How much does a painter make in Florida?
In Florida, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $23.29 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $22.85 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.29
$22.85
$26.64
$3.35 less an hour
$48,443
By the hour, the week and the year in Florida
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.29 an hour comes to $931.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $48,443 a year, and the median of $22.85 to $47,528 a year.
In Florida, the average is $0.44 above the median (1.9%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $22.85 an hour or less.
How does Florida compare?
The average in Florida is $3.35 below the national average of $26.64 (12.6% less), about $6,968 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Florida ranks 34 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Florida and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, Florida ranks 6 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 Florida |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $29.92 | $28.61 | +$6.63 |
| Delaware | $27.35 | $28.14 | +$4.06 |
| Maryland | $26.76 | $23.62 | +$3.47 |
| Georgia | $24.30 | $23.24 | +$1.01 |
| Virginia | $23.61 | $22.82 | +$0.32 |
| Florida | $23.29 | $22.85 | |
| North Carolina | $21.59 | $21.21 | -$1.70 |
| West Virginia | $21.53 | $21.26 | -$1.76 |
| South Carolina | $20.22 | $19.64 | -$3.07 |
This trade and the others in Florida
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Florida. Among them, the average runs from $16.78 (Cleaning) to $25.26 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $25.26 | $23.40 | +$1.97 |
| Drywall | $23.51 | $23.54 | +$0.22 |
| Painting | $23.29 | $22.85 | |
| Landscaping | $18.80 | $17.84 | -$4.49 |
| Cleaning | $16.78 | $16.28 | -$6.51 |
Against the minimum wage in Florida
The minimum wage in Florida is $15.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $22.85, is $7.85 above it, 52.3% 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 Florida, $22.85 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $182.80 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $332.44; 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.