How much does a painter make in New Mexico?
In New Mexico, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $23.74 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $22.23 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.74
$22.23
$26.64
$2.90 less an hour
$49,379
By the hour, the week and the year in New Mexico
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.74 an hour comes to $949.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $49,379 a year, and the median of $22.23 to $46,238 a year.
In New Mexico, the average is $1.51 above the median (6.8%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $22.23 an hour or less.
How does New Mexico compare?
The average in New Mexico is $2.90 below the national average of $26.64 (10.9% less), about $6,032 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, New Mexico ranks 32 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
New Mexico and its Census division, Mountain
By average wage, New Mexico ranks 5 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 New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $28.66 | $27.11 | +$4.92 |
| Colorado | $27.10 | $25.47 | +$3.36 |
| Montana | $26.30 | $28.03 | +$2.56 |
| Arizona | $25.23 | $23.20 | +$1.49 |
| New Mexico | $23.74 | $22.23 | |
| Utah | $22.93 | $22.14 | -$0.81 |
| Wyoming | $22.89 | $22.70 | -$0.85 |
| Idaho | $21.87 | $21.58 | -$1.87 |
This trade and the others in New Mexico
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in New Mexico. Among them, the average runs from $15.46 (Cleaning) to $27.47 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $27.47 | $25.91 | +$3.73 |
| Concrete | $25.41 | $23.67 | +$1.67 |
| Painting | $23.74 | $22.23 | |
| Landscaping | $19.07 | $18.06 | -$4.67 |
| Cleaning | $15.46 | $14.65 | -$8.28 |
Against the minimum wage in New Mexico
The minimum wage in New Mexico is $12.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $22.23, is $10.23 above it, 85.3% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $24,960 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 Mexico, $22.23 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $177.84 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $326.16; 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.