How much does a painter make in Kansas?
In Kansas, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $21.85 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.88 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$21.85
$21.88
$26.64
$4.79 less an hour
$45,448
By the hour, the week and the year in Kansas
At 40 hours a week, the average of $21.85 an hour comes to $874.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $45,448 a year, and the median of $21.88 to $45,510 a year.
In Kansas, the average is $0.03 below the median (0.1%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $21.88 an hour or more.
How does Kansas compare?
The average in Kansas is $4.79 below the national average of $26.64 (18.0% less), about $9,963 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Kansas ranks 44 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Kansas and its Census division, West North Central
Of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade, Kansas pays the lowest average, $21.85; the next is Nebraska with $22.40.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $28.58 | $27.65 | +$6.73 |
| Minnesota | $27.97 | $27.54 | +$6.12 |
| North Dakota | $26.90 | $26.38 | +$5.05 |
| Iowa | $25.04 | $23.90 | +$3.19 |
| South Dakota | $22.94 | $23.15 | +$1.09 |
| Nebraska | $22.40 | $22.73 | +$0.55 |
| Kansas | $21.85 | $21.88 |
This trade and the others in Kansas
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Kansas. Among them, the average runs from $15.41 (Cleaning) to $27.32 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $27.32 | $25.06 | +$5.47 |
| Drywall | $21.89 | $19.18 | +$0.04 |
| Painting | $21.85 | $21.88 | |
| Landscaping | $19.49 | $18.91 | -$2.36 |
| Cleaning | $15.41 | $14.95 | -$6.44 |
Against the minimum wage in Kansas
In Kansas most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $21.88, is $14.63 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 Kansas, $21.88 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $175.04 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $322.62; 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.