How much does a painter make in Michigan?
In Michigan, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $26.88 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $24.35 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$26.88
$24.35
$26.64
$0.24 more an hour
$55,910
By the hour, the week and the year in Michigan
At 40 hours a week, the average of $26.88 an hour comes to $1,075.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $55,910 a year, and the median of $24.35 to $50,648 a year.
In Michigan, the average is $2.53 above the median (10.4%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $24.35 an hour or less.
How does Michigan compare?
The average in Michigan is $0.24 above the national average of $26.64 (0.9% more), about $499 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Michigan ranks 18 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Michigan and its Census division, East North Central
By average wage, Michigan ranks 2 of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Illinois, $33.48, and the lowest Indiana, $25.48.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $33.48 | $29.45 | +$6.60 |
| Michigan | $26.88 | $24.35 | |
| Ohio | $26.21 | $23.77 | -$0.67 |
| Wisconsin | $26.05 | $24.08 | -$0.83 |
| Indiana | $25.48 | $24.16 | -$1.40 |
This trade and the others in Michigan
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Michigan. Among them, the average runs from $16.36 (Cleaning) to $28.21 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $28.21 | $28.78 | +$1.33 |
| Drywall | $28.14 | $28.10 | +$1.26 |
| Painting | $26.88 | $24.35 | |
| Landscaping | $19.49 | $18.33 | -$7.39 |
| Cleaning | $16.36 | $16.66 | -$10.52 |
Against the minimum wage in Michigan
The minimum wage in Michigan is $13.73 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $24.35, is $10.62 above it, 77.3% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $28,558 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 Michigan, $24.35 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $194.80 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $347.62; 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.