County: no rate for this tradeMackinac County: no rate for this tradeSchoolcraft County: no rate for this tradeBenzie County painter: $48.48 per hourEmmet County painter: $48.48 per hourMonroe County painter: $57.02 per hourShiawassee County painter: $50.90 per hourTuscola County painter: $50.90 per hourHuron County painter: $50.90 per hourAlcona County painter: $48.48 per hourMarquette County: no rate for this tradeIosco County painter: $48.48 per hourOntonagon County: no rate for this tradeMacomb County painter: $57.02 per hourGenesee County painter: $50.90 per hourVan Buren County painter: $45.29 per hourPresque Isle County painter: $48.48 per hourCheboygan County painter: $48.48 per hourDelta County: no rate for this tradeBerrien County painter: $45.29 per hourAllegan County painter: $45.29 per hourLeelanau County painter: $48.48 per hourKeweenaw County: no rate for this tradeOakland County painter: $57.02 per hourEaton County painter: $46.79 per hourCalhoun County painter: $45.29 per hourWexford County painter: $48.48 per hour
$45$46$48$48$50$57Painter, main rate, total (fringes included) per hour. Each shade holds about a fifth of the counties.

How much does a painter make on prevailing wage in Michigan?

6 groups of counties with identical rates and 3 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.

  1. Wayne County group8 counties$57.02
  2. Genesee County group6 counties$50.90
  3. Ingham County group2 counties$50.90
  4. Saginaw County group29 counties$48.48
  5. Alcona County1 county$48.48
  6. Osceola County1 county$48.48
  7. Kent County group10 counties$46.79
  8. Livingston County1 county$46.79
  9. Kalamazoo County group9 counties$45.29

Which counties pay which rate

CountiesMain classificationTotal (fringes included)Base
Wayne County group, 8 localities: Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, WaynePainters$57.02 —
Genesee County group, 6 localities: Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, St. Clair, TuscolaPainter$50.90 —
Ingham County group, 2 localities: Ingham, ShiawasseePainter$50.90 —
Saginaw County group, 29 localities: Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Bay, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, Crawford, Emmet, Gladwin, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Iosco, Isabella, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Midland, Missaukee, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Saginaw, WexfordPainters$48.48 —
Alcona County*Painters$48.48 —
Osceola County*Painters$48.48 —
Kent County group, 10 localities: Clinton, Eaton, Ionia, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, OttawaPainter$46.79 —
Livingston CountyPainter$46.79 —
Kalamazoo County group, 9 localities: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Van BurenPainter$45.29 —

6 groups of counties with identical LEO rates, and 3 counties with rates of their own. * Part of the county has a rate of its own; its page lists each part's rate.

LEO prints apprentice levels (straight time, 1.5x, 2x) on each classification page; see apprentice_rates.

Questions about Michigan painter pay

What is the painter prevailing wage in Wayne County?

$57.02 an hour, fringe benefits included (one rate, no separate base wage), under LEO county rates, November 2025 edition. Overtime and every painter classification in Wayne County.

Does painter prevailing wage pay overtime in Michigan?

Standard overtime unless the classification says otherwise: 1.5× over 8 hours a day (unless four 10-hour days are allowed), over 40 a week and on Saturdays; 2× on Sundays and holidays. The figures are LEO's own (LEO).

Do apprentice painters get this rate?

LEO prints apprentice levels (straight time, 1.5x, 2x) on each classification page; see apprentice_rates.

Why do some counties have the same painter rate?

LEO often publishes the same painter rates for several counties. Across Michigan, the 67 counties with a painter rate fall into 9 distinct sets of rates, and 6 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 29 counties (the Saginaw County group).

Which county pays painters the most in Michigan?

Hillsdale County, at $57.02 an hour for the main classification. The lowest is Van Buren County at $45.29, and the median county is $48.48.