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North Carolina painter prevailing wage, county by county

A painter's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage in North Carolina runs from $12.35 an hour in Greene County to $17.01 in Anson County. The median county is $16.60.

Main painter classification in each county, Davis-Bacon wage determinations on SAM.gov, as of October 25, 2026. A contract keeps the wage determination in its bid documents. Modifications published before bid opening apply to it, though one published less than 10 days before can be left out if the agency finds there isn't time to tell bidders (29 CFR 1.6(c)). Checked October 25, 2026.

Rockingham County painter: $16.36 per hourFranklin County painter: $16.60 per hourRandolph County painter: $16.36 per hourYadkin County painter: $16.36 per hourAlexander County painter: $16.60 per hourOnslow County painter: $16.60 per hourOrange County painter: $16.60 per hourCabarrus County painter: $16.60 per hourIredell County painter: $16.60 per hourStokes County painter: $16.36 per hourGuilford County painter: $16.36 per hourPerson County painter: $16.60 per hourVance County painter: $16.87 per hourLenoir County painter: $16.57 per hourCleveland County painter: $16.57 per hourTransylvania County painter: $16.64 per hourCraven County painter: $16.60 per hourEdgecombe County painter: $16.60 per hourCaldwell County painter: $16.60 per hourPitt County painter: $16.60 per hourJones County painter: $16.60 per hourForsyth County painter: $16.36 per hourWayne County painter: $16.60 per hourBladen County painter: $16.57 per hourPolk County painter: $16.64 per hourMitchell County painter: $16.64 per hourCurrituck County painter: $16.60 per hourLincoln County painter: $16.60 per hourHaywood County painter: $16.60 per hourDurham County painter: $16.60 per hourGreene County painter: $12.35 per hourJohnston County painter: $16.60 per hourNew Hanover County painter: $16.60 per hourChatham County painter: $16.60 per hourRichmond County painter: $16.57 per hourScotland County painter: $16.57 per hourDavidson County painter: $16.36 per hourAnson County painter: $17.01 per hourRutherford County painter: $16.64 per hourYancey County painter: $16.64 per hourSwain County painter: $16.64 per hourHertford County painter: $16.33 per hourCumberland County painter: $16.60 per hourWilkes County painter: $16.64 per hourSampson County painter: $16.57 per hourPamlico County painter: $16.60 per hourWashington County painter: $16.33 per hourMoore County painter: $16.57 per hourRobeson County painter: $16.57 per hourSurry County painter: $16.64 per hourCarteret County painter: $16.33 per hourAlleghany County painter: $16.64 per hourHarnett County painter: $16.57 per hourHoke County painter: $16.60 per hourPerquimans County painter: $16.33 per hourGranville County painter: $16.87 per hourHyde County painter: $16.33 per hourWatauga County painter: $16.64 per hourMacon County painter: $16.64 per hourClay County painter: $16.64 per hourChowan County painter: $16.33 per hourGates County painter: $16.60 per hourPasquotank County painter: $16.33 per hourGraham County painter: $16.64 per hourCherokee County painter: $16.64 per hourBrunswick County painter: $16.60 per hourHalifax County painter: $16.87 per hourJackson County painter: $16.64 per hourWarren County painter: $16.87 per hourNorthampton County painter: $16.87 per hourAshe County painter: $16.64 per hourBuncombe County painter: $16.60 per hourBurke County painter: $16.60 per hourMcDowell County painter: $16.64 per hourColumbus County painter: $16.57 per hourCaswell County painter: $16.87 per hourHenderson County painter: $16.60 per hourGaston County painter: $16.60 per hourTyrrell County painter: $16.33 per hourDavie County painter: $16.36 per hourAvery County painter: $16.64 per hourPender County painter: $16.60 per hourCatawba County painter: $16.60 per hourMecklenburg County painter: $16.60 per hourNash County painter: $16.60 per hourMadison County painter: $16.60 per hourStanly County painter: $16.57 per hourDare County painter: $16.33 per hourWilson County painter: $16.57 per hourDuplin County painter: $16.57 per hourMartin County painter: $16.33 per hourWake County painter: $16.60 per hourLee County painter: $16.57 per hourBertie County painter: $16.33 per hourRowan County painter: $16.60 per hourAlamance County painter: $16.60 per hourMontgomery County painter: $16.57 per hourUnion County painter: $16.60 per hourCamden County painter: $16.33 per hourBeaufort County painter: $16.33 per hour
$12.35$16.36$16.60$16.60$16.64$17.01Painter, main rate, base + fringe per hour. Each shade holds about a fifth of the counties.

How much does a painter make on prevailing wage in North Carolina?

18 groups of counties with identical rates and 40 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The top 40 are drawn. The table below lists which counties are in each group.

  1. Anson County1 county$17.01
  2. Granville County group2 counties$16.87
  3. Halifax County group2 counties$16.87
  4. Caswell County1 county$16.87
  5. Northampton County1 county$16.87
  6. McDowell County group10 counties$16.64
  7. Surry County group3 counties$16.64
  8. Alleghany County1 county$16.64
  9. Avery County1 county$16.64
  10. Cherokee County1 county$16.64
  11. Jackson County1 county$16.64
  12. Watauga County1 county$16.64
  13. Buncombe County group4 counties$16.60
  14. Burke County group3 counties$16.60
  15. Craven County group3 counties$16.60
  16. Pitt County group3 counties$16.60
  17. Brunswick County group2 counties$16.60
  18. Chatham County group2 counties$16.60
  19. Johnston County group2 counties$16.60
  20. Alamance County1 county$16.60
  21. Cabarrus County1 county$16.60
  22. Catawba County1 county$16.60
  23. Cumberland County1 county$16.60
  24. Currituck County1 county$16.60
  25. Durham County1 county$16.60
  26. Gaston County1 county$16.60
  27. Gates County1 county$16.60
  28. Hoke County1 county$16.60
  29. Iredell County1 county$16.60
  30. Lincoln County1 county$16.60
  31. Mecklenburg County1 county$16.60
  32. New Hanover County1 county$16.60
  33. Onslow County1 county$16.60
  34. Orange County1 county$16.60
  35. Rowan County1 county$16.60
  36. Union County1 county$16.60
  37. Wake County1 county$16.60
  38. Wayne County1 county$16.60
  39. Harnett County group5 counties$16.57
  40. Moore County group3 counties$16.57

Which counties pay which rate

CountiesMain classificationBase + fringeBase
Anson CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$17.01 $14.13 
Granville County group, 2 localities: Granville, VancePAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.87 $15.12 
Halifax County group, 2 localities: Halifax, WarrenPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.87 $15.12 
Caswell CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.87 $15.12 
Northampton CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.87 $15.12 
McDowell County group, 10 localities: Ashe, Clay, Graham, Macon, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, YanceyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.64 $14.77 
Surry County group, 3 localities: Rutherford, Surry, WilkesPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.64 $14.77 
Alleghany CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.64 $14.77 
Avery CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.64 $14.77 
Cherokee CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.64 $14.77 
Jackson CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.64 $14.77 
Watauga CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.64 $14.77 
Buncombe County group, 4 localities: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, MadisonPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Burke County group, 3 localities: Alexander, Burke, CaldwellPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Craven County group, 3 localities: Craven, Jones, PamlicoPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Pitt County group, 3 localities: Edgecombe, Nash, PittPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Brunswick County group, 2 localities: Brunswick, PenderPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Chatham County group, 2 localities: Chatham, PersonPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Johnston County group, 2 localities: Franklin, JohnstonPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Alamance CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Cabarrus CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Catawba CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Cumberland CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Currituck CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Durham CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Gaston CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Gates CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Hoke CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Iredell CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Lincoln CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Mecklenburg CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
New Hanover CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Onslow CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Orange CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Rowan CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Union CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Wake CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Wayne CountyPAINTER$16.60 $15.55 
Harnett County group, 5 localities: Bladen, Columbus, Harnett, Robeson, ScotlandPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.57 $14.60 
Moore County group, 3 localities: Lee, Montgomery, MoorePAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.57 $14.60 
Lenoir County group, 2 localities: Duplin, LenoirPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.57 $14.60 
Cleveland CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.57 $14.60 
Richmond CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.57 $14.60 
Sampson CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.57 $14.60 
Stanly CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.57 $14.60 
Wilson CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.57 $14.60 
Stokes County group, 3 localities: Davie, Stokes, YadkinPAINTER$16.36 $15.31 
Randolph County group, 2 localities: Randolph, RockinghamPAINTER$16.36 $15.31 
Davidson CountyPAINTER$16.36 $15.31 
Forsyth CountyPAINTER$16.36 $15.31 
Guilford CountyPAINTER$16.36 $15.31 
Hertford County group, 5 localities: Bertie, Camden, Hertford, Hyde, TyrrellPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.33 $14.36 
Dare County group, 4 localities: Chowan, Dare, Martin, WashingtonPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.33 $14.36 
Beaufort CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.33 $14.36 
Carteret CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.33 $14.36 
Pasquotank CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.33 $14.36 
Perquimans CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$16.33 $14.36 
Greene CountyPAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY$12.35 $12.35 

18 groups of counties with identical DOL rates, and 40 counties with rates of their own.

Questions about North Carolina painter pay

What is the painter prevailing wage in Wake County?

$16.60 an hour: a $15.55 base wage plus $1.05 in fringe benefits, under wage determination NC20260011, modification 1. Overtime and every painter classification in Wake County.

Does painter prevailing wage include fringe benefits?

Yes. In Wake County the $16.60 total is a $15.55 base wage plus $1.05 in fringe benefits, about 6% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.

Does painter prevailing wage pay overtime in North Carolina?

Davis-Bacon rates are straight time. On contracts over $100,000, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act requires 1½ times the basic rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (40 U.S.C. 3702). The fringe is owed for every hour at its straight-time amount.

Do apprentice painters get this rate?

Davis-Bacon determinations list journeyworker rates. Apprentices in a program registered with DOL or a recognized state agency can be paid the program's percentage of the rate, within its ratio; anyone else gets the full rate (29 CFR 5.5(a)(4)).

Why do some counties have the same painter rate?

DOL often publishes the same painter rates for several counties. Across North Carolina, the 100 counties with a painter rate fall into 58 distinct sets of rates, and 18 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 10 counties (the McDowell County group).