How much does a painter make in Colorado?
In Colorado, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $27.10 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $25.47 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$27.10
$25.47
$26.64
$0.46 more an hour
$56,368
By the hour, the week and the year in Colorado
At 40 hours a week, the average of $27.10 an hour comes to $1,084.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $56,368 a year, and the median of $25.47 to $52,978 a year.
In Colorado, the average is $1.63 above the median (6.4%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $25.47 an hour or less.
How does Colorado compare?
The average in Colorado is $0.46 above the national average of $26.64 (1.7% more), about $957 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Colorado ranks 16 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Colorado and its Census division, Mountain
By average wage, Colorado ranks 2 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 Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $28.66 | $27.11 | +$1.56 |
| Colorado | $27.10 | $25.47 | |
| Montana | $26.30 | $28.03 | -$0.80 |
| Arizona | $25.23 | $23.20 | -$1.87 |
| New Mexico | $23.74 | $22.23 | -$3.36 |
| Utah | $22.93 | $22.14 | -$4.17 |
| Wyoming | $22.89 | $22.70 | -$4.21 |
| Idaho | $21.87 | $21.58 | -$5.23 |
This trade and the others in Colorado
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Colorado. Among them, the average runs from $18.99 (Cleaning) to $29.78 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $29.78 | $29.70 | +$2.68 |
| Concrete | $29.01 | $29.18 | +$1.91 |
| Painting | $27.10 | $25.47 | |
| Landscaping | $22.52 | $22.00 | -$4.58 |
| Cleaning | $18.99 | $18.06 | -$8.11 |
Against the minimum wage in Colorado
The minimum wage in Colorado is $15.16 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $25.47, is $10.31 above it, 68.0% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $31,533 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 Colorado, $25.47 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $203.76 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $358.96; 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.