How much does a painter make in Mississippi?
In Mississippi, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $22.33 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.54 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$22.33
$21.54
$26.64
$4.31 less an hour
$46,446
By the hour, the week and the year in Mississippi
At 40 hours a week, the average of $22.33 an hour comes to $893.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $46,446 a year, and the median of $21.54 to $44,803 a year.
In Mississippi, the average is $0.79 above the median (3.7%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $21.54 an hour or less.
How does Mississippi compare?
The average in Mississippi is $4.31 below the national average of $26.64 (16.2% less), about $8,965 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Mississippi ranks 40 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Mississippi and its Census division, East South Central
By average wage, Mississippi ranks 2 of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Kentucky, $24.72, and the lowest Tennessee, $21.44.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $24.72 | $23.13 | +$2.39 |
| Mississippi | $22.33 | $21.54 | |
| Alabama | $21.50 | $21.12 | -$0.83 |
| Tennessee | $21.44 | $20.78 | -$0.89 |
This trade and the others in Mississippi
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in Mississippi. Among them, the average runs from $12.43 (Cleaning) to $22.33 (Painting).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painting | $22.33 | $21.54 | |
| Concrete | $20.90 | $21.14 | -$1.43 |
| Drywall | $18.86 | $17.94 | -$3.47 |
| Landscaping | $16.12 | $15.21 | -$6.21 |
| Cleaning | $12.43 | $12.19 | -$9.90 |
Against the minimum wage in Mississippi
In Mississippi most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $21.54, is $14.29 above it, 3.0 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 Mississippi, $21.54 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $172.32 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $319.18; 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.