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New Mexico painter prevailing wage, county by county
A painter's prevailing wage on New Mexico public works runs from $26.75 an hour in Valencia County to $48.67 in Los Alamos County. The median county is $26.75.
Main painter classification in each county, 11.1.2.20 NMAC rates for decisions issued from July 1, 2026. Each project is governed by one wage rate decision "which shall remain effective for the duration of the project" (11.1.2.14 NMAC). Checked October 25, 2026.
How much does a painter make on prevailing wage in New Mexico?
1 group of counties with identical rates and 1 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- Los Alamos County1 county · Painter: Los Alamos county$48.67
- Bernalillo County group32 counties · Painter$26.75
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Alamos County | Painter: Los Alamos county | $48.67 | $35.85 |
| Bernalillo County group, 32 localities: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union, Valencia | Painter | $26.75 | $21.00 |
1 group of counties with identical DWS rates, and 1 county with rates of its own.
11.1.2.20 NMAC lists journeyworker (and some helper) rates. Apprentices are paid the rate set by their registered apprenticeship program (11.1.2.19(B) NMAC). The 'Apprenticeship' column is the employer contribution to the public works apprentice and training fund, which the rule says is included in the fringe rate (11.1.2.19(C) NMAC).
Questions about New Mexico painter pay
What is the painter prevailing wage in Bernalillo County?
$26.75 an hour: a $21.00 base wage plus $5.75 in fringe, under 11.1.2.20 NMAC rates for decisions issued from July 1, 2026. Overtime and every painter classification in Bernalillo County.
Does painter prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Bernalillo County the $26.75 total is a $21.00 base wage plus $5.75 in fringe, about 21% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does painter prevailing wage pay overtime in New Mexico?
New Mexico's rate table sets no overtime premium or hours. The general rule applies: 1½ times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a week. The rule doesn't say whether the premium applies to base only or base plus fringe, so we don't compute overtime dollars.
Do apprentice painters get this rate?
11.1.2.20 NMAC lists journeyworker (and some helper) rates. Apprentices are paid the rate set by their registered apprenticeship program (11.1.2.19(B) NMAC). The 'Apprenticeship' column is the employer contribution to the public works apprentice and training fund, which the rule says is included in the fringe rate (11.1.2.19(C) NMAC).
Why do some counties have the same painter rate?
DWS often publishes the same painter rates for several counties. Across New Mexico, the 33 counties with a painter rate fall into 2 distinct sets of rates, and 1 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 32 counties (the Bernalillo County group).