How much does a painter make in Iowa?
In Iowa, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $25.04 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.90 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$25.04
$23.90
$26.64
$1.60 less an hour
$52,083
By the hour, the week and the year in Iowa
At 40 hours a week, the average of $25.04 an hour comes to $1,001.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $52,083 a year, and the median of $23.90 to $49,712 a year.
In Iowa, the average is $1.14 above the median (4.8%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $23.90 an hour or less.
How does Iowa compare?
The average in Iowa is $1.60 below the national average of $26.64 (6.0% less), about $3,328 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Iowa ranks 29 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Iowa and its Census division, West North Central
By average wage, Iowa ranks 4 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Missouri, $28.58, and the lowest Kansas, $21.85.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $28.58 | $27.65 | +$3.54 |
| Minnesota | $27.97 | $27.54 | +$2.93 |
| North Dakota | $26.90 | $26.38 | +$1.86 |
| Iowa | $25.04 | $23.90 | |
| South Dakota | $22.94 | $23.15 | -$2.10 |
| Nebraska | $22.40 | $22.73 | -$2.64 |
| Kansas | $21.85 | $21.88 | -$3.19 |
This trade and the others in Iowa
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Iowa. Among them, the average runs from $15.88 (Cleaning) to $27.80 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $27.80 | $27.99 | +$2.76 |
| Drywall | $25.59 | $24.53 | +$0.55 |
| Painting | $25.04 | $23.90 | |
| Landscaping | $19.84 | $18.71 | -$5.20 |
| Cleaning | $15.88 | $15.68 | -$9.16 |
Against the minimum wage in Iowa
In Iowa most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $23.90, is $16.65 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 Iowa, $23.90 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $191.20 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $343.07; 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.