How much does a painter make in Missouri?
In Missouri, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $28.58 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $27.65 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$28.58
$27.65
$26.64
$1.94 more an hour
$59,446
By the hour, the week and the year in Missouri
At 40 hours a week, the average of $28.58 an hour comes to $1,143.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $59,446 a year, and the median of $27.65 to $57,512 a year.
In Missouri, the average is $0.93 above the median (3.4%): 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 Missouri compare?
The average in Missouri is $1.94 above the national average of $26.64 (7.3% more), about $4,035 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Missouri ranks 13 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Missouri and its Census division, West North Central
Of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade, Missouri pays the highest average, $28.58; next comes Minnesota with $27.97.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $28.58 | $27.65 | |
| Minnesota | $27.97 | $27.54 | -$0.61 |
| North Dakota | $26.90 | $26.38 | -$1.68 |
| Iowa | $25.04 | $23.90 | -$3.54 |
| South Dakota | $22.94 | $23.15 | -$5.64 |
| Nebraska | $22.40 | $22.73 | -$6.18 |
| Kansas | $21.85 | $21.88 | -$6.73 |
This trade and the others in Missouri
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Missouri. Among them, the average runs from $16.41 (Cleaning) to $32.31 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $32.31 | $30.09 | +$3.73 |
| Concrete | $30.84 | $29.51 | +$2.26 |
| Painting | $28.58 | $27.65 | |
| Landscaping | $19.56 | $18.52 | -$9.02 |
| Cleaning | $16.41 | $16.19 | -$12.17 |
Against the minimum wage in Missouri
The minimum wage in Missouri 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 Missouri, $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.