How much does a painter make in Montana?
In Montana, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $26.30 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.03 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$26.30
$28.03
$26.64
$0.34 less an hour
$54,704
By the hour, the week and the year in Montana
At 40 hours a week, the average of $26.30 an hour comes to $1,052.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $54,704 a year, and the median of $28.03 to $58,302 a year.
In Montana, the average is $1.73 below the median (6.2%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $28.03 an hour or more.
How does Montana compare?
The average in Montana is $0.34 below the national average of $26.64 (1.3% less), about $707 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Montana ranks 21 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Montana and its Census division, Mountain
By average wage, Montana ranks 3 of the 8 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Nevada, $28.66, and the lowest Idaho, $21.87.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Montana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $28.66 | $27.11 | +$2.36 |
| Colorado | $27.10 | $25.47 | +$0.80 |
| Montana | $26.30 | $28.03 | |
| Arizona | $25.23 | $23.20 | -$1.07 |
| New Mexico | $23.74 | $22.23 | -$2.56 |
| Utah | $22.93 | $22.14 | -$3.37 |
| Wyoming | $22.89 | $22.70 | -$3.41 |
| Idaho | $21.87 | $21.58 | -$4.43 |
This trade and the others in Montana
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Montana. Among them, the average runs from $17.66 (Cleaning) to $29.88 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $29.88 | $29.63 | +$3.58 |
| Drywall | $28.81 | $28.92 | +$2.51 |
| Painting | $26.30 | $28.03 | |
| Landscaping | $21.90 | $21.80 | -$4.40 |
| Cleaning | $17.66 | $17.18 | -$8.64 |
Against the minimum wage in Montana
The minimum wage in Montana is $10.85 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $28.03, is $17.18 above it, 2.6 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $22,568 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 Montana, $28.03 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $224.24 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $384.86; 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.