How much does a painter make in Arkansas?
In Arkansas, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $20.28 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $19.28 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$20.28
$19.28
$26.64
$6.36 less an hour
$42,182
By the hour, the week and the year in Arkansas
At 40 hours a week, the average of $20.28 an hour comes to $811.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $42,182 a year, and the median of $19.28 to $40,102 a year.
In Arkansas, the average is $1.00 above the median (5.2%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $19.28 an hour or less.
How does Arkansas compare?
The average in Arkansas is $6.36 below the national average of $26.64 (23.9% less), about $13,229 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Arkansas ranks 50 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Arkansas and its Census division, West South Central
Of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade, Arkansas pays the lowest average, $20.28; the next is Oklahoma with $21.85.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $22.13 | $22.31 | +$1.85 |
| Texas | $22.13 | $21.86 | +$1.85 |
| Oklahoma | $21.85 | $21.59 | +$1.57 |
| Arkansas | $20.28 | $19.28 |
This trade and the others in Arkansas
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Arkansas. Among them, the average runs from $13.86 (Cleaning) to $21.97 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $21.97 | $22.23 | +$1.69 |
| Drywall | $20.87 | $21.42 | +$0.59 |
| Painting | $20.28 | $19.28 | |
| Landscaping | $17.34 | $17.20 | -$2.94 |
| Cleaning | $13.86 | $13.44 | -$6.42 |
Against the minimum wage in Arkansas
The minimum wage in Arkansas is $11.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $19.28, is $8.28 above it, 75.3% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $22,880 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 Arkansas, $19.28 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $154.24 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $296.31; 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.