How much does a painter make in Maine?
In Maine, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $28.96 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.50 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$28.96
$28.50
$26.64
$2.32 more an hour
$60,237
By the hour, the week and the year in Maine
At 40 hours a week, the average of $28.96 an hour comes to $1,158.40 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $60,237 a year, and the median of $28.50 to $59,280 a year.
In Maine, the average is $0.46 above the median (1.6%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $28.50 an hour or less.
How does Maine compare?
The average in Maine is $2.32 above the national average of $26.64 (8.7% more), about $4,826 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Maine ranks 11 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Maine and its Census division, New England
By average wage, Maine ranks 3 of the 6 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Massachusetts, $30.81, and the lowest Rhode Island, $23.15.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Maine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $30.81 | $27.65 | +$1.85 |
| Connecticut | $30.53 | $28.12 | +$1.57 |
| Maine | $28.96 | $28.50 | |
| Vermont | $26.39 | $25.54 | -$2.57 |
| New Hampshire | $25.35 | $23.88 | -$3.61 |
| Rhode Island | $23.15 | $20.00 | -$5.81 |
This trade and the others in Maine
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in Maine. Among them, the average runs from $18.84 (Cleaning) to $28.96 (Painting).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painting | $28.96 | $28.50 | |
| Drywall | $28.45 | $28.89 | -$0.51 |
| Concrete | $27.52 | $26.77 | -$1.44 |
| Landscaping | $21.70 | $22.10 | -$7.26 |
| Cleaning | $18.84 | $18.09 | -$10.12 |
Against the minimum wage in Maine
The minimum wage in Maine is $15.10 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $28.50, is $13.40 above it, 88.7% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $31,408 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 Maine, $28.50 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $228.00 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $389.62; 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.