Painter costs in Texas

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

Texas is 18% below the national average of $50/hr for painter services . Local wage levels and cost of living drive most of this difference.

Q: Which Texas city has the highest painter rates?

Austin sits at the top of the Texas index for painter services with rates of $32.22–$53.7/hr.

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

Fort Worth has the lowest typical painter rates in Texas at $27.6–$46/hr.

Q: What drives painter pricing in Texas?

Texas's market is shaped by diverse from humid Gulf to dry west , massive construction activity statewide , and operates under limited state licensing, local varies . 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

$31–$51/hr

TX median

$41/hr

vs national

-18%

Painter pricing in Texas

Texas features diverse from humid Gulf to dry west, which shapes both seasonal demand and the kind of work painters perform locally. The state's market is characterized by massive construction activity statewide, and contractors operate under limited state licensing, local varies.

Across 4 cities indexed in Texas, painter rates average $41/hr — about 18% below the national average of $50/hr. The lowest local rates are in Fort Worth; the highest are in Austin.

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

All Texas cities

4 cities

Austin TX $32.22–$53.7/hr Dallas TX $31.71–$52.85/hr Fort Worth TX $27.6–$46/hr Houston TX $32–$53/hr

Painter in other states

CA California 3 FL Florida 2 TN Tennessee 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 Texas?

Across 4 cities indexed in Texas, the median painter rate is $41/hr. Hourly ranges span $31/hr to $51/hr depending on the metro and contractor.

How do Texas painter rates compare to other states?

Texas is 18% below the national average of $50/hr for painter services. Local wage levels and cost of living drive most of this difference.

Which Texas city has the highest painter rates?

Austin sits at the top of the Texas index for painter services with rates of $32.22–$53.7/hr.

Which Texas city has the most affordable painter rates?

Fort Worth has the lowest typical painter rates in Texas at $27.6–$46/hr.

What drives painter pricing in Texas?

Texas's market is shaped by diverse from humid Gulf to dry west, massive construction activity statewide, and operates under limited state licensing, local varies. 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 Texas 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