How much does a painter make in Alaska?
In Alaska, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $30.87 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $29.32 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$30.87
$29.32
$26.64
$4.23 more an hour
$64,210
By the hour, the week and the year in Alaska
At 40 hours a week, the average of $30.87 an hour comes to $1,234.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $64,210 a year, and the median of $29.32 to $60,986 a year.
In Alaska, the average is $1.55 above the median (5.3%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $29.32 an hour or less.
How does Alaska compare?
The average in Alaska is $4.23 above the national average of $26.64 (15.9% more), about $8,798 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Alaska ranks 4 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Alaska and its Census division, Pacific
By average wage, Alaska ranks 2 of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Hawaii, $34.28, and the lowest Oregon, $25.76.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $34.28 | $32.80 | +$3.41 |
| Alaska | $30.87 | $29.32 | |
| California | $30.03 | $28.38 | -$0.84 |
| Washington | $29.28 | $28.68 | -$1.59 |
| Oregon | $25.76 | $23.51 | -$5.11 |
This trade and the others in Alaska
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Alaska. Among them, the average runs from $19.03 (Cleaning) to $48.08 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $48.08 | $44.69 | +$17.21 |
| Drywall | $32.75 | $35.43 | +$1.88 |
| Painting | $30.87 | $29.32 | |
| Landscaping | $22.73 | $22.93 | -$8.14 |
| Cleaning | $19.03 | $17.97 | -$11.84 |
Against the minimum wage in Alaska
The minimum wage in Alaska is $14.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $29.32, is $15.32 above it, 2.1 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $29,120 a year.
From wage to rate
This is what an employer pays an employee, not what a contractor bills. Your rate also has to cover your overhead (vehicle, insurance, tools), your profit, and the hours you cannot bill.
If you pay a helper the median wage in Alaska, $29.32 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $234.56 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $397.92; at the national median, $23.75, the same job comes to $341.55. A wage is only the floor: your own rate also pays your taxes, your unbilled hours and your business.