How much does a painter make in Connecticut?
In Connecticut, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $30.53 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.12 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$30.53
$28.12
$26.64
$3.89 more an hour
$63,502
By the hour, the week and the year in Connecticut
At 40 hours a week, the average of $30.53 an hour comes to $1,221.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $63,502 a year, and the median of $28.12 to $58,490 a year.
In Connecticut, the average is $2.41 above the median (8.6%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $28.12 an hour or less.
How does Connecticut compare?
The average in Connecticut is $3.89 above the national average of $26.64 (14.6% more), about $8,091 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Connecticut ranks 6 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Connecticut and its Census division, New England
By average wage, Connecticut ranks 2 of the 6 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Massachusetts, $30.81, and the lowest Rhode Island, $23.15.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Connecticut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $30.81 | $27.65 | +$0.28 |
| Connecticut | $30.53 | $28.12 | |
| Maine | $28.96 | $28.50 | -$1.57 |
| Vermont | $26.39 | $25.54 | -$4.14 |
| New Hampshire | $25.35 | $23.88 | -$5.18 |
| Rhode Island | $23.15 | $20.00 | -$7.38 |
This trade and the others in Connecticut
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in Connecticut. Among them, the average runs from $18.22 (Cleaning) to $30.53 (Painting).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painting | $30.53 | $28.12 | |
| Concrete | $29.37 | $28.19 | -$1.16 |
| Drywall | $29.33 | $29.08 | -$1.20 |
| Landscaping | $22.15 | $21.99 | -$8.38 |
| Cleaning | $18.22 | $17.39 | -$12.31 |
Against the minimum wage in Connecticut
The minimum wage in Connecticut is $16.94 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $28.12, is $11.18 above it, 66.0% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $35,235 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 Connecticut, $28.12 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $224.96 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $385.78; 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.