How much does a painter make in New York?
In New York, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $32.72 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.64 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$32.72
$28.64
$26.64
$6.08 more an hour
$68,058
By the hour, the week and the year in New York
At 40 hours a week, the average of $32.72 an hour comes to $1,308.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $68,058 a year, and the median of $28.64 to $59,571 a year.
In New York, the average is $4.08 above the median (14.2%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $28.64 an hour or less.
How does New York compare?
The average in New York is $6.08 above the national average of $26.64 (22.8% more), about $12,646 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, New York ranks 3 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
New York and its Census division, Middle Atlantic
Of the 3 states of the division with data for this trade, New York pays the highest average, $32.72; next comes New Jersey with $29.33.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $32.72 | $28.64 | |
| New Jersey | $29.33 | $28.49 | -$3.39 |
| Pennsylvania | $26.07 | $25.06 | -$6.65 |
This trade and the others in New York
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in New York. Among them, the average runs from $21.93 (Landscaping) to $34.92 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $34.92 | $30.79 | +$2.20 |
| Drywall | $33.14 | $29.46 | +$0.42 |
| Painting | $32.72 | $28.64 | |
| Cleaning | $23.88 | $20.17 | -$8.84 |
| Landscaping | $21.93 | $21.56 | -$10.79 |
Against the minimum wage in New York
The minimum wage in New York is $17.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $28.64, is $11.64 above it, 68.5% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $35,360 a year.
That is the rate of New York City, Long Island and Westchester; the rest of the state pays $16.00.
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 York, $28.64 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $229.12 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $391.03; 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.