How much does a painter make in Hawaii?
In Hawaii, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $34.28 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $32.80 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$34.28
$32.80
$26.64
$7.64 more an hour
$71,302
By the hour, the week and the year in Hawaii
At 40 hours a week, the average of $34.28 an hour comes to $1,371.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $71,302 a year, and the median of $32.80 to $68,224 a year.
In Hawaii, the average is $1.48 above the median (4.5%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $32.80 an hour or less.
How does Hawaii compare?
The average in Hawaii is $7.64 above the national average of $26.64 (28.7% more), about $15,891 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Hawaii ranks 1 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Hawaii and its Census division, Pacific
Of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade, Hawaii pays the highest average, $34.28; next comes Alaska with $30.87.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $34.28 | $32.80 | |
| Alaska | $30.87 | $29.32 | -$3.41 |
| California | $30.03 | $28.38 | -$4.25 |
| Washington | $29.28 | $28.68 | -$5.00 |
| Oregon | $25.76 | $23.51 | -$8.52 |
This trade and the others in Hawaii
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Hawaii. Among them, the average runs from $21.60 (Landscaping) to $46.38 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $46.38 | $50.40 | +$12.10 |
| Concrete | $41.09 | $46.10 | +$6.81 |
| Painting | $34.28 | $32.80 | |
| Cleaning | $25.18 | $24.81 | -$9.10 |
| Landscaping | $21.60 | $22.08 | -$12.68 |
Against the minimum wage in Hawaii
The minimum wage in Hawaii is $16.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $32.80, is $16.80 above it, 2.1 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $33,280 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 Hawaii, $32.80 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $262.40 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $433.14; 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.