How much does a painter make in Indiana?
In Indiana, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $25.48 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $24.16 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$25.48
$24.16
$26.64
$1.16 less an hour
$52,998
By the hour, the week and the year in Indiana
At 40 hours a week, the average of $25.48 an hour comes to $1,019.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $52,998 a year, and the median of $24.16 to $50,253 a year.
In Indiana, the average is $1.32 above the median (5.5%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $24.16 an hour or less.
How does Indiana compare?
The average in Indiana is $1.16 below the national average of $26.64 (4.4% less), about $2,413 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Indiana ranks 26 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Indiana and its Census division, East North Central
Of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade, Indiana pays the lowest average, $25.48; the next is Wisconsin with $26.05.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $33.48 | $29.45 | +$8.00 |
| Michigan | $26.88 | $24.35 | +$1.40 |
| Ohio | $26.21 | $23.77 | +$0.73 |
| Wisconsin | $26.05 | $24.08 | +$0.57 |
| Indiana | $25.48 | $24.16 |
This trade and the others in Indiana
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Indiana. Among them, the average runs from $15.88 (Cleaning) to $29.02 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $29.02 | $29.46 | +$3.54 |
| Drywall | $26.15 | $23.95 | +$0.67 |
| Painting | $25.48 | $24.16 | |
| Landscaping | $19.24 | $18.30 | -$6.24 |
| Cleaning | $15.88 | $15.11 | -$9.60 |
Against the minimum wage in Indiana
In Indiana most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $24.16, is $16.91 above it, 3.3 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 Indiana, $24.16 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $193.28 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $345.70; 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.