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Montana · Painter · 21 counties

Painter prevailing wage, Yellowstone County group, Montana (21 counties)

DLI sets the same painter rates, row for row, in 21 counties: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Stillwater, Treasure, Valley, Wibaux and Yellowstone. Every figure on this page applies in each of them.

$48.84an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum)

$36.00 base wage + $12.84 fringe benefits · Highway Construction · Statewide

On Montana public works in each of these 21 counties, a painter must be paid at least $48.84 an hour: a $36.00 base wage plus $12.84 in benefits. DLI prints no total, so $48.84 is our sum of the two.

DLI 2026 rates, revised April 25, 2026; this rate, effective April 25, 2026. "The wage rates applicable to a particular public works project are those in effect at the time the bid specifications are advertised" (ARM 24.17.127). Checked against erd.dli.mt.gov on October 25, 2026.

DLI lists 2 painter rates for each of these counties, from $29.57 to $48.84 an hour. See all of them.

Base wage and fringe benefits: $36.00 + $12.84

The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DLI prints the 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)$36.00
Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized)$12.84
Base + benefits (our sum; DLI prints no total)$48.84

When does this rate change?

Every painter rate in the Yellowstone County group

As DLI lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.

ClassificationBase wageFringe benefitsTotal rateEffective
PAINTERS: INCLUDING PAPERHANGERSBuilding ConstructionDistrict 4 (Billings, Miles City and Sidney)$24.83 $4.74 $29.57 Apr 25, 2026
PAINTERSHeavy ConstructionStatewide
DLI prints 'No Rate Established' for the benefit, so no total is given; pay at least the base.
$25.00 $-25.00 —Apr 25, 2026
PAINTERSHighway ConstructionStatewide$36.00 $12.84 $48.84 Apr 25, 2026

Davis-Bacon painter rates in these counties

The counties share DLI's rates, but not always the same federal wage determination. Montana's law doesn't apply where federal law sets the rate, so a Davis-Bacon job uses the federal schedule (DLI FAQ).

CountyFederal classificationBase + fringeWDvs DLI
Big Horn CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Carbon CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Carter CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Custer CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Daniels CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Dawson CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Fallon CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Garfield CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
McCone CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Musselshell CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Powder River CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Prairie CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Richland CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Roosevelt CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Rosebud CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Sheridan CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Stillwater CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Treasure CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Valley CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Wibaux CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88
Yellowstone CountyPAINTER$53.72 MT20260080 Mod 3DB +$4.88

How the Yellowstone County group 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 Montana

Wage and benefits, nearby

  1. Yellowstone County groupbase $36.00$48.84
  2. Musselshell Countybase $36.00$48.84
  3. Big Horn Countybase $36.00$48.84
  4. Treasure Countybase $36.00$48.84

Which county is in which painter group

Every Montana county with a painter rate. Counties DLI treats alike share one page; the rest have their own.

CountiesMain classificationBase wageTotal rate
Yellowstone County group, 21 localities: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Stillwater, Treasure, Valley, Wibaux, YellowstonePAINTERS$36.00 $48.84 
Gallatin County group, 14 localities: Blaine, Cascade, Chouteau, Fergus, Gallatin, Golden Valley, Hill, Judith Basin, Meagher, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Sweet Grass, WheatlandPAINTERS$36.00 $48.84 
Lewis and Clark County group, 14 localities: Beaverhead, Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Glacier, Granite, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Madison, Pondera, Powell, Silver Bow, Teton, ToolePAINTERS$36.00 $48.84 
Missoula County group, 7 localities: Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli, SandersPAINTERS$36.00 $48.84 

4 groups of counties with identical DLI rates, and 0 counties with rates of their own.

Montana painter prevailing wage by county, with a map

More from DLI on this rate

Every trade's rates, county by county: Big Horn · Carbon · Carter · Custer · Daniels · Dawson · Fallon · Garfield · McCone · Musselshell · Powder River · Prairie · Richland · Roosevelt · Rosebud · Sheridan · Stillwater · Treasure · Valley · Wibaux · Yellowstone

Are you being paid this rate?

Add your base wage to what your employer pays into benefit plans for you (or in cash), and compare it with the total. Contractors post the wages and benefits on site from day one and keep payroll records 3 years (MCA 18-2-422). DLI: (406) 444-6543.

Source

Department of Labor & Industry (DLI), DLI 2026 rates, revised April 25, 2026. For the row this page leads with:

We read every row of DLI's 2026 Building, Heavy and Highway PDFs and check every number with a second, separate reader. DLI prints no total; ours is base plus benefit. How we check · Download every Montana rate as CSV · Report an error