Painter costs in Tennessee

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

Tennessee is 16% below the national average of $50/hr for painter services . Local wage levels and cost of living drive most of this difference.

Q: Which Tennessee city has the highest painter rates?

Nashville sits at the top of the Tennessee index for painter services with rates of $32.18–$53.63/hr.

Q: Which Tennessee city has the most affordable painter rates?

Memphis has the lowest typical painter rates in Tennessee at $31.1–$51.83/hr.

Q: What drives painter pricing in Tennessee?

Tennessee's market is shaped by humid subtropical with varied terrain , Nashville boom affecting rates , and operates under state licensing board . 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

$32–$53/hr

TN median

$42/hr

vs national

-16%

Painter pricing in Tennessee

Tennessee features humid subtropical with varied terrain, which shapes both seasonal demand and the kind of work painters perform locally. The state's market is characterized by Nashville boom affecting rates, and contractors operate under state licensing board.

Across 2 cities indexed in Tennessee, painter rates average $42/hr — about 16% below the national average of $50/hr. The lowest local rates are in Memphis; the highest are in Nashville.

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

All Tennessee cities

2 cities

Memphis TN $31.1–$51.83/hr Nashville TN $32.18–$53.63/hr

Painter in other states

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

Frequently asked

7 answers

What's the average painter rate in Tennessee?

Across 2 cities indexed in Tennessee, the median painter rate is $42/hr. Hourly ranges span $32/hr to $53/hr depending on the metro and contractor.

How do Tennessee painter rates compare to other states?

Tennessee is 16% below the national average of $50/hr for painter services. Local wage levels and cost of living drive most of this difference.

Which Tennessee city has the highest painter rates?

Nashville sits at the top of the Tennessee index for painter services with rates of $32.18–$53.63/hr.

Which Tennessee city has the most affordable painter rates?

Memphis has the lowest typical painter rates in Tennessee at $31.1–$51.83/hr.

What drives painter pricing in Tennessee?

Tennessee's market is shaped by humid subtropical with varied terrain, Nashville boom affecting rates, and operates under state licensing board. 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 Tennessee 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