How much does a painter make in New Hampshire?
In New Hampshire, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $25.35 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.88 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$25.35
$23.88
$26.64
$1.29 less an hour
$52,728
By the hour, the week and the year in New Hampshire
At 40 hours a week, the average of $25.35 an hour comes to $1,014.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $52,728 a year, and the median of $23.88 to $49,670 a year.
In New Hampshire, the average is $1.47 above the median (6.2%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $23.88 an hour or less.
How does New Hampshire compare?
The average in New Hampshire is $1.29 below the national average of $26.64 (4.8% less), about $2,683 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, New Hampshire ranks 27 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
New Hampshire and its Census division, New England
By average wage, New Hampshire ranks 5 of the 6 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Massachusetts, $30.81, and the lowest Rhode Island, $23.15.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $30.81 | $27.65 | +$5.46 |
| Connecticut | $30.53 | $28.12 | +$5.18 |
| Maine | $28.96 | $28.50 | +$3.61 |
| Vermont | $26.39 | $25.54 | +$1.04 |
| New Hampshire | $25.35 | $23.88 | |
| Rhode Island | $23.15 | $20.00 | -$2.20 |
This trade and the others in New Hampshire
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in New Hampshire. Among them, the average runs from $18.31 (Cleaning) to $32.31 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $32.31 | $29.79 | +$6.96 |
| Concrete | $28.16 | $26.06 | +$2.81 |
| Painting | $25.35 | $23.88 | |
| Landscaping | $21.98 | $21.58 | -$3.37 |
| Cleaning | $18.31 | $17.75 | -$7.04 |
Against the minimum wage in New Hampshire
In New Hampshire most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $23.88, is $16.63 above it, 3.3 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 New Hampshire, $23.88 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $191.04 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $342.86; 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.