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Santa Fe County, NM · Painter
Painter prevailing wage in Santa Fe County, New Mexico
$26.75an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum)
$21.00 base wage + $5.75 fringe benefits · General building
Santa Fe County uses the same painter rates as 31 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On New Mexico public works in Santa Fe County, a painter must be paid at least $26.75 an hour: a $21.00 base wage plus $5.75 in fringe. DWS prints no total, so $26.75 is our sum of the two. DWS's schedule raises it to $29.95 on January 1, 2027.
11.1.2.20 NMAC rates for decisions issued from July 1, 2026; this rate, effective 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 against dws.state.nm.us on October 25, 2026.
DWS lists 8 painter rates for Santa Fe County, from $24.75 to $30.70 an hour. See all of them.
These rates come from the rule. The DWS wage rate decision issued for the project is what binds.
- Includes an apprenticeship contribution of $0.60 inside the fringe (11.1.2.19(C) NMAC).
Base wage and fringe benefits: $21.00 + $5.75
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DWS prints the fringe 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) | $21.00 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $5.75 |
| Base + fringe (our sum; DWS prints no total) | $26.75 |
When does this rate change?
- Each project is governed by one wage rate decision for its duration. A new decision issued before bids replaces the old one only if the agency gets it at least 10 days before bid opening (11.1.2.14(C)–(E) NMAC).
- This page shows the rates for decisions issued from July 1, 2026 (Register XXXVII-12), with the 2027 rates for decisions issued from January 1, 2027 (Register XXXVII-20).
Dated rates for this classification
DWS prints more than one dated line for Painter. The one in force on October 25, 2026 leads this page; scheduled lines take effect on their date.
| Effective | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2026 | $26.75 ($21.00 + $5.75) | Earlier |
| Jul 1, 2026 | $26.75 ($21.00 + $5.75) | In force |
| Jan 1, 2027 | $29.95 ($24.00 + $5.95) | Scheduled |
Every painter rate in Santa Fe County
As DWS lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- Painter – IndustrialHeavy engineering$30.70
- PaperhangerHeavy engineering$30.70
- PainterStreet, highway, utility and light engineering$26.75
- Paper HangerStreet, highway, utility and light engineering$26.75
- PainterGeneral building$26.75
- Paper HangerGeneral building$26.75
- PainterResidential$24.75
- Paper hangerResidential$24.75
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PainterStreet, highway, utility and light engineering | $21.00 | $5.75 | $26.75 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Paper HangerStreet, highway, utility and light engineering | $21.00 | $5.75 | $26.75 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| PainterGeneral building | $21.00 | $5.75 | $26.75 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Paper HangerGeneral building | $21.00 | $5.75 | $26.75 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| PainterResidential | $19.00 | $5.75 | $24.75 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Paper hangerResidential | $19.00 | $5.75 | $24.75 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Painter – IndustrialHeavy engineering | $24.00 | $6.70 | $30.70 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| PaperhangerHeavy engineering | $24.00 | $6.70 | $30.70 | Jul 1, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon painter rate in Santa Fe County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. When a contract requires both the state rate and the Davis-Bacon rate, paying the higher of the two meets both. The contract documents say which apply.
We don't put a federal figure next to DWS's here, because the federal determination lists more than one rate for this trade here. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | PAINTER: SPRAYSUNM2016-005 | $16.51 | $18.65 | NM20260048 Mod 1 |
| Building | PAINTER (BRUSH AND ROLLER)SUNM2016-005 | $16.60 | $20.48 | NM20260048 Mod 1 |
| Residential | PAINTER (EXCLUDING DRYWALL FINISHING)SUNM1999-005 | $10.00 | $10.00 | NM20260006 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. New Mexico Davis-Bacon changes
How Santa Fe 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 New Mexico
Wage and fringe, nearby
- Santa Fe Countybase $21.00$26.75
- Los Alamos Countybase $35.85$48.67
- Bernalillo Countybase $21.00$26.75
- Sandoval Countybase $21.00$26.75
Painter rates in nearby counties
Current DWS rates. New Mexico publishes one statewide table; a few rows name counties, and zones are set by distance (11.1.2.20 NMAC).
DWS's painter rates for Santa Fe County are the same as in 31 other counties: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Dona Ana and 23 more.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Santa Fe County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Alamos County | Painter: Los Alamos county | $35.85 | $48.67 | +$21.92 |
| Santa Fe County | Painter | $21.00 | $26.75 | |
| Bernalillo County | Painter | $21.00 | $26.75 | same |
| Sandoval County | Painter | $21.00 | $26.75 | same |
| Torrance County | Painter | $21.00 | $26.75 | same |
| San Miguel County | Painter | $21.00 | $26.75 | same |
| Mora County | Painter | $21.00 | $26.75 | same |
More from DWS on this rate
- DWS 11.1.2.20 NMAC, page 247
- the 11.1.2.20 NMAC rate table
- The table lists journeyworker and some helper rates. Registered apprentices are paid their program's rates (11.1.2.19 NMAC).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base wage to what your employer pays into fringe plans for you, and compare it with the total. Certified payrolls carry the project's wage rate decision number and go to the agency monthly (11.1.2.9 NMAC). DWS Public Works: DWS prevailing wage.
Source
Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS), 11.1.2.20 NMAC NMAC-11.1.2.20-2026-07-01, issued June 23, 2026, effective July 1, 2026, page 247: prod-rf-lambda.rtssaas.com/PublicFiles/d89c47bd0d70402dba89b03a22bda6d1/418c1197-ec20-40e0-8f50-5031517361a0/xxxvii12.pdf
We read 11.1.2.20 NMAC's rate tables as published in the New Mexico Register and check every number with a second, separate read. The rule prints no total; ours is base plus fringe, and the apprenticeship contribution is inside the fringe. How we check · Download Santa Fe County as CSV · Report an error