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Minnesota painter prevailing wage, county by county

A painter's prevailing wage on Minnesota public works runs from $25.00 an hour in Jackson County to $77.34 in Anoka County. The median county is $61.87.

Main painter classification in each county (Painters (including hand brushed, hand sprayed, and the taping of pavement markings) (715)), DLI certifications of Nov 3 and Dec 22, 2025 (revised to Feb 9, 2026). The rates "must be ascertained before the state asks for bids" and written into the contract, with their dated steps (Minn. Stat. 177.43). Checked October 25, 2026.

Polk County painter: $61.87 per hourRed Lake County painter: $61.87 per hourMeeker County painter: $39.44 per hourIsanti County painter: $77.34 per hourRock County painter: $61.44 per hourCarver County painter: $77.34 per hourKandiyohi County painter: $61.87 per hourCottonwood County painter: $61.44 per hourFreeborn County painter: $61.44 per hourBenton County painter: $32.46 per hourDouglas County painter: $61.87 per hourMurray County painter: $61.44 per hourPipestone County painter: $61.44 per hourCarlton County painter: $69.82 per hourAitkin County painter: $61.87 per hourRice County painter: $61.44 per hourWatonwan County painter: $61.44 per hourOtter Tail County painter: $61.87 per hourPennington County painter: $61.87 per hourMahnomen County painter: $61.87 per hourRoseau County painter: $61.87 per hourMartin County painter: $61.44 per hourBeltrami County painter: $61.87 per hourSt. Louis County painter: $69.82 per hourDodge County painter: $61.44 per hourLe Sueur County painter: $61.44 per hourSteele County painter: $61.44 per hourNobles County painter: $61.44 per hourSibley County painter: $61.44 per hourOlmsted County painter: $61.44 per hourLyon County painter: $61.44 per hourRenville County painter: $61.44 per hourTodd County painter: $61.87 per hourCook County painter: $69.82 per hourLincoln County painter: $61.44 per hourRedwood County painter: $61.44 per hourLake County painter: $69.82 per hourBrown County painter: $61.44 per hourKittson County painter: $61.87 per hourLac qui Parle County painter: $61.44 per hourWaseca County painter: $61.44 per hourHouston County painter: $61.44 per hourJackson County painter: $25.00 per hourWashington County painter: $77.34 per hourChisago County painter: $77.34 per hourFaribault County painter: $61.44 per hourBlue Earth County painter: $61.44 per hourNicollet County painter: $39.44 per hourStevens County painter: $61.87 per hourMille Lacs County painter: $61.87 per hourMower County painter: $61.44 per hourGrant County painter: $61.87 per hourHubbard County painter: $61.87 per hourBig Stone County painter: $61.87 per hourWadena County painter: $61.87 per hourChippewa County painter: $61.87 per hourWabasha County painter: $61.44 per hourKoochiching County painter: $69.82 per hourNorman County painter: $61.87 per hourBecker County painter: $61.87 per hourGoodhue County painter: $61.44 per hourRamsey County painter: $77.34 per hourYellow Medicine County painter: $61.44 per hourFillmore County painter: $61.44 per hourWright County painter: $77.34 per hourWilkin County painter: $61.87 per hourSwift County painter: $61.87 per hourMarshall County painter: $61.87 per hourPine County painter: $77.34 per hourScott County painter: $77.34 per hourClearwater County painter: $61.87 per hourCrow Wing County painter: $61.87 per hourDakota County painter: $77.34 per hourItasca County painter: $69.82 per hourCass County painter: $61.87 per hourKanabec County painter: $77.34 per hourSherburne County painter: $77.34 per hourWinona County painter: $61.44 per hourPope County painter: $61.87 per hourMcLeod County painter: $77.34 per hourLake of the Woods County painter: $61.87 per hourMorrison County painter: $61.87 per hourClay County painter: $61.87 per hourHennepin County painter: $77.34 per hourAnoka County painter: $77.34 per hourTraverse County painter: $61.87 per hourStearns County painter: $61.87 per hour
$25$61$61$61$69$77Painter, main rate, total per hour. Each shade holds about a fifth of the counties.

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

9 groups of counties with identical rates and 5 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.

  1. Hennepin County group11 counties$77.34
  2. Sherburne County group3 counties$77.34
  3. St. Louis County group6 counties$69.82
  4. Stearns County group21 counties$61.87
  5. Otter Tail County group12 counties$61.87
  6. Olmsted County group18 counties$61.44
  7. Fillmore County group7 counties$61.44
  8. Le Sueur County group2 counties$61.44
  9. Goodhue County1 county$61.44
  10. Lac qui Parle County1 county$61.44
  11. Sibley County1 county$61.44
  12. Meeker County group2 counties$39.44
  13. Benton County1 county$32.46
  14. Jackson County1 county$25.00

Which counties pay which rate

CountiesMain classificationTotalBase
Hennepin County group, 11 localities: Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, McLeod, Ramsey, Scott, Washington, WrightPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$77.34 $48.25 
Sherburne County group, 3 localities: Kanabec, Pine, SherburnePAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$77.34 $48.25 
St. Louis County group, 6 localities: Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, St. LouisPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$69.82 $41.77 
Stearns County group, 21 localities: Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Big Stone, Cass, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Kandiyohi, Marshall, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pennington, Red Lake, Roseau, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, WadenaPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$61.87 $35.73 
Otter Tail County group, 12 localities: Chippewa, Clay, Clearwater, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Pope, Traverse, WilkinPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$61.87 $35.73 
Olmsted County group, 18 localities: Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Dodge, Freeborn, Lyon, Martin, Mower, Nobles, Olmsted, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, WinonaPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$61.44 $35.28 
Fillmore County group, 7 localities: Faribault, Fillmore, Houston, Lincoln, Murray, Pipestone, WatonwanPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$61.44 $35.28 
Le Sueur County group, 2 localities: Le Sueur, Yellow MedicinePAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$61.44 $35.28 
Goodhue CountyPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$61.44 $35.28 
Lac qui Parle CountyPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$61.44 $35.28 
Sibley CountyPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$61.44 $35.28 
Meeker County group, 2 localities: Meeker, NicolletPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$39.44 $34.00 
Benton CountyPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$32.46 $29.50 
Jackson CountyPAINTERS (INCLUDING HAND BRUSHED, HAND SPRAYED, AND THE TAPING OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS) (715)$25.00 $25.00 

9 groups of counties with identical DLI rates, and 5 counties with rates of their own.

DLI's schedules list journeyworker rates only. Apprentices in a registered program are paid the program's rate (Minn. R. 5200.1070); anyone else on the payroll gets the full rate for the work performed.

Questions about Minnesota painter pay

What is the painter prevailing wage in Hennepin County?

$77.34 an hour: a $48.25 base wage plus $29.09 in fringe, under DLI certifications of Nov 3 and Dec 22, 2025 (revised to Feb 9, 2026). Overtime and every painter classification in Hennepin County.

Does painter prevailing wage include fringe benefits?

Yes. In Hennepin County the $77.34 total is a $48.25 base wage plus $29.09 in fringe, about 38% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.

Does painter prevailing wage pay overtime in Minnesota?

Over 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week is paid at 1½ times the basic hourly rate; the fringe isn't multiplied. Every DLI schedule says overtime after 8 hours "must be paid even if the worker does not exceed forty (40) hours" (Minn. Stat. 177.42, subd. 4). DLI publishes no weekend or holiday multipliers.

Do apprentice painters get this rate?

DLI's schedules list journeyworker rates only. Apprentices in a registered program are paid the program's rate (Minn. R. 5200.1070); anyone else on the payroll gets the full rate for the work performed.

Why do some counties have the same painter rate?

DLI often publishes the same painter rates for several counties. Across Minnesota, the 87 counties with a painter rate fall into 14 distinct sets of rates, and 9 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 21 counties (the Stearns County group).