How much does a painter make in Idaho?
In Idaho, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $21.87 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.58 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$21.87
$21.58
$26.64
$4.77 less an hour
$45,490
By the hour, the week and the year in Idaho
At 40 hours a week, the average of $21.87 an hour comes to $874.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $45,490 a year, and the median of $21.58 to $44,886 a year.
In Idaho, the average is $0.29 above the median (1.3%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $21.58 an hour or less.
How does Idaho compare?
The average in Idaho is $4.77 below the national average of $26.64 (17.9% less), about $9,922 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Idaho ranks 43 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Idaho and its Census division, Mountain
Of the 8 states of the division with data for this trade, Idaho pays the lowest average, $21.87; the next is Wyoming with $22.89.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Idaho |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $28.66 | $27.11 | +$6.79 |
| Colorado | $27.10 | $25.47 | +$5.23 |
| Montana | $26.30 | $28.03 | +$4.43 |
| Arizona | $25.23 | $23.20 | +$3.36 |
| New Mexico | $23.74 | $22.23 | +$1.87 |
| Utah | $22.93 | $22.14 | +$1.06 |
| Wyoming | $22.89 | $22.70 | +$1.02 |
| Idaho | $21.87 | $21.58 |
This trade and the others in Idaho
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Idaho. Among them, the average runs from $16.94 (Cleaning) to $26.87 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $26.87 | $27.12 | +$5.00 |
| Drywall | $23.19 | $21.05 | +$1.32 |
| Painting | $21.87 | $21.58 | |
| Landscaping | $20.58 | $20.00 | -$1.29 |
| Cleaning | $16.94 | $16.62 | -$4.93 |
Against the minimum wage in Idaho
In Idaho most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $21.58, is $14.33 above it, 3.0 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 Idaho, $21.58 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $172.64 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $319.59; 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.