How much does a painter make in California?
In California, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $30.03 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.38 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$30.03
$28.38
$26.64
$3.39 more an hour
$62,462
By the hour, the week and the year in California
At 40 hours a week, the average of $30.03 an hour comes to $1,201.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $62,462 a year, and the median of $28.38 to $59,030 a year.
In California, the average is $1.65 above the median (5.8%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $28.38 an hour or less.
How does California compare?
The average in California is $3.39 above the national average of $26.64 (12.7% more), about $7,051 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, California ranks 7 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
California and its Census division, Pacific
By average wage, California ranks 3 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 California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $34.28 | $32.80 | +$4.25 |
| Alaska | $30.87 | $29.32 | +$0.84 |
| California | $30.03 | $28.38 | |
| Washington | $29.28 | $28.68 | -$0.75 |
| Oregon | $25.76 | $23.51 | -$4.27 |
This trade and the others in California
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in California. Among them, the average runs from $22.08 (Cleaning) to $35.91 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $35.91 | $31.67 | +$5.88 |
| Concrete | $34.09 | $30.15 | +$4.06 |
| Painting | $30.03 | $28.38 | |
| Landscaping | $22.80 | $21.90 | -$7.23 |
| Cleaning | $22.08 | $20.51 | -$7.95 |
Against the minimum wage in California
The minimum wage in California is $16.90 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $28.38, is $11.48 above it, 67.9% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $35,152 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 California, $28.38 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $227.04 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $388.40; 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.