Home / Pennsylvania / Lehigh County / Painter
Lehigh County, PA · Painter
Painter prevailing wage in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
$59.79an hour, base + fringe
$35.61 wage + $24.18 fringe benefits · Building
On Pennsylvania public works in Lehigh County, a painter must be paid at least $59.79 an hour: a $35.61 base wage plus $24.18 in fringe benefits.
PPWS county schedules from each county's newest determination (Oct 25, 2026); this rate, effective May 1, 2025. Rates are set per project: the public body gets a determination before bidding, and once the contract is signed its rates "shall not be altered" while it is in force (Act § 4). A determination must be re-requested if the contract isn't awarded within 120 days (34 Pa. Code 9.104(a)). Checked against dliweb.pa.gov on October 25, 2026.
L&I lists 5 painter rates for Lehigh County, from $58.58 to $68.89 an hour. See all of them.
Pennsylvania publishes no county rate schedule. These are the rates printed in each county's newest project determination; the binding rates for a job are the ones in that job's own determination.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $35.61 + $24.18
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. L&I prints the fringe 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) | $35.61 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $24.18 |
| Total hourly rate, as printed | $59.79 |
Davis-Bacon painter rate in Lehigh County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. Pennsylvania's Act doesn't cover projects where Davis-Bacon applies, so a job uses one schedule or the other (L&I FAQ).
For building work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, AND SPRAY at $42.75 ($26.45 base + $16.30 fringe), from PA20260094 modification 3, published May 18, 2026, rate PAIN1269-001. Against L&I's $59.79: L&I's rate is $17.04 an hour higher.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base + fringe | Base | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, AND SPRAYPAIN1269-001 | $42.75 | $26.45 | PA20260094 Mod 3 |
| Highway, Heavy | PAINTER: BRIDGE; BRUSH, ROLLER (BERKS, CARBON, LEBANON, LEHIGH, NORTHAMPTON, AND MONROE COUNTIES)PAIN1021-001 | $45.65 | $30.85 | PA20260006 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | PAINTER: BRIDGE; SPRAY (BERKS, CARBON, LEBANON, LEHIGH, NORTHAMPTON, AND MONROE COUNTIES)PAIN1021-001 | $46.65 | $31.85 | PA20260006 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | PAINTER: BRUSH AND ROLLER (BERKS, CARBON, LEBANON, LEHIGH, NORTHAMPTON, AND MONROE COUNTIES)PAIN1021-001 | $41.35 | $26.55 | PA20260006 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | PAINTER: SPRAY AND SANDBLAST (BERKS, CARBON, LEBANON, LEHIGH, NORTHAMPTON, AND MONROE COUNTIES)PAIN1021-001 | $42.35 | $27.55 | PA20260006 Mod 2 |
| Residential | PAINTER: BRUSH AND ROLLER ONLYPAIN0021-008 | $49.66 | $29.51 | PA20260119 Mod 2 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Pennsylvania Davis-Bacon changes
Dated rates for this classification
L&I prints more than one dated line for Painters Class 2 (see notes). The one in force on October 25, 2026 leads this page; scheduled lines take effect on their date.
| Effective | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2023 | $53.28 ($30.09 + $23.19) | Earlier |
| May 1, 2025 | $59.79 ($35.61 + $24.18) | In force |
When this rate changes
- A signed contract keeps the rates in its own determination, including the dated steps printed there. A later L&I rate change doesn't reach it (Act § 4).
- County pages here follow each county's newest determination, so they move whenever L&I issues the next one there. The determination is named in the Source line.
Every painter rate in Lehigh County
As L&I lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- Painters Class 3 (see notes)Heavy/Highway$68.89
- Painters Class 3 (see notes)Building$65.89
- Painters Class 2 (see notes)Heavy/Highway$62.79
- Painters Class 2 (see notes)Building$59.79
- Painters Class 1 (see notes)Building$58.58
| Classification | Base + fringe | Base | Fringe benefits | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Painters Class 1 (see notes)Building | $58.58 | $33.89 | $24.69 | May 1, 2026 |
| Painters Class 2 (see notes)Building | $59.79 | $35.61 | $24.18 | May 1, 2025 |
| Painters Class 3 (see notes)Building | $65.89 | $41.71 | $24.18 | May 1, 2025 |
| Painters Class 2 (see notes)Heavy/Highway | $62.79 | $38.00 | $24.79 | May 1, 2026 |
| Painters Class 3 (see notes)Heavy/Highway | $68.89 | $44.10 | $24.79 | May 1, 2026 |
How Lehigh 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 Pennsylvania
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Lehigh Countybase $35.61$59.79
- Northampton Countybase $35.61$59.79
- Carbon Countybase $35.58$60.66
- Berks Countybase $35.61$59.79
Painter rates in nearby counties
Current L&I rates. L&I sets rates by county, and counties in the same collective bargaining area often share them.
| County | Classification | Base + fringe | Base | vs Lehigh County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | Painters Class 1 (see notes) | $80.93 | $45.71 | +$21.14 |
| Bucks County | Painters Class 1 (see notes) | $80.93 | $45.71 | +$21.14 |
| Carbon County | Painters Class 2 (see notes) | $60.66 | $35.58 | +$0.87 |
| Schuylkill County | Painters Class 2 (see notes) | $60.66 | $35.58 | +$0.87 |
| Lehigh County | Painters Class 2 (see notes) | $59.79 | $35.61 | |
| Northampton County | Painters Class 2 (see notes) | $59.79 | $35.61 | same |
| Berks County | Painters Class 2 (see notes) | $59.79 | $35.61 | same |
More from L&I on this rate
- L&I PPWS determination
- L&I's PPWS determination search
- Apprentice rates apply only to apprentices in a program registered with the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Council, within its ratios. Determinations list journeyperson rates only (§ 9.103(9)).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base wage to the fringe your employer pays for you, and compare it with the total. A worker can protest to L&I within three months: Bureau of Labor Law Compliance, 1-800-932-0665 (L&I).
Source
Department of Labor & Industry (L&I), PPWS determination 26-09343, issued October 23, 2026, effective May 1, 2025: www.dliweb.pa.gov/PrevWage/Pages/Project.aspx
We read each county's newest PPWS determination from L&I's site and check every number with a second read. The totals are the ones L&I prints. How we check · Download Lehigh County as CSV · Report an error