How much does a painter make in Delaware?
In Delaware, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $27.35 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.14 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$27.35
$28.14
$26.64
$0.71 more an hour
$56,888
By the hour, the week and the year in Delaware
At 40 hours a week, the average of $27.35 an hour comes to $1,094.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $56,888 a year, and the median of $28.14 to $58,531 a year.
In Delaware, the average is $0.79 below the median (2.8%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $28.14 an hour or more.
How does Delaware compare?
The average in Delaware is $0.71 above the national average of $26.64 (2.7% more), about $1,477 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Delaware ranks 15 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Delaware and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, Delaware ranks 2 of the 9 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is District of Columbia, $29.92, and the lowest South Carolina, $20.22.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Delaware |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $29.92 | $28.61 | +$2.57 |
| Delaware | $27.35 | $28.14 | |
| Maryland | $26.76 | $23.62 | -$0.59 |
| Georgia | $24.30 | $23.24 | -$3.05 |
| Virginia | $23.61 | $22.82 | -$3.74 |
| Florida | $23.29 | $22.85 | -$4.06 |
| North Carolina | $21.59 | $21.21 | -$5.76 |
| West Virginia | $21.53 | $21.26 | -$5.82 |
| South Carolina | $20.22 | $19.64 | -$7.13 |
This trade and the others in Delaware
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Delaware. Among them, the average runs from $16.49 (Cleaning) to $29.18 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $29.18 | $27.42 | +$1.83 |
| Painting | $27.35 | $28.14 | |
| Drywall | $24.45 | $24.12 | -$2.90 |
| Landscaping | $19.08 | $17.96 | -$8.27 |
| Cleaning | $16.49 | $16.42 | -$10.86 |
Against the minimum wage in Delaware
The minimum wage in Delaware is $15.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $28.14, is $13.14 above it, 87.6% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $31,200 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 Delaware, $28.14 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $225.12 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $385.97; 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.