How much does a painter make in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $29.33 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.49 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$29.33
$28.49
$26.64
$2.69 more an hour
$61,006
By the hour, the week and the year in New Jersey
At 40 hours a week, the average of $29.33 an hour comes to $1,173.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $61,006 a year, and the median of $28.49 to $59,259 a year.
In New Jersey, the average is $0.84 above the median (2.9%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $28.49 an hour or less.
How does New Jersey compare?
The average in New Jersey is $2.69 above the national average of $26.64 (10.1% more), about $5,595 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, New Jersey ranks 9 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
New Jersey and its Census division, Middle Atlantic
By average wage, New Jersey ranks 2 of the 3 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is New York, $32.72, and the lowest Pennsylvania, $26.07.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $32.72 | $28.64 | +$3.39 |
| New Jersey | $29.33 | $28.49 | |
| Pennsylvania | $26.07 | $25.06 | -$3.26 |
This trade and the others in New Jersey
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in New Jersey. Among them, the average runs from $19.10 (Cleaning) to $39.08 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $39.08 | $36.09 | +$9.75 |
| Concrete | $33.00 | $29.52 | +$3.67 |
| Painting | $29.33 | $28.49 | |
| Landscaping | $20.82 | $19.88 | -$8.51 |
| Cleaning | $19.10 | $18.26 | -$10.23 |
Against the minimum wage in New Jersey
The minimum wage in New Jersey is $15.92 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $28.49, is $12.57 above it, 79.0% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $33,114 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 Jersey, $28.49 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $227.92 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $389.52; 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.