How much does a painter make in Georgia?
In Georgia, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $24.30 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.24 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$24.30
$23.24
$26.64
$2.34 less an hour
$50,544
By the hour, the week and the year in Georgia
At 40 hours a week, the average of $24.30 an hour comes to $972.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $50,544 a year, and the median of $23.24 to $48,339 a year.
In Georgia, the average is $1.06 above the median (4.6%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $23.24 an hour or less.
How does Georgia compare?
The average in Georgia is $2.34 below the national average of $26.64 (8.8% less), about $4,867 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Georgia ranks 31 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Georgia and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, Georgia ranks 4 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 Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $29.92 | $28.61 | +$5.62 |
| Delaware | $27.35 | $28.14 | +$3.05 |
| Maryland | $26.76 | $23.62 | +$2.46 |
| Georgia | $24.30 | $23.24 | |
| Virginia | $23.61 | $22.82 | -$0.69 |
| Florida | $23.29 | $22.85 | -$1.01 |
| North Carolina | $21.59 | $21.21 | -$2.71 |
| West Virginia | $21.53 | $21.26 | -$2.77 |
| South Carolina | $20.22 | $19.64 | -$4.08 |
This trade and the others in Georgia
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Georgia. Among them, the average runs from $15.02 (Cleaning) to $27.53 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $27.53 | $28.01 | +$3.23 |
| Painting | $24.30 | $23.24 | |
| Concrete | $23.67 | $22.23 | -$0.63 |
| Landscaping | $18.51 | $18.25 | -$5.79 |
| Cleaning | $15.02 | $14.31 | -$9.28 |
Against the minimum wage in Georgia
In Georgia most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $23.24, is $15.99 above it, 3.2 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $15,080 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 Georgia, $23.24 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $185.92 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $336.39; 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.