How much does a painter make in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $27.97 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $27.54 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$27.97
$27.54
$26.64
$1.33 more an hour
$58,178
By the hour, the week and the year in Minnesota
At 40 hours a week, the average of $27.97 an hour comes to $1,118.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $58,178 a year, and the median of $27.54 to $57,283 a year.
In Minnesota, the average is $0.43 above the median (1.6%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $27.54 an hour or less.
How does Minnesota compare?
The average in Minnesota is $1.33 above the national average of $26.64 (5.0% more), about $2,766 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Minnesota ranks 14 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Minnesota and its Census division, West North Central
By average wage, Minnesota ranks 2 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Missouri, $28.58, and the lowest Kansas, $21.85.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $28.58 | $27.65 | +$0.61 |
| Minnesota | $27.97 | $27.54 | |
| North Dakota | $26.90 | $26.38 | -$1.07 |
| Iowa | $25.04 | $23.90 | -$2.93 |
| South Dakota | $22.94 | $23.15 | -$5.03 |
| Nebraska | $22.40 | $22.73 | -$5.57 |
| Kansas | $21.85 | $21.88 | -$6.12 |
This trade and the others in Minnesota
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Minnesota. Among them, the average runs from $18.45 (Cleaning) to $34.00 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $34.00 | $32.13 | +$6.03 |
| Drywall | $31.54 | $29.46 | +$3.57 |
| Painting | $27.97 | $27.54 | |
| Landscaping | $22.21 | $22.41 | -$5.76 |
| Cleaning | $18.45 | $18.01 | -$9.52 |
Against the minimum wage in Minnesota
The minimum wage in Minnesota is $11.41 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $27.54, is $16.13 above it, 2.4 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $23,733 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 Minnesota, $27.54 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $220.32 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $379.90; 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.