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Wisconsin painter prevailing wage, county by county

A painter's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage in Wisconsin runs from $15.97 an hour in Wood County to $67.99 in Kenosha County. The median county is $15.97.

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.

Marinette County painter: $15.97 per hourWaushara County painter: $15.97 per hourSawyer County painter: $15.97 per hourWaupaca County painter: $15.97 per hourManitowoc County painter: $15.97 per hourLincoln County painter: $15.97 per hourTaylor County painter: $15.97 per hourWaukesha County painter: $67.31 per hourMarathon County painter: $58.82 per hourClark County painter: $15.97 per hourPortage County painter: $15.97 per hourWood County painter: $15.97 per hourMenominee County painter: $15.97 per hourGreen Lake County painter: $15.97 per hourRichland County painter: $15.97 per hourRock County painter: $58.82 per hourKenosha County painter: $67.99 per hourMarquette County painter: $15.97 per hourPrice County painter: $15.97 per hourLanglade County painter: $15.97 per hourChippewa County painter: $36.26 per hourBayfield County painter: $15.97 per hourVernon County painter: $15.97 per hourFlorence County painter: $15.97 per hourOzaukee County painter: $67.31 per hourDodge County painter: $15.97 per hourPierce County painter: $36.26 per hourPolk County painter: $15.97 per hourSt. Croix County painter: $36.26 per hourColumbia County painter: $15.97 per hourWashburn County painter: $15.97 per hourPepin County painter: $15.97 per hourCalumet County painter: $58.82 per hourOutagamie County painter: $58.82 per hourBuffalo County painter: $15.97 per hourBarron County painter: $15.97 per hourKewaunee County painter: $15.97 per hourIron County painter: $15.97 per hourCrawford County painter: $15.97 per hourBurnett County painter: $15.97 per hourDane County painter: $58.82 per hourDouglas County painter: $63.93 per hourGrant County painter: $15.97 per hourRacine County painter: $67.99 per hourLa Crosse County painter: $36.28 per hourEau Claire County painter: $36.26 per hourMilwaukee County painter: $67.31 per hourJackson County painter: $15.97 per hourDoor County painter: $15.97 per hourOconto County painter: $15.97 per hourLafayette County painter: $15.97 per hourGreen County painter: $15.97 per hourVilas County painter: $15.97 per hourShawano County painter: $15.97 per hourDunn County painter: $15.97 per hourTrempealeau County painter: $15.97 per hourFond du Lac County painter: $15.97 per hourAshland County painter: $15.97 per hourWashington County painter: $67.31 per hourWalworth County painter: $15.97 per hourAdams County painter: $15.97 per hourRusk County painter: $15.97 per hourSauk County painter: $15.97 per hourJefferson County painter: $15.97 per hourOneida County painter: $15.97 per hourMonroe County painter: $15.97 per hourForest County painter: $15.97 per hourJuneau County painter: $15.97 per hourWinnebago County painter: $58.82 per hourBrown County painter: $58.82 per hourIowa County painter: $15.97 per hourSheboygan County painter: $58.82 per hour
$15$15$15$15$58$67Painter, 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 Wisconsin?

15 groups of counties with identical rates and 16 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.

  1. Kenosha County1 county$67.99
  2. Racine County1 county$67.99
  3. Milwaukee County group4 counties$67.31
  4. Douglas County1 county$63.93
  5. Outagamie County group4 counties$58.82
  6. Brown County1 county$58.82
  7. Dane County1 county$58.82
  8. Marathon County1 county$58.82
  9. Rock County1 county$58.82
  10. La Crosse County1 county$36.28
  11. Eau Claire County group2 counties$36.26
  12. St. Croix County group2 counties$36.26
  13. Wood County group11 counties$15.97
  14. Oneida County group8 counties$15.97
  15. Vernon County group5 counties$15.97
  16. Barron County group4 counties$15.97
  17. Dodge County group3 counties$15.97
  18. Fond du Lac County group3 counties$15.97
  19. Burnett County group2 counties$15.97
  20. Columbia County group2 counties$15.97
  21. Dunn County group2 counties$15.97
  22. Grant County group2 counties$15.97
  23. Manitowoc County group2 counties$15.97
  24. Ashland County1 county$15.97
  25. Clark County1 county$15.97
  26. Florence County1 county$15.97
  27. Green County1 county$15.97
  28. Jefferson County1 county$15.97
  29. Monroe County1 county$15.97
  30. Rusk County1 county$15.97
  31. Walworth County1 county$15.97

Which counties pay which rate

CountiesMain classificationBase + fringeBase
Kenosha CountyPAINTERS: SPRAY$67.99 $41.62 
Racine CountyPAINTERS: (SPRAY, SANDBLAST)$67.99 $44.64 
Milwaukee County group, 4 localities: Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, WaukeshaPAINTERS: (1) BRUSH, ROLLER$67.31 $42.44 
Douglas CountyPAINTERS: BRUSH AND ROLLER (REPAINT & RESIDENTIAL)$63.93 $36.67 
Outagamie County group, 4 localities: Calumet, Outagamie, Sheboygan, WinnebagoPAINTER (BRUSH, DRYWALL TAPER)$58.82 $37.65 
Brown CountyPAINTER (BRUSH, DRYWALL TAPER)$58.82 $37.65 
Dane CountyPAINTER: BRUSH (COLUMBIA, DANE, DODGE, GRANT, GREEN, IOWA, LAFAYETTE, RICHLAND, ROCK, AND SAUK COUNTIES)$58.82 $37.65 
Marathon CountyPAINTERS: (BRUSH, ROLLER, SPRAY, AND DRYWALL FINISHING)$58.82 $37.65 
Rock CountyPAINTER: BRUSH (COLUMBIA, DANE, DODGE, GRANT, GREEN, IOWA, LAFAYETTE, RICHLAND, ROCK, AND SAUK COUNTIES)$58.82 $37.65 
La Crosse CountyPAINTER$36.28 $22.99 
Eau Claire County group, 2 localities: Chippewa, Eau ClairePAINTER$36.26 $24.11 
St. Croix County group, 2 localities: Pierce, St. CroixPAINTER$36.26 $24.11 
Wood County group, 11 localities: Adams, Green Lake, Juneau, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, WoodPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Oneida County group, 8 localities: Forest, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida, Price, Taylor, VilasPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Vernon County group, 5 localities: Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, Trempealeau, VernonPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Barron County group, 4 localities: Barron, Polk, Sawyer, WashburnPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Dodge County group, 3 localities: Dodge, Lafayette, SaukPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Fond du Lac County group, 3 localities: Fond du Lac, Kewaunee, OcontoPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Burnett County group, 2 localities: Bayfield, BurnettPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Columbia County group, 2 localities: Columbia, IowaPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Dunn County group, 2 localities: Dunn, PepinPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Grant County group, 2 localities: Grant, RichlandPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Manitowoc County group, 2 localities: Door, ManitowocPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Ashland CountyPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Clark CountyPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Florence CountyPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Green CountyPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Jefferson CountyPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Monroe CountyPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Rusk CountyPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 
Walworth CountyPAINTERS: SPRAY$15.97 $13.72 

15 groups of counties with identical DOL rates, and 16 counties with rates of their own.

Questions about Wisconsin painter pay

What is the painter prevailing wage in Milwaukee County?

$67.31 an hour: a $42.44 base wage plus $24.87 in fringe benefits, under wage determination WI20260001, modification 1. Overtime and every painter classification in Milwaukee County.

Does painter prevailing wage include fringe benefits?

Yes. In Milwaukee County the $67.31 total is a $42.44 base wage plus $24.87 in fringe benefits, about 37% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.

Does painter prevailing wage pay overtime in Wisconsin?

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 Wisconsin, the 72 counties with a painter rate fall into 31 distinct sets of rates, and 15 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 11 counties (the Wood County group).