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Philadelphia County, PA · Painter
Painter prevailing wage in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
$80.93an hour, base wage + fringe benefits
$45.71 base wage + $35.22 fringe benefits · Building
Philadelphia County uses the same painter rates as 2 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On Pennsylvania public works in Philadelphia County, a painter must be paid at least $80.93 an hour: a $45.71 base wage plus $35.22 in fringe benefits.
PPWS county schedules from each county's newest determination (Oct 25, 2026); this rate, effective May 1, 2026. 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 4 painter rates for Philadelphia County, from $80.93 to $97.61 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: $45.71 + $35.22
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) | $45.71 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $35.22 |
| Total hourly rate, as printed | $80.93 |
When does this rate change?
- 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.
Dated rates for this classification
L&I prints more than one dated line for Painters Class 1 (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, 2025 | $78.93 ($44.38 + $34.55) | Earlier |
| May 1, 2026 | $80.93 ($45.71 + $35.22) | In force |
Every painter rate in Philadelphia County
As L&I lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- Painters Class 3 (see notes)Heavy/Highway$97.61
- Painters Class 2 (see notes)Heavy/Highway$86.61
- Painters Class 4 (see notes)Building$83.67
- Painters Class 1 (see notes)Building$80.93
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Painters Class 1 (see notes)Building | $45.71 | $35.22 | $80.93 | May 1, 2026 |
| Painters Class 4 (see notes)Building | $48.45 | $35.22 | $83.67 | May 1, 2026 |
| Painters Class 2 (see notes)Heavy/Highway | $51.61 | $35.00 | $86.61 | Feb 1, 2026 |
| Painters Class 3 (see notes)Heavy/Highway | $62.57 | $35.04 | $97.61 | Feb 1, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon painter rate in Philadelphia 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 at $69.34 ($41.24 base + $28.10 fringe), from PA20260003 modification 2, published October 1, 2026, rate PAIN0021-001. Against L&I's $80.93: L&I's rate is $11.59 an hour higher.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLERPAIN0021-001 | $41.24 | $69.34 | PA20260003 Mod 2 |
| Building | PAINTER: SPRAY, STEEL AND SWINGPAIN0021-001 | $42.49 | $70.59 | PA20260003 Mod 2 |
| Highway, Heavy | PAINTER: ALL OTHER WORKPAIN0021-003 | $50.85 | $82.90 | PA20260004 Mod 8 |
| Highway, Heavy | PAINTER: BRIDGEPAIN0021-003 | $61.81 | $93.90 | PA20260004 Mod 8 |
| Residential | PAINTER: BRUSH AND ROLLER ONLYPAIN0021-004 | $42.97 | $74.16 | PA20260114 Mod 5 |
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
How Philadelphia 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
- Philadelphia Countybase $45.71$80.93
- Delaware Countybase $45.71$80.93
- Montgomery Countybase $45.71$80.93
- Lehigh 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.
L&I's painter rates for Philadelphia County are the same as in 2 other counties: Bucks, Montgomery.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Philadelphia County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County | Painters Class 1 (see notes) | $45.71 | $80.93 | |
| Delaware County | Painters Class 1 (see notes) | $45.71 | $80.93 | same |
| Montgomery County | Painters Class 1 (see notes) | $45.71 | $80.93 | same |
| Bucks County | Painters Class 1 (see notes) | $45.71 | $80.93 | same |
| Chester County | Painters Class 1 (see notes) | $45.71 | $80.93 | same |
| Lehigh County | Painters Class 2 (see notes) | $35.61 | $59.79 | −$21.14 |
| Berks County | Painters Class 2 (see notes) | $35.61 | $59.79 | −$21.14 |
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 26-09340, issued October 23, 2026, effective May 1, 2026: 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 Philadelphia County as CSV · Report an error