How much does a painter make in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $24.72 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.13 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$24.72
$23.13
$26.64
$1.92 less an hour
$51,418
By the hour, the week and the year in Kentucky
At 40 hours a week, the average of $24.72 an hour comes to $988.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $51,418 a year, and the median of $23.13 to $48,110 a year.
In Kentucky, the average is $1.59 above the median (6.9%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $23.13 an hour or less.
How does Kentucky compare?
The average in Kentucky is $1.92 below the national average of $26.64 (7.2% less), about $3,994 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Kentucky ranks 30 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Kentucky and its Census division, East South Central
Of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade, Kentucky pays the highest average, $24.72; next comes Mississippi with $22.33.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $24.72 | $23.13 | |
| Mississippi | $22.33 | $21.54 | -$2.39 |
| Alabama | $21.50 | $21.12 | -$3.22 |
| Tennessee | $21.44 | $20.78 | -$3.28 |
This trade and the others in Kentucky
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Kentucky. Among them, the average runs from $15.35 (Cleaning) to $25.22 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $25.22 | $24.14 | +$0.50 |
| Painting | $24.72 | $23.13 | |
| Drywall | $23.13 | $23.24 | -$1.59 |
| Landscaping | $18.34 | $17.63 | -$6.38 |
| Cleaning | $15.35 | $14.85 | -$9.37 |
Against the minimum wage in Kentucky
In Kentucky most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $23.13, is $15.88 above it, 3.2 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 Kentucky, $23.13 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $185.04 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $335.27; 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.