Painter costs in Missouri

Q: How do Missouri painter rates compare to other states?

Missouri is 8% above the national average of $50/hr for painter services . Local wage levels and cost of living drive most of this difference.

Q: Which Missouri city has the highest painter rates?

Kansas City sits at the top of the Missouri index for painter services with rates of $40.26–$67.1/hr.

Q: What drives painter pricing in Missouri?

Missouri's market is shaped by continental with tornado risks , St. Louis and Kansas City anchors , and operates under local licensing requirements . These factors flow through to consumer rates non-uniformly across the state — see the geographic precision note for how local data is sourced.

Cities indexed

Hourly range, avg

$40–$67/hr

MO median

$54/hr

vs national

+8%

Painter pricing in Missouri

Missouri features continental with tornado risks, which shapes both seasonal demand and the kind of work painters perform locally. The state's market is characterized by St. Louis and Kansas City anchors, and contractors operate under local licensing requirements.

Across 1 city indexed in Missouri, painter rates average $54/hr — about 8% above the national average of $50/hr.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, adjusted for Missouri cost of living. Read the methodology.

All Missouri cities

1 city

Kansas City MO $40.26–$67.1/hr

Painter in other states

TX Texas 4 CA California 3 FL Florida 2 TN Tennessee 2 GA Georgia 1 MA Massachusetts 1 NC North Carolina 1 IL Illinois 1

Frequently asked

6 answers

What's the average painter rate in Missouri?

Across 1 city indexed in Missouri, the median painter rate is $54/hr. Hourly ranges span $40/hr to $67/hr depending on the metro and contractor.

How do Missouri painter rates compare to other states?

Missouri is 8% above the national average of $50/hr for painter services. Local wage levels and cost of living drive most of this difference.

Which Missouri city has the highest painter rates?

Kansas City sits at the top of the Missouri index for painter services with rates of $40.26–$67.1/hr.

What drives painter pricing in Missouri?

Missouri's market is shaped by continental with tornado risks, St. Louis and Kansas City anchors, and operates under local licensing requirements. These factors flow through to consumer rates non-uniformly across the state — see the geographic precision note for how local data is sourced.

Are these prices what consumers pay, or what workers earn?

Consumer-facing rates. We apply industry-standard 1.5–2.5× multipliers to BLS hourly wages to account for business overhead, insurance, licensing, employer costs, and profit margin. The full calculation is documented in the wage-to-price methodology.

How is Missouri pricing data updated?

Pricing reflects the BLS OEWS May 2024 release. The next refresh lands when May 2025 data is published in April 2026. Cadence is documented in the update schedule.

Data: BLS OEWS May 2024 · Methodology · Last refreshed January 2026