How much does a painter make in Arizona?
In Arizona, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $25.23 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.20 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$25.23
$23.20
$26.64
$1.41 less an hour
$52,478
By the hour, the week and the year in Arizona
At 40 hours a week, the average of $25.23 an hour comes to $1,009.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $52,478 a year, and the median of $23.20 to $48,256 a year.
In Arizona, the average is $2.03 above the median (8.7%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $23.20 an hour or less.
How does Arizona compare?
The average in Arizona is $1.41 below the national average of $26.64 (5.3% less), about $2,933 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Arizona ranks 28 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Arizona and its Census division, Mountain
By average wage, Arizona ranks 4 of the 8 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Nevada, $28.66, and the lowest Idaho, $21.87.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $28.66 | $27.11 | +$3.43 |
| Colorado | $27.10 | $25.47 | +$1.87 |
| Montana | $26.30 | $28.03 | +$1.07 |
| Arizona | $25.23 | $23.20 | |
| New Mexico | $23.74 | $22.23 | -$1.49 |
| Utah | $22.93 | $22.14 | -$2.30 |
| Wyoming | $22.89 | $22.70 | -$2.34 |
| Idaho | $21.87 | $21.58 | -$3.36 |
This trade and the others in Arizona
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Arizona. Among them, the average runs from $17.67 (Cleaning) to $28.62 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $28.62 | $28.32 | +$3.39 |
| Drywall | $25.27 | $24.18 | +$0.04 |
| Painting | $25.23 | $23.20 | |
| Landscaping | $19.98 | $18.71 | -$5.25 |
| Cleaning | $17.67 | $17.13 | -$7.56 |
Against the minimum wage in Arizona
The minimum wage in Arizona is $15.15 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $23.20, is $8.05 above it, 53.1% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $31,512 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 Arizona, $23.20 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $185.60 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $335.98; 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.