How much does a painter make in Nebraska?
In Nebraska, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $22.40 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $22.73 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$22.40
$22.73
$26.64
$4.24 less an hour
$46,592
By the hour, the week and the year in Nebraska
At 40 hours a week, the average of $22.40 an hour comes to $896.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $46,592 a year, and the median of $22.73 to $47,278 a year.
In Nebraska, the average is $0.33 below the median (1.5%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $22.73 an hour or more.
How does Nebraska compare?
The average in Nebraska is $4.24 below the national average of $26.64 (15.9% less), about $8,819 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Nebraska ranks 39 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Nebraska and its Census division, West North Central
By average wage, Nebraska ranks 6 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 Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $28.58 | $27.65 | +$6.18 |
| Minnesota | $27.97 | $27.54 | +$5.57 |
| North Dakota | $26.90 | $26.38 | +$4.50 |
| Iowa | $25.04 | $23.90 | +$2.64 |
| South Dakota | $22.94 | $23.15 | +$0.54 |
| Nebraska | $22.40 | $22.73 | |
| Kansas | $21.85 | $21.88 | -$0.55 |
This trade and the others in Nebraska
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Nebraska. Among them, the average runs from $16.45 (Cleaning) to $25.17 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $25.17 | $23.80 | +$2.77 |
| Drywall | $24.64 | $23.38 | +$2.24 |
| Painting | $22.40 | $22.73 | |
| Landscaping | $20.36 | $18.82 | -$2.04 |
| Cleaning | $16.45 | $16.43 | -$5.95 |
Against the minimum wage in Nebraska
The minimum wage in Nebraska is $15.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $22.73, is $7.73 above it, 51.5% 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 Nebraska, $22.73 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $181.84 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $331.22; 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.