How much does a painter make in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $30.81 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $27.65 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$30.81
$27.65
$26.64
$4.17 more an hour
$64,085
By the hour, the week and the year in Massachusetts
At 40 hours a week, the average of $30.81 an hour comes to $1,232.40 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $64,085 a year, and the median of $27.65 to $57,512 a year.
In Massachusetts, the average is $3.16 above the median (11.4%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $27.65 an hour or less.
How does Massachusetts compare?
The average in Massachusetts is $4.17 above the national average of $26.64 (15.7% more), about $8,674 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Massachusetts ranks 5 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Massachusetts and its Census division, New England
Of the 6 states of the division with data for this trade, Massachusetts pays the highest average, $30.81; next comes Connecticut with $30.53.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $30.81 | $27.65 | |
| Connecticut | $30.53 | $28.12 | -$0.28 |
| Maine | $28.96 | $28.50 | -$1.85 |
| Vermont | $26.39 | $25.54 | -$4.42 |
| New Hampshire | $25.35 | $23.88 | -$5.46 |
| Rhode Island | $23.15 | $20.00 | -$7.66 |
This trade and the others in Massachusetts
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Massachusetts. Among them, the average runs from $20.38 (Cleaning) to $34.96 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $34.96 | $30.69 | +$4.15 |
| Drywall | $32.80 | $33.42 | +$1.99 |
| Painting | $30.81 | $27.65 | |
| Landscaping | $24.30 | $23.40 | -$6.51 |
| Cleaning | $20.38 | $18.73 | -$10.43 |
Against the minimum wage in Massachusetts
The minimum wage in Massachusetts is $15.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $27.65, is $12.65 above it, 84.3% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $31,200 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 Massachusetts, $27.65 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $221.20 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $381.02; 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.